Throwing a stick or frisbee indoors isn’t really an option, but luckily there are a lot of other things you can do with your dog. Here are 10 fun ideas to keep your dog entertained indoors.
10 Fun Ideas To Keep Your Dog Entertained Indoors
It’s pouring down and cold outside. Nobody in the family feels thrilled by the thought of having to go outside with the dog, but you can see him lying on the floor sending his best puppy eyes… What are your options?
1. Teach Your Dog New Commands
Your dog probably already knows quite a few commands, but pretty much every single breed has the ability to master more than just a few commands.
Try starting with expanding your dogs’ vocabulary. You can start by using five of the basic commands in any dog’s A-B-C: Sit, stay, heel, down, and stop. If your dog already knows all of these commands, there are many others you can add on top of that.
If you’re not sure where to start, I can highly recommend that you check out my Brain Training for Dogs review which I’ve found to be an absolutely awesome program.
2. The Cup Game
This is the same game that you will see your local hustlers playing on the crowded streets. The difference is that they aren’t playing the game with a dog.
Dogs are able to get a lot of fun out of this game, especially if you play using their favorite treat!
3. Tug of War
A game as old as time itself. Find a solid rope that is adequately long so that you don’t risk getting too close to your dog’s teeth. The behavior shown by a dog during this game might scare some people, and some dog trainers have previously been quite skeptical about this game, as they feared it would make the dog too wild and aggressive.
If you’ve properly taught your dog a start and stop command, there shouldn’t be any issues. This game is based on the natural behavior of dogs, and it’s also a great way for a dog to exercise its strong neck muscles.
Be aware that then playing tug of war with your dog, you ensure that you don’t pull the rope upwards, as that could possibly injure your dog.
4. Indoor Agility Course
Use your imagination and build a clever indoor agility track, that allows your dog to wiggle and crawl through. You can place something like a piece of cloth that your dog has to jump or make him crawl under a table or desk, or have a spot where he has to stop for a second or two.
Your imagination is the limit.
5. Name Your Dogs’ Toys
Take one of your dog’s specific toys and start playing with the dog. Give that toy a name, then hide it, and say the name of the toy to your dog. Remember to give your dog plenty of praise when the toy is found. When the dog manages to find it, you can increase the challenge by using two toys and perhaps hiding them between his other toys.
6. Hide And Seek
Another game that is guaranteed success. But you will have to really be at the top of the game if you want to beat a dog in hide and seek as they are absolute champions at this game.
You should start by diverting the dog’s attention or commanding it to sit and keep sitting.
Now you should find the most brilliant hiding spot in your house. Call for your dog. He might not actually know that you’re playing hide and seek, but seeing the joy of your dog when you’re reunited is a fantastic feeling for both of you.
7. Try Clickertraining
Get yourself a clicker, and use it when playing/working with your dog. Teach the dog to associate the sound of the clicker with a treat as a reward every time the dog accomplishes any task.
With some training, you will be able to use the clicker without having to use treats as a reward every time but just with a lot of praise from you. You can find many guides on clicker-training like this guide I’ve previously written. Your dog will absolutely love the clicker as they will quickly learn that it’s a tool that results in a lot of rewards.
8. Play With Soap Bubbles
If there are something dogs, and kids love, it’s soap bubbles. A lot of dogs will get ecstatic at the sight of floating soap bubbles and will jump all over the place trying to catch them. Don’t be afraid to just use the storebought bubbles, as basically all of them have been approved as a non-hazardous liquid. If that wasn’t the case, they wouldn’t be so easy to find in stores.
9. Set Up a Playdate With Another Dog
If your dog has previously met other dogs that it has been able to have a great time with, it’s usually a great idea to arrange a playdate. Your dogs will love playdates as much as kids do.
10. Make Old Toys Interesting Again
Like most children and adults alike, dogs can get tired of their old toys, which is why it’s a good idea to rotate their playthings every once in a while.
Hide some of your dogs’ toys away in a closet for some time, before taking them back up. This will lead to a renewed interest from your dog, compared to if the toy was just placed in a big pile with a lot of other boring old toys.
This toy will increase even more in value to your dog if you also seem highly interested in it, either by playing with it or trying to get it out of your dog’s jaws.
Some of My Favorite Products For Dog Owners
I hope this article has helped you just a bit in everyday life as a dog owner. Being a dog owner for more than 25 years, I’ve tried many different products with varying success, but these products below are some that I can highly recommend to every dog and their owner without hesitation!
These links are affiliate links, so if you do end up using the links, I will earn a commission. But it’s products that I use daily myself, and I have the utmost praise for.
Dog Food: Every dog needs to eat correctly, and finding the best food for your dog can be challenging, as the market is absolutely flooded with products. But since 2015 when the company was founded, I’ve been using Ollie Petfood. With their product being tailor-made to suit every dog’s specific needs, and as my dogs absolutely love the product, I’m pretty sure I’ve found a product I will continue to use for many years more. If you use my link you can get 50% off your first order.
Dog Training: If you’ve ever owned a puppy, you know that it requires a lot of training to grow into a well-behaved adult. Brain Training for Dogs has helped me immensely with the mental training part of raising a dog, and it’s something I strongly recommend you consider.
Grooming: If you have a dog in your home, you’re going to need a brush, and for this, I recommend a Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush. For that price, you simply can’t beat this brush for everyday grooming.
If you’re looking for the most up-to-date recommendations, check out my recommended products section that I’ve created to help every dog owner!
