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do throughout the day. Dogs are masterful jokers. Has your dog played a joke on you? Playing keep
away, taking your favorite seat by barking at the window and making you get up, conning you out
of a treat by performing her favorite trick, or giving you that irresistible look may be ways in which
your dog is using humor to initiate play. Do silly noises give him the zoomies? Find what your dog
does to make you laugh. According to Mayo Clinic, laughter relieves stress and improves your well-
being (Pruti, 2021). Have a healthy laugh with your dog every day.

4. Train Your Dog
Training builds relationship with your dog and provides a sense of accomplishment. Teach your dog
a new trick. You can start with instinct-based tricks that most dogs can do easily, such as scent or
search games (i.e., finding the box with the treat in it) and hide and seek. You can move to trained
tricks like crawl, spin, roll over, or shake hands. Your dog can even earn a tricks title through
organizations like the American Kennel Club (https://www.akc.org/sports/trick-dog/). Are you and
your dog the more athletic type? Consider participating in a dog sport such as obedience, agility, or
scent work. These activities are a great way to build a relationship with your dog and meet people
in your community at the same time. The social connections and sense of accomplishment you gain
through training your dog can help to alleviate stress and build your self-confidence (Bergen-Cico et
al., 2018).

3. Explore a New Place with Your Dog
Although pandemic mandates may still restrict your opportunities to explore, be creative. It is
important that you and your dog can experience new, unique places with each other. This builds a
bond that can slowly strengthen over time. You may build bonds with neighbors, too. Walking your
dog increases conversations and can lead to meeting new people. Try a dog-oriented excursion! Do
you have a beagle or another breed that is led by its nose? You can build a “sniffari” in a known
area (e.g., backyard or trail) for the dog to “find” treats or new toys. Does your dog like to meet new
people? Go shopping! Many stores now allow for dogs; outdoor farmers’
markets or sidewalk sales, locally owned pet stores or coffee shops,
and farm-equipment stores often allow pets on leashes to enjoy retail
therapy alongside their humans. Consider calling ahead and checking
on the pet policy before you go.

2. Play! Play! Play!
One of the biggest benefits of dog ownership is the physical
movement involved with having a pet. What kind of games does your
dog enjoy? Refer to #9, listen, and let them tell you! It can be as
simple as a game of Frisbee, hide and seek, or a walk around
the block. Play is also an opportunity to try new things and
to stimulate your dog’s mental health. Change up the
game every once in a while! Free play can be just as
rewarding as a structured game or activity. Challenge
yourself to play with your dog without a toy for 15
minutes and see what you get. The increased physical
movement is good for both dogs and owners. Play
itself is a de-stresser, and playing with your dog will build
your relationship.

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