Great Indoor Games To Play With Your Dog

 There’s no reason to allow your dog to be completely bored on a snowy or rainy day. You can share a tug on a rope toy or wrestle a bit on the floor. But why not try a few games to challenge your dog?

 

HIDDEN TREASURE

 Here are a few games that will exercise your dog’s mind and body:

 Dogs have a terrific sense of smell. So why not make a game of it? Gather a bunch of small boxes or containers and arrange them upside down. Place a prize, such as a treat or a favorite treat, under one of the containers. Encourage your dog to sniff around the boxes to see whether he can indicate that one contains the hidden treasure. Congratulate him when he discovers the hidden treasure—or give him the treat. Add boxes and space them farther apart. He’ll get the idea.

 

HIDE AND SEEK

 This is the same game you played with your friends many years ago. Lead your dog into the kitchen and tell him to stay. This only works if you’ve trained him to obey the command, of course. Hide. Call your dog. This only works if you’ve trained your dog to come to you, of course. If you happen to have a baby monitor in the house, you might consider using it to your advantage when calling your dog.

 

OBSTACLE COURSE

 Use your imagination. Create an obstacle course for your dog using such items as an open-ended box to crawl through, a chair to crawl under, a series of hardcover books to jump over. You get the idea. Train your dog to follow the course.

 

PLAY DATE

 Asking a friend or neighbor to visit with their dog for a play date isn’t the same as actively playing with your dog. But you will be involved because you must supervise the play date. Don’t allow the dogs to become aggressive or fight over toys. Recognize when one dog wants to take a break.

 

-AKC.org