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Indoor Activities for Dogs

January 19, 2015 40 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. You won't pay a penny more, but you'll help keep It's Dog or Nothing running (websites are expensive!) and the floofs fed (they're even more expensive - as you well know) ;)

DepositPhotos|Lilun_Li
DepositPhotos|Lilun_Li

Just because the fluffies enjoy plenty of outside time in this weather, doesn’t mean that I do. I am a summer loving girl and count down the days until the warm weather returns again. Unfortunately, Montana likes to keep the warm months to a minimum.

If there’s too much snow, too much wind, or the cold just doesn’t agree with your dog, here’s some indoor activities for dogs to keep them stimulated in the winter.

Training

Pyrs aren’t trick dogs, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work on training. Rather than focusing on adorable tricks, we spend a lot of time on impulse control. Training requires a lot of mental attention which can be more exhausting than physical activity. Rubicon Days and ZoePhee are great examples of bonding with your dog through trick training.

Interactive Toys

Do you have a puzzle toy or treat dispenser? The fluffies love when I add some treats to their Kong Wobbler or IQ Treat Ball. Mauja will knock the ball around to get the treats and Atka will follow behind to gobble up the treats she misses. Teamwork. Adding peanut butter, yogurt, wet food, or your dog’s favorite treat to a Kong Genius and popping it in the freezer is also a great time-consuming activity.

Agility

Have a little extra space in your living room? Many agility pieces can be easily broken down and stored when not in use. Look into a basic agility kit or head to your local hardware store to create your own!

Hide and Seek

Does your dog need to brush up on his recall? Why not make it a fun game! Put your dog in a sit/stay while you hide somewhere in your house (keep in mind your dog’s skill level). Call your dog and praise lavishly when he finds you!

Find It

This is another fun game that we used to play with Kaeto all the time. Hide a strong smelling treat and encourage your dog to use his nose to find it. Kaeto loved searching for hot dogs!

Go on an Outing

I like to take the fluffies to stores that allow pets in the winter. It gets them out of the house and we can work on training and improve socialization. Make a stop at Starbucks for a puppuccino as an added treat!

Cuddle

There’s nothing better than some cuddle time with your favorite pooch. Curl up on the couch and take a nap after all your indoor fun!

How do you keep your dog entertained during the winter months?

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I will receive a small commission. Don’t worry, an advertiser will never influence the content of this blog. Thanks for supporting It’s Dog or Nothing.

Filed Under: Healthy, Happy Dog, What's New Tagged With: activities. dogs, agility, great pyrenees, KONG, toys, training, winter

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MattieDog says

    January 19, 2015 at 7:54 am

    Great post! We always go to da longest hallway in our house and play ball toss – it’s fun and you can hear us scamper, scamper, scamper!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:39 am

      I love the sound of dogs scampering as they play 🙂 Great idea!

      Reply
  2. Jana Rade says

    January 19, 2015 at 8:07 am

    Cookie loves the Find It game. And her training games. And a few other games we play. None of that can measure up to a good romp outside, as we found the few days when it was too icy or too cold to go out.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:40 am

      I agree with you there!

      Reply
  3. Amy says

    January 19, 2015 at 8:16 am

    Cuddling has to be my favorite!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:41 am

      Mine too <3

      Reply
  4. Jen@MyBrownNewfies says

    January 19, 2015 at 8:23 am

    Sherman loves playing find it and he is super good at it! We have some work to do in the interactive game department though 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:41 am

      Atka’s not the best at those either. He just steals the treats that Mauja works so hard to get 😉

      Reply
  5. Jenna,Mark “HuskyCrazed” Drady says

    January 19, 2015 at 8:42 am

    Fabulous ideas. I love coming up with different games to play both indoors and out.
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:42 am

      I just need to find some winter gear that actually keeps me warm and I’ll be up for the outside games. The last time I bundled up to play outside with the pups, we got locked out of our house. It was Christmas Eve…

      Reply
  6. Taylor Brione & Sparkle says

    January 19, 2015 at 9:05 am

    We will work on training and interactive toys.
    Thanks for the tips.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:43 am

      Training is always mentally exhausting!

      Reply
  7. Reilly says

    January 19, 2015 at 9:07 am

    I hate the wet weather! Cold makes me run faster and longer because I don’t have to worry about the heat. However my pets don’t prefer the cold, so inside we play! I love to play with a laser pointer! Or a ball! Or a sqeaky toy!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:43 am

      Maybe you should come hang out with Mauja and Atka and I’ll stay in the warmth with your pets 😉

      Reply
  8. Amy Shojai, CABC says

    January 19, 2015 at 9:30 am

    Magical-Dawg loves indoor fetch. Soft toys though, so he doesn’t damage with rebound antics!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:44 am

      BOL that’s a good call!

