6 Indoor Dog Activities To Keep Your Pooch Stimulated

I always applaud dog parents who lace up their sneakers and head outside for a walk, despite the rain, snow, or undesirable temperatures. Good for them braving the elements. Me? I prefer to stay indoors and wait for the sun to reappear. If bad weather keeps you inside too, check out the following six activities to help provide your pup with both physical and mental stimulation! 

1. The Classic KONG

The classic KONG is a durable rubber toy with a hollow center that you stuff with Fido-friendly foods and treats. It’s a cross between a food bowl and a boredom-buster enrichment puzzle that provides dogs with a healthy outlet to chew and lick! It’s great for bored dogs, barkers, chewers, pups who are teething, and dogs suffering from separation anxiety.

Depending on your dog’s size, the KONG comes in XS all the way to XXL! Plus, they also offer various rubber intensities based on your dog’s chewing style. The KONG comes in:

• Puppy – Baby blue or baby pink
• Classic – Red
• Extreme – Black
• Senior – Purple

While the possibilities are endless when it comes to stuffing KONGs, watch this video to see my 3-step method:

2. Store-Bought Dog Puzzles

Dog puzzles are fun mind games for your pooch. Similar to the classic KONG, you hide tasty treats inside the puzzle’s hidden compartments. Then, your dog needs to use his paw or snout to uncover the reward. Some of my favorite puzzle brands are Outward Hound, Trixie, and Planet Dog.

Here are some of our personal favorites: 

3. DIY Enrichment Games

If you don’t want to spend money on store-bought dog puzzle games, you can always make one at home! Some popular DIY dog puzzle games include:

Snuffle Mat: A snuffle mat is a popular nose work, brain game. It consists of fleece fabric strips tied onto a sturdy backing. You hide dog treats inside the fleece — behind the many folds and even deep inside where the fleece meets the backing — for your dog to sniff out, find, and then eat. The idea behind this simple yet genius game is to mimic the foraging and hunting activities our dogs’ wild ancestors engaged in on a regular basis. From developing puppies to aging seniors, this enrichment toy is perfect for all dogs! Watch my tutorial video, showing you how to make your own:

Busy Box: Also called an enrichment box, foraging box, or destruction box, a busy box is a super simple DIY interactive puzzle. You start with a basic cardboard box (like an old Amazon box or, soda can box, LaCroix box, cereal box, etc.) and then fill it with your dog’s favorite toys, balls, and random stuff lying around your home (particularly things you can hide treats in)! You can even sprinkle in a few loose treats to enhance the whole experience. Lightly close it and then give it to your dog to open and forage through. Check out my full tutorial HERE, which shares various stuffing ideas!

Towel or Blanket Roll-Up: In the busy box, I like to add a treat-filled towel. Basically, I grab a clean washcloth or dish towel and roll treats inside. Well, this alone is a great game for your pups! Roll treats inside an old (clean) towel or blanket and let them unravel it to free the treats and eat the yummy snacks! 

Muffin Tin with Tennis Balls: To make this game, grab a muffin tin, some treats, and up to 12 tennis balls/KONG toys/small plush toys. You simply drop a treat into each cup in the muffin tin. Then, cover it with a ball or toy. Place it on the floor and let your pooch scoot the balls and toys over to uncover the tasty reward.

4. At-Home Agility

Growing up, I remember spending afternoons watching dog shows with my dad. Not just the ones where pups look pretty and prance around. But the agility competitions where dogs gracefully yet speedily weave in between poles, run through tunnels, jump over objects, and walk over seesaws. I always dreamed of doing that with my dogs and, a couple of months ago, I finally asked myself: “What the heck am I waiting for?” 

I purchased THIS course on Amazon and set it up in my house. During training sessions, I put the weave polls in my hallway, the jump poll in my living room, and the tunnel between my couches! The dogs have a lot of fun playing and learning. Plus, I enjoy the time spent bonding with my pups.

5. iFetch

Okay, so I don’t actually own an iFetch …. yet (right now, my arm is the iFetch). With that said, this thing looks sooooo cool! Basically, you teach your dog to drop his tennis ball in the iFetch and it will automatically shoot the ball a few feet away. If you have the space in your house — and you think your dog would use it — then this is a great activity for rainy days. 

The iFetch comes in different sizes — ones that throw small tennis balls and ones that throw larger tennis balls. 

6. Work On New Tricks

A short 15-minute training session every day goes a long way. Think about it – every time you teach your dog a new trick, you’re mentally challenging him. Dogs love a challenge and they love to learn new things. If you have a new puppy, start with the basic commands: sit, stay, down, come, etc. Once you have the basic commands down, move on to more advanced tricks: paw, roll-over, sit pretty etc. The amount of tricks you can teach your dogs is limitless. I mean, have you checked out the video of the dog who knows how to do laundry?