Activities For Silkzers

Home
Dog Activities
Activities For Silkzers

1k Views

0 Comments

0 Votes

Prepare for unexpected vet bills

Find pet insurance Find pet insurance

Introduction

A Silkzer is a cross between a Silky Terrier and a Minature Schnauzer, and it’s a breed you will happily invite into your home. They are low maintenance, don’t mind you being away from home, and adore being a lapdog and faithful companion. However, what Silkzers also love is to be a part of your world, doing everything they can to make you happy, while enjoying mental stimulation at the same time. Here are a few of the many things you can do with your Silkzer to cater to their needs.

Dancing

Popular

0 Votes

Rainy Day

Free

Hard

10 min

Items needed

Treat

Activity description

If you want your Silkzer to be the life of the party, upstaging everyone else on the dance floor, then use a dreary rainy day to your advantage. When you have time to spare, you can teach your smart pup how to shake their booty! Training your dog in the field of dancing may be a hard activity, but it’s one that only requires the use of treats, and three or four 10-minute training sessions every day. Before long, this free activity can turn into a fun pastime that you show all your friends. Your pup is bound to enjoy all the attention also!

Step

Standing up

While there are many stages to teaching your dog how to dance, and many ways to manage it, the most important one is getting them to stand up on their own. This step can take a few treats and a lot of practice. Make sure your dog is facing you, with their attention on you. Hold a treat above their head and lure your dog upwards to a standing position using your body as support. Once they are on their two paws, give them the treat along with verbal praise. Once they have mastered standing on two legs with your help, you can slowly remove their support, by using your arms to hold them up, then their balance.

Step

Spinning

Once your dog has mastered standing up on their own, you can then teach them how to spin – either on two legs or four. Move a treat in your hand slowly in a circle, getting your dog to follow it on four legs. Once they achieve the full spin, offer them a piece of kibble and verbal praise. Repeat this process, reiterating that when they spin around (as if they are chasing their tail), they get a treat and kudos. You can then work your way up to turning on two paws.

Step

Leg weaving

As part of your dance routine, you can then begin to include leg weaving. Use treats and gentle pressure on your dog’s collar to guide them through your legs in a figure eight shape. Each time you bring them through correctly, offer a treat and praise. They can then go from spinning and standing up, through to a leg weaving dance.

Add your dog's photo

Toy Chores

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Free

Hard

10 min

Items needed

Toy

Treat

Basket

Activity description

An excellent all-weather activity for your Silkzer is to teach them how to clean up after themselves. Often, you can spend more time putting your pet's toys away than you would doing your housework! It’s time your dog became responsible for their belongings, knowing how and where to put them away. This challenging activity is one that may take some time, but if you break the training sessions down into 10-minute increments, and only include one toy, basket, and treat, it may be easier than you think. It will also be worth it when you no longer have to put all their games and toys away!

Step

Take

The first step to teaching your Silkzer how to put their toys away is by mastering the ‘take’ component of the command. Using one of their favorite toys, move it around their body with a high-energy voice, encouraging them to grab it. Before they do, use the words ‘take.’ Then, once they grab the toy, say the word ‘yes’ with praise and a small treat. The goal is to get them associating a reward with picking up their toy.

Step

Drop

Once your dog has their toy in their mouth, the next step is to get them to drop it on command. You may need to offer a treat in exchange for the toy. Say drop it, provide the treat, and when your dog releases it, say yes with an excited tone, before giving your pup the treat. Word association is crucial.

Step

Basket

The final part of teaching your Silkzer how to do chores is getting them to combine ‘take’ and ‘drop’ so they can put the toy in the basket. Once they have taken the toy into their mouth, lure them over to the basket which you need to keep in the same place. Once they are over by it, say drop, and have it go into the basket. Keep repeating the process, moving the toy further away from the basket with the same goal. Incorporate the words “clean up” into the training, so when you use them in future, they won’t need any further convincing.

Add your dog's photo

Doga

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Free

Normal

20 min

Items needed

Water

Yoga mat

Activity description

Silkzers can yap and bark a lot when they don’t get their way, building on their excitement levels until they are full of energy. If you want them to be zen-like and calm, it’s an excellent idea to incorporate Doga into their lives. Doga is like yoga, but for dogs. While you carry out your human version, your furry friend can be doing an animal variety. The result can be a well-rounded dog that’s happy, calm, and content. This all-weather activity has a standard difficulty level but only takes around 20 minutes per time. What’s more, it’s free, and you don’t need any special tools or equipment other than your yoga mat.

Step

At one

If you want to evoke a sense of trust and calm within your dog, then the “at one” pose can be beneficial for you both. Sit cross-legged on the floor with your Silkzer in front of you, lying down. Start this position off by connecting with your dog, getting your breathing in-sync. Your pup can either be on you which is typical for this lap dog, or in front of you on the floor. Sit for two minutes together, with breathing in sync. After two minutes, you will both feel relaxed and calm.

Step

Stretches

Another excellent Doga position to carry out with your Silkzer involves stretching. Sit with your legs wide apart in front of you and with your dog in between, lying on their side. Massage your dog, spreading out their legs to benefit their muscles. You can then rub their legs as you stretch them out, contributing to a full relaxation mode.

Add your dog's photo

More Fun Ideas...

Car Ride

Even though you can leave your Silkzer at home without any hassle, you may like to treat them to a car ride from time to time. Clip them into their harness in the seatbelt attachment then hit the road! You can also stop off on the way to your destination at parks for quick opportunities for them to stretch their legs. The entire trip is sure to be an adventure!

Hydrotherapy

While Silkzers aren’t natural swimmers, that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from hydrotherapy. Hydrotherapy involves a professional pool and trained dog experts, as well as a life jacket. If your dog suffers from sore joints or you want them to stay in tip-top condition, putting them into a small laps pool with a life jacket can be an excellent activity.

Conclusion

A Silkzer makes a pawsitively delightful pet. They are low maintenance, love to spend time with their owners, and have very few needs. They are also happy to do everything you do, as long as they get to spend time with you. If you are running out of ideas on how to spoil your Silkzer, you are sure to find these options above will put you leagues ahead of other dog owners!