Activities To Keep Your Dog Distracted While You Work From Home

April 3, 2020/0 Comments/in Dog Advice, Dog Behavior, Dog Tips, Dog Training, Exercise Options, Featured /by Nature of the Dog GR Dog Walking Company

Working from home can present some challenges, especially when working from home with dogs! Today we’re sharing some of our favorite activities to keep your dog distracted while you work.

Before shopping with Amazon and Chewy, we do recommend first checking with locally owned retailers like ChowHound or Fido and Stitch to see if they have any of the items below available for purchase – both retailers offer curbside pickup!

Frozen Kongs

Frozen Kongs are a fantastic way to keep your pup entertained when they’ve earned a special treat. Our favorite way to use kongs for daycare pups is by adding a bit of kibble into the kong, and sealing it off with some dog-safe peanut butter, and popping it in the freezer. But you can always add your dog’s favorite treats instead and seal off with any pet friendly ingredient like pumpkin, peanut butter, or banana.

Food Puzzles

We cannot say enough about how much we love food puzzles and snuffle mats. Let your dog earn their lunch by working to retrieve their kibble from any dog puzzle (we love this one from Chewy). If your dog is on a diet, these toy puzzles from Zippy Paws are another great option!

Another great option is to use at-home items to create your own puzzle for dogs. If you have an old cardboard box lying around, fill it with miscellaneous items (like clothing, paper products, etc) and scatter some treats in the box as well for your dog to sniff out. Just be sure the items you use are large enough that your dog won’t accidentally eat them!

Introduce a New Toy

What dog doesn’t love a new toy? Keep your dog distracted with something new and exciting to focus on with a new toy that you know they’ll love (just maybe pick one that doesn’t involve a lot of action on your part ;)). You may even start the process of rotating their toys rather than giving them access to all their toys at once, or playing “Hide and Seek” with your dog by asking them to seek out their favorite toy while you work.

Practice Your “Place” Command

Training is a wonderful way to keep your dog busy, but it often involves a lot of engagement on your part as well. Working on a “Place” command, or “Down/Stay” for duration is a good solution to working your dog without requiring too much on your part. Just be sure to keep treats or toys (whatever you use as a reward) close by.

Crate Them

Crate training isn’t just for puppies, and you can absolutely crate your dog while you’re at home. If your dog is already crate trained, then crating them while you work at home should be a breeze (in fact, it’s probably good to maintain your work routine now, so the transition is easier when it comes time to return to the office). If your dog isn’t crate trained yet, but you want to start now, check out this video.

If all else fails, embrace the chaos. Distraction isn’t always a bad thing, especially because when you work from home you are more likely to work more hours – that’s because your work is always close by. Feel free to take a fifteen minute break and toss the ball around with your pup, or head out for a quick walk around the neighborhood. Who knows, that break may even increase your productivity and allow you to complete your work more efficiently while your dog(s) snoozes nearby.

Dogs and Children

February 8, 2020/0 Comments/in Dog Behavior, Dog Health, Dog Tips, Dog Training, Events, Featured /by Nature of the Dog GR Dog Walking Company

Help your dogs and children build safe and lasting bonds.

We are so excited to host two special workshops, presented by A Dog’s Life GR, to help you build a foundation for great relationships between your dogs and children.

Nikki Koning KPA-CTP, FPPE West MI’s only licensed Family Paws Parent Educator will be presenting two different workshops geared towards dogs, infants, and toddlers, at our Ada daycare location. If you are interested in one, or both workshops, please register here.

Event Details

Dogs and Storks

“Whether you’re currently expecting, have recently given birth, or are planning to expand your family soon, welcoming a baby home is an exciting and busy time. This 90 minute workshop will give you the tools and information needed to help the transition go smoothly while building a strong and loving bond between your dog and baby.”

Dogs and Toddlers

“Toddlers are busy, noisy and curious bundles of love! This important developmental stage can be confusing for your dog. In this 90 minute workshop, we’ll help you address challenges with fun and practical solutions that set the stage for lasting harmony.”

Please note that while we love dogs, these events are human-friendly only and dogs will not be permitted to attend. We will have snacks and samples from Furniture City Creamery and Beer City Dog Biscuits, as well as goodie bags with more exciting things to bring home.

Cost is $35 per person or $65 for two people. If you would like to register for our Dog’s & Storks Workshop on February 24 as well, the cost for both is $65 per person or $125 for two people just be sure to select the correct option when registering. Register today at A Dog’s Life GR.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to be notified of any future events, be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

Your Dog Needs Rest At Daycare

January 10, 2020/0 Comments/in Boarding, Dog Health, Dog Tips, Doggie Daycare, Featured, Uncategorized /by Nature of the Dog GR Dog Walking Company

People aren’t the only ones who need rest, your dog needs rest too! Doggie daycare is meant to alleviate boredom, and provide a good source of exercise and safe socialization for your dog but rest and recovery play a significant role in their overall health and happiness when your pup goes home with you after a day of play. Keep on reading to find out why it’s important your dog rests at daycare.

First, it’s important to know that “rest” doesn’t necessarily equate to “sleep.”

Mental stimulation for dogs is just as important as physical exercise, as it alleviates boredom and provides an outlet for dogs during “down time.” Dogs that do not get the appropriate amount of mental stimulation will find their own ways to occupy their time.

It’s also important to remember that dogs were developed for a purpose. Being aware of a dogs breed (or what breeds they are mixed with) will give you a clue as to how much mental stimulation they need to be fulfilled when it comes to mental exercise.

At Nature of the Dog, we prioritize mental stimulation as well as physical exercise. This means that during your dog’s rest time (typically around lunchtime for us), they also have the opportunity to work with Kongs stuffed with healthy treats, work on some basic obedience, and interact one on one with staff. Taking a break from physical exercise and romping around with other dogs in a play group gives your pup the opportunity to work the other parts of their body for a completely stimulating experience.

Allowing your dog to rest at daycare also ensures they stay physically healthy.

Your dog needs rest at daycare because it allows their muscles to relax, preventing injuries. Many working dog handlers utilize rest days, or active rest days in their dog’s schedule because “working out produces micro-tears to the muscles and soft tissues. It is AFTER the workout that your dog’s body will repair and rebuild the muscles.” (source) And while doggie daycare is a different beast than the routine of a working dog, the idea behind physical fitness is the same.

The amount of physical exercise needed is also different for each dog. Dogs that are older, have health problems, or dogs that are overstimulated easily may require less, or different types of physical activity than running or playing. For dogs like this, this is typically where we will utilize our large, fenced in yard so that dogs that have these limitations can still be outside, roaming off leash in a safe environment. The difference is that they aren’t running laps around the yard, or jumping and playing with other dogs. Instead, they are sniffing around the trees, watching the ducks, and enjoying a mentally stimulating environment.

We make it a top priority to always put your dog’s safety and wellbeing above all else at Nature of the Dog, so it’s common your pup will spend the lunch period in a large kennel for some R&R and enrichment. Would you like your dog to have a completely enriching experience at daycare? Contact us today to learn more about our service and schedule a meet and greet.

Dog Friendly Businesses in Grand Rapids Michigan

January 17, 2018/6 Comments/in Dog Friendly Businesses, Dog Friendly Businesses in Grand Rapids, Dog-friendly businesses in Grand Rapids, Featured, Uncategorized /by Nature of the Dog GR Dog Walking Company

Thank you to our wonderful community for helping us build this list of dog friendly businesses in Grand Rapids!
If you know of any changes or businesses that need to be added, please let us know.
This list was last updated on 7/20/19.