8 indoor activities for your dog: fun ideas for keeping your pet entertained during the lockdown
Grain-free dog food experts, Canagan, have suggested a variety of ways in which you can keep your dog moving even while stuck inside, as well as keeping their brain active and helping them to have fun at the same time.
Tricks and indoor games
Canagan suggests teaching your dog tricks in order to make sure they are both having fun and keeping active.
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Hide AdThis could involve training them to bark on command, shaking hands, playing fetch or rolling over.
It will also test your dog’s intelligence and keep your dog’s mind active at the same time.
Play with toys
Playing with toys, for example dog puzzles, will teach your dog resilience, patience and keep them active.
They’re also a way of teaching your dog that good behaviour is rewarded if you incorporate treats.
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Hide AdPlaying fetch with a soft toy or ball is also a great way of keeping your dog active and a great way for them to have fun.
Hide and seek
If your dog is trained to both ‘stay’ and ‘come’ when you call them, then hide and seek is a great game to keep them entertained, and can be played with all the family. Simply, tell your dog to ‘stay’ so that they don’t follow you to your hiding place.
Then, each family member can take it in turns to call the dog. Each family member can then congratulate your pooch and show them lots of love as they are found.
This game stimulates the brain, as it encourages your dog to remember their name, alongside strengthening recall behaviour. The search will also give your pooch a great physical workout.
Bubbles
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Hide AdBubbles are a fun way to keep your dog entertained - but make sure to check the label before you buy bubbles to make sure that they’re safe for dogs.
You can even buy ‘dog bubbles’ in different flavours, as well as dog-friendly bubble machines.
‘Dog workouts’
Zoe Costigan, an in-house vet for pet wellbeing specialist firm ITCHpet.com, suggests trying these four indoor exercises to keep your pooch active.
The Stairmaster
Run up and down stairs to keep your dog active. To keep them motivated, you will probably have to join in with the fun, too, but this can also have health benefits for you.
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Hide AdHowever, it’s important to note that this exercise should not be practiced if your dog has arthritis or health problems.
Hide and treat
This is a fun and rewarding way to promote exercise with your pet - and stimulating their nose can be a great way to get their mind working.
You simply need to hide their favourite treat around your home and create their own treat treasure hunt.
Canine conditioning
Obedience training can help to stimulate your dog’s mind and body, but you will need to set aside time each day specifically for this task.
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Hide AdUsing verbal rewards and treats also has the highest success rate for this.
The gymnasium
Creating an indoor obstacle course for your pooch is a great way to keep them both energised and exercised.
You can set up a variety of different chairs and tables for them to jump over if there’s space and it’s safe for them to do so. You can even add in any pillars for them to run around.