When it’s too cold, too hot, or just too wet outside, you might have difficulty taking your dog out for the exercise they need to stay healthy and engaged. If your dog doesn’t get enough exercise, the pent-up energy can result in boredom or even behavioral problems.
Fortunately, there are ways that you can make sure your dog stays active, even when they’re cooped up inside because of the weather. Here are some suggestions for indoor exercise your pup will love!
- Tug-of-War
A good fierce game of tug-of war can get your dog’s heart rate up and strengthen your own arms! The nice thing about tug-of-war is it can be played anywhere, even in an apartment with a limited amount of space. - Fetch
Have a dog that loves to fetch? Toss their favorite toy or tennis ball down a hallway for them to retrieve. To add an extra level of intensity, have them fetch up and down a flight of stairs to make the game a little more high energy and challenging. - Food Puzzle Toys
If your dog eats too quickly, they will really benefit from this! Invest in food puzzle toys that make dinner time more challenging and engaging for your pup. The toys make accessing food more difficult, slowing down the eating process and forcing your dog to exert mental and physical energy as they eat. - Hide Treats
If you don’t have a food puzzle toy, you can still challenge your dog by hiding some of their favorite treats in locations around your home, encouraging them to work for their snacks. - Puppy Push Ups
Sit, lay down, sit, lay down, repeat. Your dog only needs to be familiar with two commands for this activity. Help them burn off a little steam by performing these simple commands in sequence several time, rewarding their efforts with a little treat every once in a while. - Play Dates
Just because your dog is cooped up, doesn’t mean they can’t have fun indoors with other dogs. Invite your dog’s regular play pals to come visit you for some indoor playtime. - New Skills
Like food puzzle games, new skills are a great way to help your dog expend some mental and physical energy. If you need some help, look up training videos online to teach you and your pup how to master the trick. - Hide and Seek
This game isn’t just for kids! There are a couple of ways that you can play hide and seek with your dog. If your dog is familiar with the command “find it,” you can keep your dog in a single room while you hide an object and then instruct them to find it.
Alternatively, you can have your dog stay in a location, and go hide yourself. Trigger your dog to come search for you with the command “come,” and call it repeatedly to help them search you out.
Being cooped up indoors doesn’t have to make your dog a pent-up ball of energy. Help them get their much-needed exercise with these fun indoor activities!