In 2010, we faced an icy winter. Our backyard was a slick sheet, and the sidewalks were a slippery, salty mess. The dogs were going bonkers, so I put together this list of 10 ways to tire out your dogs indoors.
After a few years of working through that list each winter, we landed in Louisiana and faced the opposite problem: It was far too hot to play outside safely. We had worked through that initial list, so I brainstormed 10 (more) ways to tire out your dog indoors.
Now, we’re back in Indiana and back in winter. While this has been a mild winter, we’ve had a couple health setbacks that have shortened Lucas’ and Cooper’s walks. They still need exercise – physical AND mental – so I’m back to brainstorming some Boredom Busters for the boys. Here’s my newest list: 5 ways to exercise your dog indoors!
- DIY games: I love food puzzles and games. But once they’ve played the same ones a few times, they have it totally figured out, and the challenge is gone. I realized that the puzzles we had in rotation were being solved way too fast to truly keep them busy. I DIYed a few variations to mix it up a bit. First up was this Restuffable, Easy DIY Dog Toy from Kol’s Notes. Piece of cake to make (some basic sewing skills required), and you can mix up what you stuff on the inside. I also made a little “find it” game out of two Solo cups. I cut a slit in the bottom of the cup and inverted it over a piece of food. The boys had to target the cup with their nose to earn the food. To increase the difficulty, cut slits in multiple cups and have them select the only one you put food under – a variation on the shell game!
- Take a drive: Now, I’d rather your dog be safe than bored, so this one is totally weather-dependent. If the streets are plowed, though, getting out of the house can be fun! Plan errands like driving through the bank because, obviously, you don’t want to leave your dog in the car, or just hit Starbucks – be sure to order your dog a Puppy Latte! Note: When John does this with the boys, he always warms up the car before they hit the road. I, on the other hand, am apparently cruel and never think to do so!
- Tag! This is Lucas’ favorite game in the house. We play it a couple different ways, but the important thing is to figure out what you can do to cue your dog to PLAY. (This article is an interesting exploration of that question.) For Lucas, he gets very wound up if we pretend like we’re coming in for a hug. I need to get video of this or something because it’s really different from an actual hug – like an over-exaggerated “I’m gonna get you!” He leaps in the air and spins around, at which point I take off in the opposite direction. He chases me around until he catches me, then I do the “coming in for a hug” again, and off we go for another round! With Emmett, the only thing that gets him going is if he sees you actively try to hide, like if he’s watching me and I duck behind the couch. He goes, “Uh oh! Better go get my lady!” at which point I take off the opposite way.
- Rotate toys: For a very long time, all our dog toys lived in a basket in the living room. The boys would dip in and out, choosing what they felt like playing with – but, over time, it turned into the same favorites got the most attention. So, I picked up about half the toys, stuck them in the pantry, and waited. When they seemed disinterested in playing with toys, I switched out three at a time (one for each boy, attempting to be fair… even though they only want the toy the other ones have). It revitalized several long-abandoned toys, and when I open the toy drawer, they get really excited to see what I’m going to bring out.
- Strike a pose: Start an Instagram account for your dog… and teach poses! I thought of this one because we needed some new tricks. We’ve been working on many tricks for many years, so I wanted to mix it up and come up with tricks that would photo well, just for fun, and Instagram is the perfect platform for those performances! Cooper is learning “Eskimo kisses” and I want the big boys to master a “pout” by putting their chins on their paws.
There you have it! If you can get through all 25 ways to tire out your dog indoors, you’re going to have a super fun – and exhausting – winter!! I’m sure with these lists I’ve probably missed something. Do you have any go-to indoor exercises with your pup? What do you do when you can’t get outside? Any fun boredom busters?
Murphy & Stanley
Good tips cuz we doggies get stir crazy too!
Your Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Maggie
I know!! There’s nothing worse than being stuck in the house all winter! Hope you find some ways to have inside fun!
Kyla @ EcoCoolDog.com
These are all great ideas! It can be pretty tough to get out in this weather. I especially love the game of tag. My dogs love playing that one, sometimes they chase each other around the house!
