Ideas for indoor activities
It's cold, rainy, snowy or just not motivated to go for a walk, we all know this. 😋 But what to do to not get bored? You, human, you read, you play, you cook, etc. What about us, dogs? 🤔 We also need to be stimulated physically and mentally. The dog educator Roxane Fumeaux from Déclic Canin gives us an interesting information on this subject:
Dogs would rather work for food than receive their meal in a bowl.
So, from that, there are a multitude of things to do with your dog. Here are a few of them:
- There are several sniffing games you can play with him to stimulate his sense of smell:
- You can hide a good smelling treat and ask him to find it.
- Do you know the cup game? Just put two cups in front of your dog and put a treat under one of them. The goal is for him to find which cup the treat is hidden under. You can increase the challenge by adding a third cup. You can also mix them up, which will develop his thinking and observation skills. You can also use other objects, for example, take cardboard boxes instead of cups and hide his favorite toy in them instead of the treats.
- Hide and seek: This game has the advantage of letting several members of the family participate.
- You can feed him in a playful way with puzzle toys, dispenser toys or even anti-gulping bowls.
- Dogs love to learn, so why not teach him new tricks or simply practice the ones he already knows?
- Chewing has many benefits, including physical activity. It is estimated that half an hour of chewing is equivalent to an hour and a half of walking. Moreover, it has a de-stressing effect. There are various toys or treats to chew, however, it will have to be adapted to the age and size of your dog.
- Depending on the size of your living room, you can create a small agility course. Bottles could be used instead of cones to do a slalom, and a broom on 2 columns of books would let him do a small jumping obstacle. The possibilities are as big as your imagination. 😉
- A simple phone call and your dog's best friend can come to your house. They can then play around together while you and his owner have a little cup of coffee. It's a win-win... 😋
- And finally, you can have fun with your 4-legged friend by simply using their favorite toys, stuffed animals, balls, etc.
We hope that with these ideas you will have a good time with your dog. Don't forget that you will not only stimulate him, but you will also strengthen your bond when you practice activities with him.
By the way, don't hesitate to share videos or photos of these complicit moments on our FB and Instagram social networks! ➡️ @dogfriendlyswiss
