Activities For Tibetan Spaniels

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Activities For Tibetan Spaniels

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Introduction

While Tibetan Spaniels are small, companionable dogs, they were developed over two thousand years ago to be palace watchdogs for the Tibetan monks and their monasteries. These little dogs have incredibly keen vision and tend to be both assertive and alert. They are very family oriented dogs who are loyal and affectionate with all members of the household and sensitive to their moods, but they can be a bit wary of new people. They are also clever and agile, often perching on windowsills and furniture to get a better view and using their problem-solving skills to get into cabinets and cupboards.

Bubbles

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Cheap

Easy

5 - 45 min

Items needed

Non- Toxic Soap Bubbles

Activity description

The swirling colors and translucent appearance of floating soap bubbles have fascinated people and animals of all sorts for hundreds of years. Illustrations of children playing with these fascinating spheres have been depicted in illustrations going all the way back to the late 1700s, when Jean Simeon Chardin’s piece entitled Soap Bubbles, which shows a young man leaning out a window in the process of blowing a bubble with a pipe. In the nineteenth century, a soap company by the name of A&F Pears refined the soap making process and created a bubble that could last longer, making the pastime more popular. Manufacturers eventually began marketing soapy solutions with a small wand, designed to more easily make bubbles in the 1940s and today’s bubble market includes non-toxic and scented varieties, as well as bubbles specifically marketed towards our pets, with flavors such as catnip, bacon, and peanut butter. The Tibetan Spaniel, with their excellent sense of vision, is likely to be fascinated by the visual appearance of the floating spheres, and the scented varieties designed for dogs will further entice them to play more vigorously and for a longer time.

Step

Choose your bubbles

While there are many varieties of bubbles for children that are listed as non-toxic, our canine companions tend to develop upset stomachs when they ingest too many, so choosing a brand of bubbles specifically designed to be non-toxic for your pooch is typically safer. Bubbles that are designed for dogs are often flavored as well, which can further entice your pet to chase them.

Step

Introduce the bubbles

With their excellent eyesight, your Tibetan Spaniel is likely to be interested in the colorful floating spheres right away, especially if they also smell tasty. Tibetan Spaniels were developed as watchdogs and have a fairly low prey drive, so their first response may simply be to bark at these strange things. Start by blowing the bubbles down low, near chest height to the dog, to avoid scaring your pup. If your dog ignores the bubbles or just starts barking at them, point to the bubbles and encourage your dog to catch them. If this doesn’t stimulate your dog to chase, try using the mirroring method and catching a few of the bubbles yourself, showing your dog that these strange floating things are meant to be chased and caught.

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Bubble machines

Many pet parents find that once they have their dog’s attention, their little dogs just can’t seem to get enough and it becomes more challenging to produce enough bubbles. Bubble machines are a good alternative to traditional bubble blowing and can help keep your dog busy for quite some time. While these devices can free up your hands so that you can take photos, they do require refilling on a regular basis in order to keep up with the bubble production. To keep your dog from hovering over the bubble machine or from attacking the bubbles at the source, you can set the bubble machine up on a table or counter before turning it on, ensuring that your pooch can’t reach the device.

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Toy Time

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Moderate

Easy

15 - 60 min

Items needed

Balls

Toys

Puzzles

Activity description

Tibetan Spaniels are cheerful, playful dogs that are particularly good at problem solving but don’t really like being left alone. They are very attached to their owners and prefer to have them around, but they are also independent enough to play on their own for a time, while their owners attend to other matters. There are many commercially made toys available that are designed to keep your canine companion happy and entertained for anywhere from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars, or you can choose to create your own from inexpensive components and items that you may already have in your home.

Step

Chewing toys

Canines, even small cat-like dogs like the Tibetan Spaniel, have a strong need to chew on things. This activity not only relieves stress and boredom, but it also provides a form of exercise, working the dog’s jaw and neck muscles and helps to keep the teeth clean and healthy, a huge benefit for small, brachycephalic dogs who are often plagued by dental problems. Cooked bones and rawhides should be avoided as they can cause intestinal blockages, in some cases even puncturing the dog’s gut. Toys that are made for chewing, however, such as Nylabone and Kong toys are a much better way to encourage this activity. Other alternatives can include uncooked frozen marrow bones or tendon chews which also provide a measure of flossing activity to keep your dog’s teeth cleaner and healthier.