Maggie
That’s so cute! I love when they start playing chase with each other, but sometimes the house gets rearranged in the process! 😉
Elaine
Haley loves the food puzzles and games and it’s fun coming up with new ways of making puzzles with different kinds of boxes or packages that would just end up in the garbage anyway. It’s a good way to recycle too! Great ideas for the wintertime.
Maggie
Yes!! I love repurposing stuff lying around the house. Maybe I should do a post of some of the DIY puzzles we’ve made! Treats in egg cartons is a fun one, as is sticking tennis balls in the slots of a muffin tin (treats underneath optional)!
Jodi (+ Koly & Fe too!)
Aw, I love that you made our restuffable toy! And I love the solo cup game. I, um, always HAVE solo cups, so it’s a quick and easy way to play. When we were teaching Koly Treat & Seek, I used solo cups as the visual marker of where treats were hidden. (Not all dogs catch on right away, you know!) Great post.
Maggie
Ah, interesting! That’s a brilliant idea. I love using Solo cups because some of these guys (ahem, COOPER) are power-chewers. The puzzles get expensive to replace!
kayla
What kind of breed is the dog in the first picture? ?
Maggie
Cooper is a little pit mix. I suspect his cross is a small hound of some type, but I’m not certain. Hope that helps!
It's Dog or Nothing
I really love the “strike a pose” idea! Not everyone finds enjoyment of trick training, but it’s almost irresistible when you get an adorable photo out of it 🙂
Maggie
Yes! And you can do totally easy things, not even tricks – like practicing holding down/stays – or simple stuff like high five!
Jackie Bouchard
Great idea to put together a list for folks. Luckily we rarely have weather that keeps us from walking. A few Sundays ago it rained almost all day, but we still managed to sneak out for a walk just before sunset when it let up. We hadn’t had a day like that in… months? a year?? But we do love a good game of tag indoors (although Rita can get a little nutty and start taking swipes at me! I curse that her first friend as a pup was a boxer!) 🙂
Maggie
That is some lucky weather you have!! 🙂 Indoor tag can definitely get out of hand – these guys tend to turn it into Wrestle Mania in a matter of minutes!
Di
Hey Maggie!
I’ve always used a laser light with my two girls indoors when it’s too nasty outside to play. They will run stairs, fly around the basement while chasing the red light like it’s a food source. We started when they were puppies and turned it into the “get the bug” game. They’re gonna be 10 in April (I can’t stand it!) and still love this game. We play outside when it’s warmer, but in Winter they love this inside too.
Give the boys a big hug for me. I miss their sweet faces. 🙂
Maggie
Awww!!! Thanks, Di! They miss you, too!! What’s funny is that Newt plays with a laser almost daily, and they don’t even seem to see it?!?! Or maybe they’re not interested since they can’t eat it! 😉
FLORIDA K9 ASSOCIATION
WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS.. PULL OUT THE TREADMILL… http://WWW.FLORIDAK9ASSOCIATION.COM
Maggie
That is true! Unfortunately, a treadmill isn’t in our budget, so I was focusing on freebies, but if you have one SUCH a great idea!!
Jodi
We sometimes do scent work and I’ve also played, ‘hide the carrot’ where I go around the house (they watch) and hide food, once I’ve finished I tell them to go find it and they run around collecting carrots.
I like the idea of working on tricks or using the cups to play the shell game. Thanks for the tips!
Maggie
That’s brilliant! Thanks for the suggestion, Jodi!!
Irwin
This are great ideas! Mental work for dogs is always good, weather being bad or not. I have a Border Collie and she, as any BC, requires as much brain exercise as physical exercise. New ideas to try are always good, thanks! I sort of play your cup game, but she is far to smart for that, so I use 3 cups and play a shell game with her, moving the treat around, moving it from cup to cup. She usually wins.
KoKo Harry "so cute" Potter
Hi and woofs to all you doggies clever enough to be reading blogs! Thanks for all your tips. When my human mum is annoying me by concentrating on her computer instead of me I whine until she gives in. We play – FIND. She breaks up a liver treat white I watch with my big brown eyes, then she throws it down the hallway and says FIND. I use my nose to trace each bit then check and recheck I hav’nt missed any. With my nifty nose it is over too quickly
So she gets more sneaky and hides treats under blankets and things. After that I fall asleep having warm dreams of a full tummy, Woofs from KoKo (The Australian Puppicino drinking dog blogger)