Dog doings on rainy days

Dog doings on rainy days
by Shelley Frost, SF Dogs Examiner

I open one eye and listen to the sounds overhead. Rain drops or silence? If all is quiet , out of bed I hop, jump into running clothes, snap leashes onto collars, and out the door we go for our two mile wake-up walk. But lately, the thrumming of rain on the shingles means my two dogs and I run outside, they quickly squat, we run back inside.

When the weather is wet, my border collie mix, Kellie slides into her "boredom blues." Abby, my terrier mix, seems to weather the weather by lining up her collection of rawhide chews on the door mat in our entry way. This keeps her busy for two to five minutes, then the day turns into one big nap.

That is until I found out about rainy day activities for dogs. So on a day like today, if your walk, run or dog park visit has been sidelined, check out these entertaining, brain stimulating, nap attacking dog activities.

1. Doggie Spa Treatment: Give your dog a massage. Using your fingers, move in circular patterns across her neck, shoulders and chest. Gently pinch loose skin areas. Take her legs, one at a time, and gently squeeze, moving up and down. If your dog likes her paws touched, gently squeeze each foot pad. Using gentle pressure, move your thumb and index finger along the sides of her spine, as if you're hand is walking along your dog's back. Once your dog is relaxed, softly stroke her from head to tail.

2. Dog Movie Festival: Your dog may not actually watch the movie of choice from start to finish, but with you on the couch, nestling and petting her for an hour or two, being cooped up indoors may not seem like such a bad thing.

3. Go Shopping! Nowadays, most pet supply stores welcome their canine customers. Jump into the car and visit one of these stores where your dog is sure to get the shopping buzz. Just browsing without buying is good enough for most canines, where sniffing is as pleasurable as purchasing.

4. Indoor Games: While you're snuggled on the couch under a warm blanket, play a low-key game of fetch, using your dog's favorite chew or plush toy.

5. Get in the Kitchen: Mix up a batch of dog cookies AND people cookies. Once the rain stops, you'll have plenty of opportunities to work them off.