Once the clocks go back, it gets dark earlier, it rains more often and the evening walks get shorter. Many dogs spend more time indoors and get bored: they chew whatever they can find, bark or follow us from room to room. Indoor games for dogs are the simplest solution: a few pieces of kibble, a cardboard box or an old towel are all it takes to get your dog using their nose and their brain. Here are 8 easy, safe ideas that cost nothing.
Why brain games work
Sniffing, searching and solving a small problem come naturally to dogs, and they ask more of them than you might think. A 10- to 15-minute sniffing session usually leaves a dog calmer than a game of chase around the living room, which tends to wind them up. These games don’t replace walks, but they’re a good complement on days when you don’t get out much.
Indoor games for dogs: 8 ideas using things you have at home
- Find the treat. Ask your dog to sit, show them a treat and put it down a metre away; then give the cue: “Find it!” Once they’ve got the idea, hide it behind a chair leg, under a cushion or in another room. Make it harder little by little: the important thing is that they always find it.
- The cup game. Three plastic cups upside down and a treat under one of them. Let your dog sniff them and reward them when they point to the right one with their nose or paw. Don’t move the cups at first; once they’re good at it, swap them around slowly.
- The rolled-up towel. Lay out an old towel, scatter a few pieces of kibble over it, roll it up and, if you want to make it trickier, tie it in a loose knot. Your dog will have to unroll it with their nose and paws to reach the reward.
- The surprise box. A cardboard box full of scrunched-up newspaper, with a few pieces of kibble hidden inside. Remove any sticky tape, staples and plastic labels first. It’s ideal for dogs who love digging and shredding.
- Cardboard tubes in a box. Stand toilet roll tubes upright inside a shoebox, packed tightly together, and hide a treat in some of them. Your dog will have to work out which ones are “full”.
- The muffin tin. Put a treat in some of the holes and cover them all, including the empty ones, with tennis balls or rubber toys big enough that your dog can’t swallow them. They’ll have to remove the balls to find out where the treat is.
- Hide and seek. Ask your dog to stay (or get someone to hold them), hide in another room and call them just once. When they find you, make a big fuss of them and give them a treat. It’s also a good way to practise recall.
- Tug of war with rules. An old towel with a few knots tied in it becomes a rope toy. You start the game, let your dog win now and then, and teach them “Drop it”: if their teeth touch your hand, the game stops for a few seconds.
How to play indoors safely
- Always supervised. Cardboard, paper and fabric are for playing with, not for eating: stay with your dog and take away any torn pieces. If they tend to swallow everything, choose the cup game, the muffin tin or hide and seek.
- Small treats, and not too many. Use kibble from their daily ration or very small pieces of treat, and deduct what you give them during play from their meals so they don’t put on weight.
- Short sessions. 10 to 15 minutes is enough. Stop while they’re still having fun, before they get tired or frustrated.
- Gradually increase the difficulty. If they can’t find the treat after a while, make it easier: they need to win often so they’ll want to try again.
- Puppies and older dogs. Calm sniffing games are better than jumping and running on slippery floors; if in doubt, ask your vet.
Turn mealtimes into a game too
If your dog empties their bowl in a few seconds, dinner can also become a moment of mental stimulation. You can scatter their kibble over the towel from game number 3 or use a bowl with raised ridges such as the Velia Select slow feeder: they have to get the food out from between the ridges bit by bit, and it keeps them busy licking and searching. And if you’re looking for more ideas for rainy days, here’s how to entertain a dog at home.
In short: a bit of sniffing, a bit of brainwork and small treats. With these indoor games for dogs, evenings at home are calmer for your dog and for you.