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Puzzle toys

All dogs have a natural desire to forage for food and Tibetan Spaniels, in particular, enjoy problem-solving activities. Toys that are designed to exercise your dog’s mind by requiring manipulation by your dog to either release kibble or treats or to provide some other form of reward are plentiful on the commercial market, ranging in price from just a couple of dollars to hundreds of dollars. Toys like these can also be made out of household items as well, utilizing things like cleaned out two-liter bottles or muffin tins and tennis balls.

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Stuffies

Stuffed animals that are made for humans are often designed with plastic eyes and noses which presents a choking hazard for your canine companion, so stuffies made specifically for dogs or for newborns are generally the safest. Many dogs will simply carry their toys around, occasionally tossing them into the air or even hiding them for later, although some dogs have a tendency to shake and destroy certain stuffies. Many of these toys are designed to entice your pet by including squeakers and other noisemakers into their construction. If you prefer to make your pet’s toys by hand, there are many tutorials online that outline how to create a fun and safe stuffies, both for people who are adept at sewing and for those who prefer not to sew.

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Doga

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Cheap

Normal

15 - 30 min

Items needed

Yoga Mat

Activity description

Dogs have been helping us to get exercise and to better relax for thousands of years and Tibetan Spaniels, in particular, were known to assist Buddhists with their meditative practices, sitting near them or even on the laps of practitioners while they meditated. Yoga is a form of exercise developed by the Hindu people that involves a system of physical postures and breathing techniques that both calm and strengthen the individuals that participate in the practice and quite frequently involves meditation very similar to the meditation employed by the Buddhist monks. Doga is a modified version of this exercise that incorporates your dog into the practice, improving the bond between humans and their canines, promoting calmness in both species, and in many cases, increasing the intensity of the exercise for the human by including the pup into the postures.

Step

Health analysis

It is essential when starting a new exercise routine to ensure that all members that are participating are healthy enough to do so. If it has been longer than a year since you or your canine companion have had a checkup, this is a great time to get that updated. If you or your dog are experiencing any joint or skeletal issues, like spinal weaknesses, hip dysplasia, or even arthritis, your doctor and your dog’s veterinarian may recommend avoiding certain poses and positions. If you choose to work with a yoga teacher, be sure to let them know what limitations you and your pooch are working with.

Step

Choose your path

While most practitioners and instructors recommend that novices start out with a professional trainer who can evaluate your postures, many people prefer to do the majority of their exercises in solitude, where they can more clearly focus on themselves and their connection with their dogs. Other human and canine duos find the support and companionship of others comforting when engaging in Doga, and prefer to attend group classes led by a yoga instructor.

Step

Practice politely

Doga is meant to be a calming and relaxing form of exercise. Some of the poses and positions may involve lifting your pooch, leaning over them, enclosing them in your arms, or even moving them into positions that they are not familiar with. While most Tibetan Spaniels will be unphased by these sorts of moves, they may find some positions disconcerting. It is important that you never force your dog into a situation or position in which they feel uncomfortable as this can harm your dog, rather than heal them.

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More Fun Ideas...

Doggie Daycare

These small dogs are very attached to their families and don't like being left alone. For dogs who's owners work a good portion of the day, these traits may lead to separation anxiety and boredom. Many pet parents prefer to enroll their friendly Tibetan Spaniels into doggie daycare facilities, to ensure that they get plenty of exercise and socialization during these times.

Canine Freestyle Dance

This activity, in which dogs and their owners perform specialized heelwork and tricks set to musical scores, appeals to the Tibetan Spaniel's need to work closely with their human companions as well as helps to keep both their minds and their bodies active.

Conclusion

Tibetan Spaniels tend to get anxious when left home for too long and have a tendency to develop separation anxiety. It is important to keep these small, clever dogs entertained or they will find their own entertainment and may engage in overly vocal or destructive behaviors. They can be very sensitive to the people around them and harsh training methods can lead to an overly fearful canine. Cheerful and positive training methods, on the other hand, can illicit excellent results.