      Reply
  9. MyDogLikes says

    January 19, 2015 at 10:05 am

    We love hide and seek, find it, and cuddle!! Excellent ideas!!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:45 am

      Cuddling is the fluffies’ favorite 🙂

      Reply
  10. jan says

    January 19, 2015 at 10:56 am

    We are lucky that next month it will start to be spring here. Meanwhile thanks for your suggestions.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:47 am

      Aww, I’m jealous. I’m itching for spring!

      Reply
  11. Elaine says

    January 19, 2015 at 11:32 am

    The Find It game is Haley’s favorite. I find it fascinating to watch her too. She starts out using her nose, then she switches to looking around with her eyes and as a last resort (if I’ve been particularly clever in finding hiding spaces), she uses her brain to remember where she’s found treats hidden in the past. Great tips to keep things fun in the winter!

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 11:47 am

      I absolutely love watching a dog’s mind work. It’s always so fascinating.

      Reply
  12. Lauren Miller says

    January 19, 2015 at 2:29 pm

    These are such great tips!!! I am a huge fan of cuddle time!! 😀

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 4:36 pm

      Who isn’t?! 😉

      Reply
  13. Maggie says

    January 19, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    Those are some of our favorite indoor activities! As much as we have fun doing them, though, I can’t help but think: Bring on spring! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 4:49 pm

      I’m right with ya!

      Reply
  14. Cathy Armato says

    January 19, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    Adorable video! I just started to play Find the Treat with my dogs indoors. They loved it. They also love their puzzle toy. We live in a sunshine state so although we are rarely stuck indoors, I still really like indoor games now & then.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      January 19, 2015 at 4:52 pm

      So jealous! I hope to live there one of these days.

      Reply
  15. Dogvills says

    January 19, 2015 at 5:03 pm

    Those are great indoor activities for dogs. Mine love playing with their toys

    Reply
  16. mary says

    January 19, 2015 at 5:26 pm

    Awesome ideas. Hide is a fun game at or house.

    Reply
  17. Ruth Cox says

    January 19, 2015 at 10:03 pm

    My dog Valentino definitely needs recall training! Thanks for the hide and seek game idea for help with that.

    Reply
  18. Carol Bryant says

    January 20, 2015 at 12:12 am

    We also love hide and seek – these are great tips for indoor fun

    Reply
  19. Jodi Chick (+ Kolchak & Felix too) says

    January 20, 2015 at 1:04 am

    Go for a puppuccino – now you’re speaking my language! I love the idea of heading out for some pet friendly shopping.

    Reply
  20. Lara Elizabeth says

    January 20, 2015 at 3:28 pm

    Thanks so much for the mention! I’m already tired of these cold, dark nights and we have months to go…it’s always good to have some ideas on hand for indoor fun. In addition to trick training, we play fetch, tug and have spa days with nail trims, paw conditioning and dry shampoos!

    Reply
  21. April says

    January 20, 2015 at 3:35 pm

    Love the new layout, Kelsie.

    Our go to’s are Hide and Seek and Find It. Hide and Seek tires him out physically with all of the running up and down the stairs, and Find It is great amental stimulation game for him.

    Reply
  22. Groovy Goldendoodles says

    January 20, 2015 at 4:38 pm

    Great ideas – never played “find it” before – we’ve got multiple days of snow coming, so I’ve got plenty of time to try all of these 🙂

    Reply
  23. M. K. Clinton says

    January 20, 2015 at 7:26 pm

    We don’t get super cold here, but we get a lot of rainy days. We play tug-o-war and fetch. Of course, cuddling is always a winner!

    Reply
  24. Rebecque Asher says

    March 24, 2015 at 11:42 am

    Love these ideas! Here’s another one…have a photo shoot with one of my Wag & Grin banners and reward your dog for sitting and staying! Fun for humans and K-9s! https://www.etsy.com/shop/WagandGrin

    Reply
  25. Alix Mitchell says

    April 6, 2015 at 8:57 am

    These are great ideas! I’ve been eyeing the Kong Genius toys lately but haven’t actually purchased any. Are they as durable as regular Kong stuff? And I LOVE the agility starter kit! This past weekend I was just telling my husband that I want to start at-home agility with Buster.

    Reply
    • Kelsie says

      April 6, 2015 at 6:16 pm

      They are just as durable! The Kong Genius toys are made of the same material as the normal Kongs. I wouldn’t say they are particularly “difficult” for Mauja to use, but it definitely slows her down and work a bit harder.

      Reply

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