4 Fun Inside Activities When Your Dog Can’t, or Won’t, Go Outside

In the blistering cold that has now begun, it can be challenging to keep up with our dogs exercise needs. Now, one great way to do this is with puzzle toys, but if you’re looking for something new and exciting here are 4 at home games you can play to tire your dog out without stepping outside, using everyday objects around the house. I have tested all of these games with Dustin and they are all fun and easy for most dogs! But, for this blog, I am using borrowed photos. 

Muffin Tin Game

Supplies

Muffin Tin

Tennis Balls

Treats

How to Play

Put treats into muffin slots of muffin tin

Cover treats with tennis ball

Allow your dog to play with the tin, moving the tennis balls with his nose to uncover the treats. 

Troubleshooting

If your dog is struggling to move the ball and show them the treat underneath.

Or, help them move the ball to uncover the treat. 

Make it More Challenging

Put more tennis balls than there are treats. Now your dog has to find out which ball is hiding a treat.

Find It

Supplies

Toilet Paper Tubes

Bucket

Treats

How to Play

Put the toilet paper tubes into the bucket vertically. Fill the bucket with tubes until full.

Drop treats into the tubes.

Give to your dog and allow him to find and extract the treats. 

Troubleshooting

If your dog is struggling to get the treats out, cut the tubes so that they are shorter. 

Make it More Challenging

Put more tubes in so that your dog has to pull the tube out to get the treat from inside. 

Treat Dropper

Supplies

Empty Plastic Bottle (Any Size) Plastic Bottle Top Xacto Knife  Treats

How to Play

Cut square(s) on the side of the water bottle that is big enough to fit the treats you are using.

Remove bottle top and ring, fill with treats, replace the top (but not the ring). 

Give to your dog to move around until treats fall from the hole you cut. 

Troubleshooting

If your dog is struggling to get the treats out cut the hole bigger and/or make more holes.

Or, place the bottle on the ground hole down on the ground, show your dog how it moves and treats instantly fall out. 

Make it More Challenging

Only put one hole in the bottle and make is just a little bigger than the treats. 

Egg Carton Scavenge

Supplies

Empty Egg Carton paper (Optional) Treats

How to Play

Put treats into each section of the egg carton.

Close top. 

Give to your dog. 

OR

Only do this one if your dog can be trusted not to eat paper. 

Wrap a few treats up in a loosely balled paper.

Pup each piece of balled up paper into each section of the egg carton.

Close top.

Give to your dog.  

Troubleshooting

If your dog is struggling to get the treats out, don’t fully close the top.

Make it More Challenging

Make it more challenging by playing the second part of this with the paper. And, if that is still too easy, make the ball of paper around the treats tighter. 

© Leash and Learn 2019

Still need help? Please reach out!

If you have made it this far and you still do not know who to hire or where to start, send an email to us at info@leashandlearnnyc.com, and we will help you. Include your zip code, your dog’s name, and what you need help with. Give us a few days but we will get back to you with some ideas

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