Activities For Skilky Terriers
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Prepare for unexpected vet bills
Introduction
Many people may not have heard of Skilky Terriers before, but they are sure to have heard of their parents: Silky Terrier and Scottish Terrier. With the sassy disposition of the Silky Terrier coupled with the lap-dog friendliness of the Scottish, you get to enjoy a well-rounded pup with a lot of love to give your family. They are low maintenance dogs with no high needs for exercise, but they do require a lot of stimulation to prevent destructive behavior such as digging. Get a head start with these activities.
Dig Training
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Sunny Day
Free
Normal
10 min
Items needed
Treats
Can
Coins
Activity description
Because your Skilky Terrier's parents were both vermin hunters, you are sure to find that on more than one occasion they make a mess in your yard. Skilky Terriers will dig, root around in the earth, and try to uncover anything that may be hidden in there. If you have a prized flower garden or vegetable patch, this is not an ideal problem to have. However, you can work on your pup's dig training, discouraging the behavior in 10-minute training sessions. All you need is a clear, sunny day, treats, a can, and coins, and you can get this regular activity underway.
Step
1
Work out why
One of the most beneficial steps for preventing your Skilky Terrier from destroying your garden is to find out why they're doing it. Of course, their parentage can mostly be to blame, but there may be other reasons. They might have hidden treats and toys in there, they're bored, or you're not paying them enough attention. Get to the root of the cause so you can address the problem.
Step
2
Discourage
To prevent your Skilky Terrier from digging in your yard, you need to discourage them. However, you first have to catch them in the act. You can't tell them off for coming inside with a dirty nose and paws - knowing where they have been. Instead, you need to catch them mid-dig, offering negative reinforcement. Put coins into a can and shake it while using a firm voice. They don't like the negative energy or the sound.
Step
3
Distract
The final stage for preventing the destruction of your prized peonies is to distract. You've discouraged through the use of negative reinforcement and loud noises, and you now need to find a solution. Create a dig pit with hidden treats and toys where they are allowed to dig or supervise their yard visits. Alternatively, you can provide a few more toys and games to prevent boredom.
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Grooming
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Any Day
Moderate
Normal
30 min
Items needed
Pin brush
Comb
Slicker brush
Scissors
Activity description
If your Skilky Terrier likes to get into trouble and is a bit of a digger, then you may find yourself always having to pay to groom them. However, did you know you can save yourself some money and do it yourself at home? You may need to outlay money for a comb, slicker brush, scissors, and a pin brush, but once you do, it's a free activity that takes around 30 minutes and has a standard difficulty level. You can also do it inside or outside. Regular grooming is essential as Skilky Terriers have long, often-coarse fur that gathers a lot of dirt.
Step
1
Brush
Use your slicker brush to comb your Skilky Terrier's entire body - working through the coat where matting and knots are. You can then work these out with the brush, cut them out with scissors, or use a detangle solution to work them free. Be sure to reward a patient pup who sat still through the brushing!
Step
2
Comb
Once your pup's coat is mostly free of knots, you can then work through it again but this time with a comb. Use your pin brush to work through any smaller knots or thick patches of fur. This step is preparing the coat for further grooming steps like trimming.
Step
3
Trim
There are several ways to trim a Skilky Terrier's coat - depending on which parent they take after and how often you like to groom them. Their fur parts typically down the middle, and some owners prefer it to touch the ground on each side. For a low maintenance approach, trim it shorter with blunt-end scissors. Trim their face and tail, the fur between their eyes, their hind end and even excess hair on their tail. You can also consult your local groomer for advice and tips.
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Homemade Rope Toy
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Rainy Day
Cheap
Easy
1 hr
Items needed
tennis balls
Old t-shirt
Scissors
Activity description
Skilky Terriers can get bored quite quickly, and that's often why they become destructive with shoe chewing and yard digging. To prevent this behavior, you need to work on providing them with fun games and activities. However, they don't have to cost the earth. A fun addition to their toy box is going to be a homemade rope toy. Instead of paying a lot of money, you can buy two tennis balls, or use ones lying around the house, and an old t-shirt. Once you build the toy, you can then spend an hour or more playing with your Skilky Terrier. It's cheap, easy, and makes a perfect rainy-day activity as well.
Step
1
Plait the t-shirt
The first step is to create a rope out of the t-shirt. Begin by cutting the arms off and cutting the stitching down the left and right side. You should now have a long piece of fabric. Cut this piece into three even strips, tieing them together at one end. Plait them into one long sturdy rope. Do not knot the end yet.
Step
2
Cut the balls
Before you tie the end on the plaited rope, cut two holes in each tennis ball. Add one tennis ball onto it and tie a knot to secure it in place. Add the second ball, then knot that end too. Make a very secure knot so that the tennis ball stays very securely in place.
Step
3
Play
Your rope toy is complete; you can now play! Give your Skilky Terrier one end of it, and you hold onto the other. Let them pull on it, with you gently offering resistance. After a lot of running around, chasing, and egging your dog on, they will be well and truly ready for a nap when playtime is over!
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More Fun Ideas...
Dog Park
Many Skilky Terriers and even their parent breeds do not play well with other dogs. However, if you plan on introducing new pets in the future, it's crucial to allow them to socialize with others as much as possible. From a young age, take them for trips to the dog park. Here, they can play with dogs the same size before returning home happy and exhausted.
Fetch
Skilky Terriers make excellent apartment dogs because they don't require a lot of physical activity. However, they still need frequent stimulation. Set time aside every day for a quick 10-minute game of fetch. They can run up and down your hallway and burn up their energy resources!
Conclusion
If you don't consider exercise to be a fun pastime, then you may find a large dog is not for you. Instead, a Skilky Terrier might be. This small breed requires minimal maintenance but offers so much in return. However, it's still impawtant to give them as much stimulation as possible if you don't want a trail of destruction left in their wake! Have fun with these activities above and enjoy your time with your furry friend.