With our nation progressing through different stages of lock-down due to the unprecedented Coronavirus pandemic in a bid to flatten the curve, you might be wondering what fun indoor activities you can do to keep you dog entertained throughout the day.
Thankfully, we’re still able to take our puppers for a walk in the park or around the block, but when it comes time to fully self-isolate yourself at home, we’ve come up with a list of ideas to keep your pup’s tail wagging and you from going stir-crazy.
6 Fun indoor activities for dogs
1. Hide & Seek
Image: ADEW
An oldie but a goodie, who doesn’t love a good game of hide and seek? The only catch is that your dog has to be willing to stay and give you enough time to dash off and find a good hiding spot. If not, you can try to get someone else to keep your pup sitting still while you find a place to hide. It’s so simple and we have no doubt you’ll enjoy endless amounts of fun as your dog tries to sniff you out.
2. Easter Treat Hunt
Image: Visit Hillsborough
Now we all know that chocolate Easter eggs aren’t dog-friendly and should be well kept away to prevent your furry BFF from sneaking a few bites and avoiding an unnecessary trip to the vet. But with Easter just round the corner, you could consider planning a treat hunt just for your dog. All you need to do is to hide their favourite treats around the home, then sit back and relax while they hone in on their sniffing skills to hunt down the treat.
If your furbaby hasn’t played this before, you might want to start off by placing the treats in plain sight to get them used to the game, and progressively start hiding the treats in sneakier spots. Just limit the amount of treats you use each round, so you don’t accidentally over-feed your dog.
3. Frozen Treats
Image: Frenchie Journey
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a dog that doesn’t love peanut butter or yoghurt. By freezing their favourite mushy treat in a treat dispenser toy, such as a Kong, you can rest assured that your furry friend will be spending quite a while licking the toy obsessively, trying to get to all of the treats while it slowly melts. Another great way for fast eaters, this activity will help to slow them down and savour every minute.
4. Interactive Dog Toys & Puzzles
Image: Nina Ottosson
This is a great activity that will keep your dog’s mind stimulated. There are many options to choose from including affordable choices from your local Kmart pet section through to popular cult favourites such as the range from Nina Ottosson which you can find online. These toys and puzzles are designed to challenge your dog to find creative ways to get a treat out, using their paws and their brain at the same time.
5. Throwing a Toy Down the Hallway
Image: Dogtime.com
Now this might be an obvious one but it does the trick. If you’ve got a hallway or a slightly bigger room in your house, you can use a soft ball or their favourite stuffed toy for a round of indoor fetch. Throw the toy and make them fetch it to bring it back, and simply repeat. A good few rounds of throw and fetch is bound to tire them out for a good nap afterwards. This will keep them physically active even while indoors, if you can’t go for your usual walk around the block or to the park.
6. Where’s the Treat?
Image: UK Pets
A favourite amongst many pawrents, this is a game that will test your pup’s patience and IQ. One that you’ve probably seen before, is the three cup game. All you need is to get out three cups and line them up in a row in front of you dog. Start by putting a treat under one of the cups and get your dog to show you which cup the treat is under. If he guesses correctly, you can reward him with the treat. Once your dog is getting the hang of it, you can change things up by moving the cups around after you’ve placed the treat.
