Best Games To Play With Your Dog At Home
For you and your dog, being stuck at home for any reason can be a pain. Even if you're stuck inside, you can still engage in meaningful activities with your dog to keep them mentally and physically stimulated. So, the next time you're stuck at home, don't let that get in the way of having fun. Try some of these games and activities to keep your dog entertained.
The Advantages Of Keeping Your Dog Active
Dogs who are bored go into mischief. We're their primary source of entertainment, so if we don't provide them with activities, they'll invent their own — which is frequently how we end up with chewed-up shoes and table legs.
You may reduce the likelihood of your dog developing undesirable habits like excessive barking or chewing by playing with them several times a day.
Hidden Treasure
The sense of smell in Hidden Treasure Dogs is incredible. Did you know they have 45 times the number of scent receptors as humans? What better way to use your sense of smell than to create a game that does?
Simply gather a few small boxes or containers and turn them upside down. Encourage your dog to sniff about by placing a prize (such as a favorite dog training treat) beneath one of them. Congratulate your dog and, of course, reward them with the hidden treasure when they correctly identify which container the treat is hiding under.
A Snuffle Mat can also be used to stimulate your dog's sense of smell and interest. There are several pockets in which to hide treats, as well as various riddles of varying difficulty. Work on your dog's nose work skills while cognitively stimulating them!
Hide-And-Seek
You probably enjoyed this game as a kid, so why not play it with your dog? To play this game successfully, your dog must comprehend basic instructions like sit, stay, and come. Take them to a room and invite them to remain, then leave and go somewhere else. Call their name when you've located the ideal hiding spot to entice them to come find you. Once they've figured out where you are, celebrate your major achievement.
Obedience Training
When it comes to fundamental commands, an obedience training session is a great way to keep busy. This obedience-retrieving dumbbell is a terrific tool to use for a practice session, whether you're focusing on improving your dog's skills for competitions or simply making sure your dog can listen and respond to you in a positive way.
Play-Wild Sits
This is an enjoyable activity. While your dog is on a leash, rile them up as much as possible by running around cheering, leaping up and down, or doing everything else to get your dog as excited as possible. Then, in the middle of your romp, tell your dog to sit. Depending on how lively your dog is, this may take some effort, but after a few tries, your dog should be able to go from a state of excitement to sitting patiently on command.
Obstacle Course
This one is simple because you can utilize common home items and make the course as easy or as complex as you desire. You may give your dog broken-down boxes to crawl in.
You may make a simple DIY dog jump out of household objects, or you can make your own training and obstacle course out of cones and poles.
Training Platform And Agility System
Engaging your dog with a training platform and agility system is one approach to ensure that they are positively busy inside. This one is flexible, simple to set up, and can be customized to fit your dog's needs. It's also waterproof and washable, and it may be worn outside.
Cardio Twist
Weave poles, as they're known in agility, are a training activity you can play with your dog whether or not you're practicing for a competition ring. You can make “poles” out of household items like chairs or even relatives or family members, and teach your dog to weave between them while heeling behind you.
Even when you're stuck indoors, there are plenty of meaningful activities you can do with your dog. Make the most of it by spending quality time with your dog and strengthening their mental and physical abilities.
Find The Treats Is A Fun Game To Play
One of the simplest methods to tire out your dog is to play nose work activities. You're mentally tiring your dog out and helping them hone in on some of their inherent skills when you teach them basic nose work activities like “find the treats.” You don't even need a big bag of store-bought dog goodies for this game; diced up carrots are my personal favorite.
To play, simply take some treats and place them about the room while keeping your dog in a remain position. Give your dog the command to “find the treats” and encourage him to do so. Remembering to compliment them whenever they locate one You can make it more tough after you're sure your dog understands what “find the rewards” implies. Keep them in another room while you hide the treats. Start hiding them in places they'll have to sniff out, such under a rug.
Play The Game Of Shells
For dogs, the shell game is a simple problem-solving activity. Allow your dog to watch as you place a treat under one of three cups to play the shell game with him. After that, you move the cups about and tell them to “find the treat.” The shell game provides cerebral stimulation for your dog while also assisting them with problem solving.
Teach Your Dog To Pick Up After Himself
You may educate your dog to put their toys away if they are stored in a container. Teaching your dog to clean up after themselves may sound strange, but it's actually a lot of fun. Teaching your dog new tricks increases their confidence and provides them with mental activity.
Pick up a toy and give your dog the “drop it” command once they're standing over the container if your dog already knows it. Praise them profusely, then do it again. With practice and consistency, your dog will eventually be able to clean up after himself.
