Wet weather fun: Indoor games for dogs

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When the weather is too poor for your dog’s daily walks, there are plenty of other ways to make sure that exercise is still on the agenda. Why not try one of these entertaining indoor games for dogs instead?

Hide & seek

Even your dog can join in this game. While your dog is not in the room, grab one of their favourite dog toys and treats and hide yourself. Call your dog back into the room and wait to be found. Rewarding your dog once they successfully find you should make the game more enjoyable for your pet. Try to strike a good balance when hiding – if it’s too easy, your dog may lose interest and if it’s too hard, they’ll probably get frustrated.

Hide the dog treat

On a similar theme, try hiding your dog’s favourite dog treats while they’re out of the room. For this game to work, the treat will need to have a strong enough smell or your dog may not even realise that there’s a game underway! When starting out, make it fairly easy for the treats to be found before upping the difficulty level as your dog gets more accomplished at finding the goodies.

Hurdles

If you have enough space, you can set up a makeshift agility course using rolled-up blankets as obstacles. Walk your dog through the course a few times for them to get used to it and to encourage them to hop over the hurdles. Once you’re confident that your dog is used to the idea, go to the other side of the room and prompt them to come to you via the course.

Stairway dash

If your home has stairs, this activity will certainly help your pooch burn some calories. Throw a ball upstairs and encourage your dog to scamper after it. Once the ball has been retrieved, let you dog return downstairs at a leisurely pace to reduce the risk of joint strain and injury before repeating the game.

Be aware that the ‘Stairway Dash’ game is not recommended for puppies due to the likelihood that their joints will not have developed enough. Dogs suffering any type of hip or arthritis complaint should also be excluded.

Have fun!

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