Activities For Scottish-Skye Terriers

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Activities For Scottish-Skye Terriers

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Introduction

The Scottish-Skye Terrier is an adorable small dog who has a large personality. However, they can get quite bored just mooching around at home, so here are a few games to keep this active, fearless little dog happy. The Scottish-Skye Terrier has short legs, so rather than creating activities where they can jump and hurt themselves, focus on activities that use up their abundant energy as well as challenge their minds. Games to challenge this pooch could be learning new tricks, finding hidden things, or a bout of chase the Frisbee. Another activity that your children will love doing with your dog is to blow lots of bubbles. Many dogs love chasing these little bubbles around and making them 'pop'. It is hard to say who will have the most fun, your children or your little Scottie. Activities are a way of keeping life interesting for a dog. A bored dog is a dog who can create havoc - from chewing up shoes, to digging down to China in your back yard! Just when you finally get a vegetable plot growing, a bored Scottie will dig them up and transplant them (if you are lucky) somewhere else in the yard.

Spin the Bottle

Popular

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Sunny Day

Cheap

Normal

5 - 30 min

Items needed

Plastic bottle

2 cord tightners

sturdy cord

long screw

pointed knife

Treats - very small

Activity description

When you want to have fun with your Scottish-Skye Terrier, this is a great game or trick to teach them. It works on their mind as they have to find out how to get treats out of a bottle. One or more dog can play (a bottle for each would be best). The game is easy to set up in the back yard, or to set up on a beach or park if you are away on holiday. If there are handy trees nearby, so much the better. The cord tighteners prevent damaging the tree, and the knife is for making holes in the bottle. The bottles will end up with holes in them from bite marks so have a few on hand for replacements. Your dog will get quite creative trying to slingshot those treats out of the bottle, but that is only part of it. Once the treat is fired out, they then have to find the treat in the grass! All you have to do is sit back and give loads of encouragement. Once they get the hang of this game, they will want to keep playing!

Step

Getting prepared

If you are prepared and have everything you need, it will take just a few moments to set it all up. Use the knife to cut an 'x' in each sides of the bottle up in the top third, as you want it to hang down. Push the screw through where you marked it, and tie one end of the cord around the head of the screw. Thread the cord through one hole and out the other (using the screw to make it easier). Then remove the screw.

Step

Set it up

Load each end of the cord onto the cord tightener and tie a knot in each end. Then you have to wrap each cord around a tree or a handy pole, and stretch it tight using the cord tighteners to make a long lead with the bottle hanging in between. Now comes the interesting part (for your Scottish-Skye Terrier). Fill the bottle with some treats - they have to be small enough to come out of the bottle easily. Then the game is ready to go. Do remember that your Scottie has short legs, so keep the rope down to their level to prevent injury.

Step

Lets play

The aim of the game is for your Scottish-Skye Terrier to learn how to spin the bottle in any way possible to fire a treat out of it. Your canny little pooch will try everything in their power to get that bottle to give up a treat. It is funny to watch and your dog will love the game. The bottle will end up full of holes all over it due to vigorous efforts by your dog to get the treat. It's a good work out for them, and great mental stimulation.

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The Dirt Pit

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Any Day

Cheap

Easy

30 - 60 min

Items needed

Designated digging area

Planks

Toys

Activity description

The Dirt Pit is a great game for a dog that likes to dig. It is good for the dog as it trains them that a certain area is the designated dig spot, and they can dig as much as they want there, but no where else! Some Scottish-Skye Terriers love to dig, some will attempt to dig to China! Others will tire of it after a short time. The secret of this game is to set up a space in the garden where your dog can dig. It is best if the space has a defining border, such as an area built up with boards around the outside. Simply nailing a few planks together to make a box is fine. You don't have to have a PhD in building, it just requires banging in a nail or two. This activity uses the dog's instinct to dig and channels it into a fun game. It is a great way for your dog to let off steam, digging away to find a toy. This game is like throwing a ball, except you hide something in the dirt and they have to find it and bring it back for you to re-hide.

Step

Making the pit

This part of the game takes a bit of time to put together, but once done it is ready to go at a moment's notice. Choose an area in the garden where you will put the pit. It's similar to making a sandpit for children, but is best if it has no floor. Just prepare a wooden square, and place it on the chosen area Then dig up the ground slightly to give your Scottish-Skye Terrier a good start. Creative types can make a lid with timber or use a tarpaulin to cover it afterwards, to keep it special for the dog and to keep cats from using it as a litter box!