Keep Your Dog Occupied With A Stuffed Kong
Because they're so simple to prepare, stuffed Kongs are my favorite for easing dog ennui. Stuff a Kong with some of your dog's favorite treats to keep them occupied for a while. You can throw some goodies in there or freeze some peanut butter or broth to give your dog something to work for. If you're stumped, here's a list of 39 healthful goodies that are perfect for stuffing Kong.
Using a stuffed Kong to keep your dog occupied while you're at work is a terrific idea. Place your stuffed Kong in the freezer overnight and then give it to your dog as you leave in the morning. Most dogs will enjoy a frozen Kong for 30 minutes or more if it is entirely filled.
Classic Kong's are my favorite because they're harmless, indestructible, and dishwasher safe. Check out the West Paw Toppl toy for a terrific Kong replacement that's just as sturdy; it comes in large and small sizes and is just as easy to clean as a Kong.
Play A Tug-Of-War Game
One of the best ways to participate in meaningful play with our dogs is to play tug of war. It's a fantastic method for your dog to get both mental and physical activity. It can also be played indoors because it doesn't take up a lot of space.
And, contrary to popular belief, tugging will not make your dog violent, nor will allowing them to win make them dominant. Allowing your dog to win makes the game more enjoyable for them and encourages them to play more. It has been discovered that dogs who play tug with their owners are more obedient and confident.
Tug is a fantastic approach to get your dog to exercise as long as you follow a few simple rules, such as “the game ends if your teeth touch my hand.”
Teach Your Dog To Help With Chores
Even if it's as simple as fetching your slippers, dogs enjoy having a task to do. You can make them feel even more valuable by teaching them the names of certain goods you'd like retrieved.
Teach your dog to get something from the refrigerator to impress all of your friends. Tie a towel around the handle of the refrigerator to make it easier for your dog to pull open the door. You can even train your dog to assist you with regular chores if you want to feel like a celebrity.
Play Interactive Games
On rainy days, I like to play interactive games like tug, discover the treats, puzzle games, and fetch with my dog. Interactive games are a simple method to provide your dog with mental activity while also reducing negative behaviors like excessive chewing or barking.
However, take it from me: if you're going to play fetch indoors, choose a light ball to avoid ruining anything. (a valuable lesson) Tug of war is a lot of fun for dogs and a terrific method to improve their manners and impulse control. It's also a fairly effective workout. It's one of the most physically demanding games we play minute by minute.
Make Your Dog Work For His Food
We provide a comfortable life for our dogs, with a warm bed, lots of care, and free meals. Our dogs, on the other hand, were bred to work alongside us, and many of them are missing out on psychologically engaging activities. Working for food isn't cruel or uncommon for them because they're natural scavengers; it's normal and psychologically engaging for them.
Making your dog work for his food is one of the simplest methods to test his thinking. You can make your dog perform tricks before giving him his dinner, or you can feed him from a food dispenser toy.
Teach Your Dog The Names Of Their Toys
Have you seen Border Collie Chaser? She knows almost 1,000 words and can identify any of the 800 toys simply by their names. We can't all be overachievers like Chaser, but we can teach our dogs to recognize their toys and play games with them.
Begin by playing with one unique toy and naming it as you go. Your dog will associate that spoken name with the chosen toy after some practice and praise. Once your dog has learnt the name of that particular item, you can put their talents to the test by having them pick it from among their other toys.
Teach Your Dog To “Go Find” Their Toys
Teach your dog the “go find it” game once they know the names of some of their toys. Put your dog's toys in a mound or container and instruct them to “go find” their favorite toy. As your dog improves at this game, you may increase the difficulty by increasing the number of toys they must sift through.
Keep it interesting for them by rewarding them richly when they succeed with a treat or a quick game of tug. This game will provide a terrific cerebral workout for your dog.
Teach Your Dog A New Trick
Is your dog capable of weaving between your legs and jumping through a hoop? You can always teach your dog a new trick, and believe me when I say that teaching your dog to weave through your legs is a lot easier than it sounds.
Here's a useful list of 52 tricks to teach your dog with instructions to get you started.
Do you have a dog who already knows a few tricks? One of the best aspects of trick training is that you can always innovate and make it more difficult. Once your dog has learned a few tricks, you may take it a step further by combining their acquired actions to create whole new tricks.
Work On Some Clicker Training
The use of a clicker is one of my favorite dog training tricks. It's a small box with a lever that makes a noise when pressed, and it's used to record when your dog performs a desired behavior. I like using one since it's a simple method to ensure that I'm telling my dog when she's doing the correct thing.
If you don't already have one, I recommend getting one the next time you go to the pet store. They're inexpensive and can make training easier by allowing you to capture the precise moment when you reward them for learning a new skill or command.
