Best indoor exercises for your dog

There can be times where us pet parents aren't able to leave the house to exercise our dog as much as we'd like. However, it is still important to make sure your pup is still getting the exercise they need. Below are our favourite ways to exercise your pup from inside your own home.

Hide and seek

This is a great game that can be played with the whole family or just you and your dog. You’ll need a handful of yummy treats to reward your pup with. Have your dog sit and stay while you find a hiding place somewhere in the house. One you’re hidden, call the dog by name, and once they find you - reward with a treat and repeat!

You can start off with easy hiding places (behind doors, curtains etc) and progress to more difficult spots. Not only is hide and seek a super fun game for your dog, but it also helps develop their sit and stay commands, channels their natural drive and strengthens the bond between the two of you.

Scavenger hunt

Make your dog’s meal times fun by splitting their dinner into different locations around the house. Your dog will have to use their natural instincts to hunt down each location. Start by placing the food in easy locations, and increase the difficulty with the rest of the meal. Your dog will have to rely on their strong sense of smell to find every last bit. It will also keep their mind sharp and help break up any boredom during the day.

Obstacle course

Have you ever watched super ninja warrior and thought - ‘my dog could totally do that’? Well now’s your chance! Get creative, you can use cushions, blankets, chairs, hula hoops, or anything really! Create a tunnel for your dog to run through, and make sure you have plenty of healthy treats for helping them along the way and rewarding them when they finish the course. See if they can beat their own time! This is a great mental and physical challenge for your dog.

Tug of war and fetch

These outdoor games can also be brought inside if you have the space. This is a great way to help your dog stay active indoors, as tug of war and fetch are two of the most intense forms of exercise for a dog. If the space in your house is more restricted, hallways can be a great space to use. When playing fetch, make sure you use a soft toy to avoid breaking any valuable items and you can race your dog to see if you can get to the toy first. This will keep them interested. Tug is great with tug toys from Beco, Tuffy and Mammoth. After one minute of play stop tugging, but keep holding the toy. Ask your dog to "drop it" and have him sit. When he does, praise him and reward him by continuing the game or giving a treat. Now you're alternating between intense physical exercise and obedience training.

Interactive food toys

Enrichment toys like KONG, West Paw and Nina Ottosson encourage the dog to push the toy around with their nose and paws in order to access the treats. These are a great to help your dog learn to think and use their sense of smell as they work to figure out how to solve the puzzle and gain a reward.

You can also freeze your dog’s daily meals inside the KONG toy which will keep them occupied for a long period providing both physical exercise and mental stimulation that can again help with controlling anxiety and boredom.

If you have any questions or would like some more guidance around indoor toys, don't hesitate to reach out to one of our Customer Service Experts on 0800 200 240.

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