Step

Hide the prize

First of all, show your Scottie the toy, then get them to stay while you go and bury the toy. Once done, issue the 'find' command. Some dogs need to be shown for the first round about what you expect from them. But once they get it, be warned. They will not tire of it! If it is a hot day, build in a rest time. Play for ten minutes, rest and have a drink, then play again if they want to (they will!).

Step

Change it up

Hide different toys, or a new toy each time you play, to make this game more interesting. You could even use a toy that hides a treat inside, so they have to find the toy in their pit, then find the treat inside the toy. Dogs are at their best when doing something. Being busy keeps their little paws from straying into trouble areas. And if your dog loves digging, it is a legitimate outlet for those traits. Teach them to confine their digging to the pit.

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Dog Tag

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Cheap

Easy

30 - 60 min

Items needed

Healthy small treats

Activity description

Dog Tag is a cheap and easy game to set up to entertain your dog and build some variety into their day. This game is a great way to teach your dog to come when called. By using small (very small) treats to reward good behavior, the dog will learn quickly that it is to their advantage to come to you. Scottish-Skye Terriers can be a bit wilflul at times, but this is a fun way to over come that natural tendency. Getting involved in this activity teaches them to respond quickly and sharpens their focus as the people start moving around. The game can be extended to involve all the family, as the more people the merrier. As your Scottie responds more and more, it ingrains the habit to respond deep into their subconscious. This activity is great for all but the hottest weather.

Step

Get ready to go

Go outside with your dog and take up a position about two meters away from the other person. Then one person calls the dog to them. The first time it may take a while, but when they do come give them a treat and make a fuss of them. Then the second person calls them and repeats the process. It may take patience at first until your dog 'gets it'. But keep trying, your dog will soon get the idea.

Step

Step it up a notch

Once your dog gets the idea, you and your partner can move about, each taking a turn to call the dog. You will find that your canny little Terrier will get faster and faster at responding, which is what you want. Move further apart to test their endurance, or have one person hide and then call the dog. This will keep the dog's interest and add to the challenge.

Step

Get creative and have fun!

The game can expand to several people and it is a fun game for families to play. Each person takes a turn to call the dog, or hide and call to prevent confusing your pet. Remember to give your dog a break as it can be pretty hard work for a dog with short legs! Let them rest and have a drink before continuing. But don't overdo it or you will risk your dog losing interest altogether.

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More Fun Ideas...

Tracking

All this activity comprises of is a walk to the local park, although you could play it in the back yard. Take your Scottish-Skye Terrier on an outing though, it will be more fun. Once at the park, take out the dog toy that you brought from home and hide a treat in it. Let your dog sniff it, and then go hide it. Make it easy for them to find it at first until they learn what they are supposed to do. When they find the toy, they get the treat and lots of praise. As they get quicker, make it harder for them to find. But don't tire the little guy out, build in a few breaks. Then a quiet walk back home and this little Scottish-Skye Terrier will be seeking your lap for a snooze.

Bubble Bonanza

What child doesn't like playing with bubbles? Did you know that dogs do too? Your Scottish-Skye Terrier will love to jump at the bubbles, snapping or biting at them. The game takes advantage of the dog's natural prey instinct without doing any harm. This is one game your children and dog will love to play together. Make sure the excitement doesn't get to be too much with your dog leaping on the bubble blower. Have the dog sit while the bubbles are blown then release them to destroy the floating spheres. This activity is fun, cheap and is valuable bonding time for your dog. All you need is a round loop on a handle and some bubble mix to blow. But make sure the product is dog (and child) friendly and non toxic. Other than that, let the bubbles begin!

Conclusion

If you look at it from a dog's paw-spective, lying around all day can get pretty boring. Lack of activity is when behavioral problems begin. Your placid Terrier starts chewing everything in sight, or you come home to find that they have redesigned the furniture leaving a trial of stuffing from the cushions throughout the house. This unwanted behavior can be frustrating to an owner, but if you ignore your dog's activity needs, then trouble is going to visit you! A few planned activities can be designed to challenge your dog's fitness and wear off some of that energy. Your dog can learn quicker if they are having fun and it is interesting. Some of the games increase their response behavior, such as coming when called. Other games, such as tracking, increase their observation and deduction skills. Your Scottish-Skye Terrier may become so good at deducting where the hidden toy is that you may have to rename your dog Sherlock Bones!