The weather in Chicago has been “ruff” with temperatures well below freezing, making unsafe for your pet to be outdoors for too long. Unfortunately, dogs can also suffer from “cabin fever” and still need to be active during these cold days, both physically and mentally. With that in mind, we put together a variety of different indoor games you can play with your pup!
Find the treats!
Have your dog stay while you hide treats around the home. Start out by placing them in plain sight to get them used to the idea. It takes a while for dogs to stop relying so heavily on visual cues and to hone in their excellent sniffing ability. Once your dog has gone a few rounds, you can make it more challenging by hiding treats in some tougher spots.
The Which Hand Game
This is a great starter game for dogs who haven’t practiced nose work before. Simply take a piece of kibble or a dog treat and place it in one of your hands. Hold both of your hands out towards your dog in a fist and have them pick which hand it’s in. If your dog doesn’t play nicely and mouths or claws at your hands, then you can practice some basic impulse control first.
The 3 Cups Game
This is a great nose work starter game. Get out 3 cups and line them up in a row in front of your dog. To start put a treat under one of the cups while your dog is watching, give him the OK to show you which one is the right cup. When he chooses correctly praise him & let him have the treat. Once your dog seems to get the hang of it you can make it more challenging by mixing the cups around after you place the treat!
Tug of War
Played correctly tug is a great way for our dogs to get in a lot of meaningful play and exercise. Before you start make sure your dog has a good “drop it” or “leave it” command. If your dog gets extra rowdy or starts mouthing you it’s time to stop the game. And contrary to popular belief you can let your dog win — in fact studies have shown that letting your dog win just shows that you’re really fun to be around and makes them want to play even more.
Frozen treats
A frozen treat can keep them busy for a long time! You can use a Kong or something similar to stuff peanut butter, canned dog food, pumpkin, etc… or just freeze the peanut butter jar once you get to the end of it! Ringo loves his frozen PB jar!!!
Puzzle and Interactive Dog Toys
There are so many interactive dog toys available! You can find a variety of them online or at a pet store. You can also do some DYI interactive toys. You can also make your own puzzle toy with a muffin tin, some tennis balls and a few treats. Place the treats in the tin & cover them up with the tennis balls and you’ve got yourself a DIY dog puzzle!
These are just a few ideas of simple and interactive games. Join our facebook community Healthy Dogs in Chicago to learn more health and wellness tips, and to meet other pet owners from the Chicago area!
~TheK9PT
Francisco Maia, PT, DPT, CCRT