Activities For Toy Rat Doxies
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Prepare for unexpected vet bills
Introduction
The Toy Rat Doxie is a great combination of the American Rat Terrier and the Dachshund breeds, which makes them super smart and a little bit stubborn at times. These are short dogs that love to hunt, so hunting activities are perfect for them, if they are in the mood, that is. Whatever sport or activity you choose for your little buddy to do, you will find that unless they really enjoy it, they probably will not do it. So, try out as many activities as you like until you find one that you both like doing, and you will both have fun.
Wiener Racing
Popular
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Any Day
Free
Easy
1 hr
Items needed
Treats
Activity description
Since your dog is half Dachshund, you may want to try wiener racing with them. Yes, that is really a sport, and all dogs love it, not just Dachshunds, so your Toy Rat Doxie will probably enjoy it too. Not only is it a lot of fun, but it is also good exercise for both your dog and yourself. The racetrack is typically a straight, flat 25 to 50-yard length of grass but may be turf or another soft surface. Running on concrete is never recommended as it can hurt their paws. These are usually just for fun or to raise money for charity as there is no real championship sport for wiener racing and most dogs are amateurs, just like yours.
Step
1
Get Fido a physical
The first step for this activity should be to get your pooch checked out by their veterinarian to make sure they are physically able to run such a race. Dachshunds tend to have weak back muscles and can damage their back if they are not in good enough shape. Make sure your veterinarian knows that you are thinking of training your dog for wiener racing to see if that is a good idea before you start practicing.
Step
2
On your mark
The sport is simple; one person holds the dog at the starting line while the owner waits at the finish line. When the start is announced, the dogs are released and the owner calls their dog to come to them. So, teaching your Toy Rat Doxie is pretty simple too. Just teach them to come to you when called and you should have it nailed. Always give your dog a treat and plenty of praise when they reach the finish line, no matter how long it takes.
Step
3
Get set, go!
Prepare your Toy Rat Doxie for the race by getting them used to being around crowds, loud noises, and lots of other dogs. Bring your dog to a few of these races and see how they react to the atmosphere. If your buddy seems comfortable but excited, you likely have a good race dog and should sign them up for the next race.
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Agility Course
Popular
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Any Day
Free
Normal
1 hr
Items needed
Treats
Park Agility Course
Activity description
A dog agility course may seem like a workout to us, but dogs consider this to be a doggy Disneyland. Picture it from your dog’s point of view: you see a tunnel to run through, poles to weave around, a seesaw, a hoop or tire to jump through, some cool hurdles to jump over, and a ramp to run up and down on. Yeah, seems like a fun day at the park for our dogs, and it is. In fact, many dog parks now have agility course elements worked into their play areas. And the fact that your dog really loves it makes it even easier to train them to do it. The only training they will need is to do it in the right order and as fast as they can to win a competition. Otherwise, it’s just plain fun.
Step
1
Learning commands
On an official agility course, there will usually be 15 to 22 obstacles for your Toy Rat Doxie to do on a grass or dirt surface. The obstacles will be numbered so you know which ones your dog has to do in what order. The hardest part of teaching your dog these obstacles is to get your pooch to do them in the correct order. First, make sure your dog can follow your commands. This may take a while if you have a stubborn dog but with enough treats and patience, you should be able to do it.
Step
2
One at a time
Once your dog can listen to your commands, teach them each one of the obstacles. It is best to work on each one at a time until your fur baby has got it mastered before moving on to the next one. It will typically take a few days to get a trick mastered so plan on spending a lot of time at the dog park if you can find one that has agility equipment.
Step
3
Check out the competition
Check out the competition layout so you can train your dog in the correct order. Practice every day for about an hour per day and give your pooch plenty of treats for doing things right. Once you think they are ready, head to the competition and let your Toy Rat Doxie get a feel for the noise and atmosphere before signing up for the course.
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Disc Dog
Popular
0 Votes
Any Day
Cheap
Easy
30 - 60 min
Items needed
Treats
Two discs
Activity description
This may just seem like a fun day at the park to both you and your furry friend because for many dogs and their humans, it actually is. Because on just about any nice day at your local park you can likely see people out there throwing discs for their pooches to grab out of the air and return to them. Officially, there are two types of disc dog events, which include the Toss and Fetch and Freestyle. Toss and Fetch is exactly what it sounds like; you toss the disc, and your dog fetches it by catching it in midair and returning it to you. Freestyle involves incorporating tricks and athleticism into the catch like jumping over hurdles and doing flips. This is not for beginners unless your dog is already out there flipping around like a gymnast.Â
Step
1
Give your dog a disc
The first thing you need to do is get your dog used to the disc. Feed them out of it or put treats in it. Let them play with it, carry it around the house, sleep with it, whatever they want to do. After a few days, go outside with your dog, their disc, and another disc that you have with you. Show your pup the other disc and trade him, tossing the first disc a few feet away and telling them to fetch. Give your dog a treat each time they go get the disc and switch discs each time.
Step
2
Keep away
Once they can get it off the ground and bring it to you, try getting your Toy Rat Doxie to catch it in the air. You can do this by playing catch with another person with the disc and encouraging your dog to jump up and get it from between you and your friend. Keep throwing it higher until your dog has to jump quite high to get the disc. Since your canine is pretty short, this won’t be too high, but you will be surprised at how high your little Doxie can jump. Give them a treat every time they catch the disc in mid-air.
Step
3
Get some air
After a while, you should be able to get your dog to catch the disc from the air every time you toss it. Start throwing it further and further and make sure you praise your dog and give them a treat every time it is caught in mid-air. Then you are ready to introduce your pooch to the real thing.
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More Fun Ideas...
Jogging
All dogs love to run so if you are a jogger, take your pooch along for the jog. If you get up and jog every day, take Fido with you and make it a daily commitment for both of you. This will keep you both healthy and help get rid of some of the excess energy that Terriers seem to have so much of.
Visiting the Dog Park
Going to the dog park is a wonderful way to exercise your pooch and get that excess energy out that you do not want them to use tearing things up or barking incessantly at home. It's also important to socialize your dog with other fur babies and humans, and the dog park is the perfect setting for that. Find a good one that you both like and visit it regularly so your dog can make friends.
Conclusion
Your Toy Rat Doxie is likely to be both extremely energetic while being laid back because Dachshunds like to relax, and Terriers never seem to have an off button. So, whichever activity you choose to do with your pup, do it on a daily basis so you can keep your furry friend healthy and happy.