Indoor Obstacle Course

Have you ever thought about how to help your small dog navigate the world better? 

It can be helpful for many reasons:

• Small dogs can be greatly helped by using stools and steps, and learning to navigate these will help them to preserve their bodies
• As they get older, having the experience with navigating these things will help them maintain independence and mobility 
• It increases your dog's ability to problem solve and work out new solutions to navigation

An indoor obstacle course is a great way to start, plus it is an opportunity for to create an experience to enrich your dog's life.

Do you have a stool, a sturdy pillow, or any object that your dog can jump on and then down from? Or squeeze under, or through an opening?

The goal here is to create small steps so that your dog can break down the exercise. In the video below, you can see how comfortable Lulu is with the meditation lounge, but Petunia is a bit more wary.

First,  I got her legs on the ledge and spot the treat at the top of the lounge. 

Next, I got her to jump up to the treat at the top, then I rewarded her with a small treat, then I tossed it down on the floor once she was already on the top. 

This way, I took the enrichment activity and broke it down into steps that they could understand.

What can you use from around the house to create this kind of experience for your dog?