When training a dog, every second counts; it's all too easy to lose the opportunity to communicate with our dogs as soon as they perform the desired behavior. When you use a clicker, you can pinpoint the precise instant when your dog made the correct decision.
Get Some Puzzle Toys For Your Dog
Giving your dog a puzzle to solve is another excellent approach to keep them cognitively active. Dog puzzle toys, as well as reward distributing toys like the Kong Wobbler, are many. There are also a plethora of fantastic DIY toys available. The easy muffin tin game is one of my favorites; all you need is a muffin tin and some tennis balls to play.
Best Bully Sticks and Benebones are great for giving your dog something to chew on for a while. If you're sensitive to odours, make sure you get odor-free bully sticks.
Master The Basics Of Obedience Training
Do you know all of your dog's fundamental obedience commands? Is he dependable in terms of memory and stay? Even well-trained canines require periodic refresher training to stay sharp. Every dog should be able to sit, down, stay, drop it, and come here reliably. A few short training sessions (5-10 minutes) every day are an excellent method to help your dog master the fundamentals while also keeping his mind occupied.
Play A Game Of Fetch
Most of us have enough space indoors for a basic game of fetch, but if you live on the fifth floor and have a St. Bernard, you should probably avoid it. Hallways, stairwells, and large living rooms are all excellent places to play indoor fetch.
My dog and I enjoy playing soccer with her Jolly ball in the basement. Heavy toys should be avoided near anything fragile or easily tipped over, and playing fetch in the kitchen is generally not a good idea. If you don't want to play fetch indoors, you might make it into a basic catch game.
Master The Art Of Doggie Massage
Learning how to give a dog massage is beneficial to both the owner and the dog. Almost any dog can benefit from a relaxing massage.
Dog massages are also beneficial for senior dogs or those suffering from arthritis, since they help to relieve sore and achy joints. Giving your dog a massage lowers anxiety, relieves stress, increases circulation, and strengthens your bond with him.
If your dog is having trouble relaxing down for a massage, try using the relaxation approach.
Try Some Free Shaping Games
You've been missing out on some exciting training possibilities if you haven't heard about 101 things to do with a box. It's a terrific way to learn how to practice free shaping methods, and all you need is a box and a clicker to get started.
The primary idea behind shaping games is to get our dogs to explore new things. They are given the opportunity to make their own judgments and gain mental and physical flexibility. You begin by placing a box on the ground and allowing your dog to investigate and decide what to do.
Shaping can be applied to any object, not only boxes. This video shows how to shape teach a dog to crawl under an object.
Give Your Dog Regular Grooming Sessions
Grooming isn't as entertaining for your dog as a game of tug, but it is something that must be done from time to time. When our dogs' nails start to grow long, they need to be brushed, bathed, and have their teeth brushed.
Some dogs are more tolerant of grooming than others, and the more positive reinforcement you use, the easier it will become. If you want your dog to identify grooming practices with a pleasurable experience, don't be afraid to give him loads of treats throughout the grooming session.
Create Your Own Indoor Doggie Obstacle Course
Make your own obstacle course in the comfort of your own home. Jump over some towels, weave around his toys, and finally lay down on a blanket with your dog. Create a collection of obstacles for your dog to follow using your imagination. After your dog has mastered jumping over the towels, go on to the toy weave. Continually improving on previous feats keeps your dog mentally challenged and develops attention.
Teach Your Dog To Chase Bubbles
When I'm sick, this is my go-to pastime for keeping my dog entertained. It's such an easy method to keep my dog occupied and active.
I'm not sure why, but certain dogs seem to enjoy catching bubbles. There's also a vast range of pet bubble-making toys available. You also don't need to buy special bubbles because the bubbles accessible for youngsters are nontoxic. If you have a youngster at home, consider this confirmation that babies, dogs, and bubbles are the cutest things on the globe.
Keep Your Dog Busy & Happy With Interactive Play
Being stuck inside does not have to be a chore. Play some games with your dog or teach them a new trick. Interactive play is extremely beneficial to a dog's overall health and well-being. You don't need a lot of expensive toys or access to the outdoors to keep your dog occupied and happy; all you need is a little time and commitment.
We may not be able to supply them with the full-time work they were bred for, but with a few easy games and techniques, we can give them something worthwhile to do. And you'll understand why dogs are man's best friend when you see your dog's pleased face after a simple game of tug.
What do you do to keep your dog occupied indoors? Have you heard about the latest research that revealed a link between interactive play and a dog's happiness? Is your dog familiar with the names of all of his toys? Do you make your own dog toys and treats?
I trust you enjoyed this article on the Best Games To Play With Your Dog At Home. Please stay tuned for more blog posts to come shortly. Take care!
JeannetteZ
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