My sincere apologies to Gabriel Garcia Marquez for amending his best-selling title. Many of us are stuck at home during the pandemic of 2020. So many are used to being weekend warriors: out running agility or competing in obedience trials and/or dog shows with our furry companions. With social distancing in place, most of our weekend activities have been curtailed. So, I thought I would share some fun things to do with our dogs during our down time.
Teach some tricks!
If you are used to competing every weekend, take this time off to play with some fun stuff. How about training your dog for a new tricks title? AKC has several levels of trick dog titles available. The requirements for a novice title don’t look to be all that difficult. Especially if you have an agility trained dog, you already have a balance beam and a tunnel trick and possibly even a spin in circle.
Start working on this year’s Halloween costume!
Okay, so it’s only March. But Louisville has moved the Kentucky Derby to September. Your Fall is going to be busy. So, get started now. You can use stuff you have sitting around the house. Or just start your planning now. Then when life returns more to normal, head out for the needed supplies.
Go for a walk or a hike!
Many of our local parks allow pets on lead. A few to consider: E.P. “Tom” Sawyer Park, Louisville Waterfront Park and the Louisville Riverwalk. You will probably want to check for updates at each park to be sure they are still open before you head out. Another option is to just take a little walk around your neighborhood. If you do, you might even share a wave and a smile with a neighbor.
Take a nap together
Mocha loves it when we take an afternoon nap together. He is more than happy to curl up next to me on the sofa. I am willing to bet that your best buddy would enjoy it too.
Sign up for a new class
Several options to choose from. You could find an online training class, like Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. I think AQ4U is currently offering some online options as well. You could also look around at the other training facilities in the Louisville area. Perhaps you will find a class you could sign up for after this is all over.
Some options are:
- Competitive Edge Agility and Dog Sports
- Flying Feet Agility
- Companion Dog School of Louisville
- Shamrock Acres Training Center
- Dog School of Louisville
Start a journal
Any kind of journal will help keep you sane during these trying times. Maybe, you could start a dog training journal to keep track of all of those missing pieces that you should be working on. Then check them off as you work through them.
Another journal idea is to write a few pages every morning – about anything at all. I call them my Morning Pages: 1-3 pages of just whatever pops into my head. It is my morning brain dump. It helps clear the cobwebs and sometimes helps me to deal with things that are just nibbling at me.
Reach out to your friends
Facebook is great for sharing training ideas with friends. Pick up the phone and just chat with someone that you haven’t spoken with in forever. Hug your family and your pets. And, finally, don’t forget to wash your hands!
