It can be a challenge to figure out what to do to keep a dog happy and engaged when you—and the dog—are stuck at home. For me, the thing that most often keeps me house-bound during the day is work. However, work hours mean very little to my young, extremely energetic dog. While I’m fixated on my computer screen, she’s hanging around getting bored. She’s learning the self-discipline to wait until it’s time to do something fun, but too much boredom ends with her getting frustrated and then finding some (usually undesirable) way to entertain herself.
We also live in an area that gets scorchingly hot during the summer. The pavement is often a burn hazard and, even with dog shoes, the temperature can make it unsafe for us to do much outdoors after about 10 a.m. Once again, this leads to sitting in the house with a bored dog who just want to do something fun. Fortunately, there are a lot of quick and relatively simple ways to entertain (and exercise) a dog without leaving the house.
How To Exercise Your Dog Indoors
Getting a good workout without being able to go outside isn’t always easy, but it can be done. If you live in an apartment building with hallways or a house with enough space, grab the leash and go on an indoor walk. It may feel silly, but being able to move will help keep your dog entertained. If possible, consider hiding treats or toys around the house for him to sniff out while you walk.
Exercises like puppy pushups are also a good option for burning off some excess energy without leaving the house. They can also be done in shorter sessions during work breaks. A popular training class exercise, puppy pushups are not only a physical workout but will help sharpen up basic cues as well. For those not already familiar, here are the steps to complete a puppy pushup:
- Make sure you have a reward on hand such as treats or a favorite toy.
- Cue your dog to sit.
- As soon as he sits, cue him to lay down.
- When his belly touches the floor, cue him to sit again.
- Cue a stand.
- Ask for one more sit.
- Reward and repeat.
- Bonus: For an added bit of fun, you can turn on some music and give the cues in time with the beat.
In addition to puppy pushups, I regularly set up obstacle courses around the house for my dog. I typically use plastic cones and bars to create low jumps and run agility tunnels down the hallway, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Even asking your dog to do figure-eights around a couple of chairs and crawl under a broom propped between the couch and coffee table can be good fun and good exercise. The trick with indoor obstacle courses is to build them with an eye toward safety. If your dog will be running or jumping inside, make sure he won’t encounter any slippery surfaces and isn’t in danger of crashing into anything if he jumps too enthusiastically or can’t slow down quickly.
As always with exercise, make sure your dog is physically capable of the activity before asking him to participate. If you aren’t sure your dog is up for a particular type of exercise, check with your veterinarian.
Games To Play With Your Dog In the House
Whether it’s a simple game of tug or a more elaborate round of find-it, playing with your dog is one of the best ways to keep them entertained when stuck in the house. There are so many good games to play with your dog indoors. Some of my favorites include:
- Hide-and-seek: Sneak away when your dog isn’t looking, find a hiding spot, then call him enthusiastically. When he comes to find you, praise him and reward him with a treat or toy. If your dog hasn’t played before, pick easy hiding spots to start—such as stepping out of the room just beyond view. Gradually increase the difficulty as he begins to understand the game.
- Find it: Start by hiding a treat in the palm of one hand, close both hands, and hold them out to your dog. When he noses the hand with the treat in it, praise him and let him have the treat. From there, make it more challenging by hiding a treat under a cup and letting him search for it among several similar cups.
- Tug: While little explanation is needed for how to play—human and dog each grab one end of a toy and pull—there are few rules to keep the game from getting out of hand. Most importantly, tug is an ‘invitation only’ game. Your dog should understand that it’s only okay to tug on things when you initiate it. He should also have a solid ‘release’ cue and let go of the toy the moment you ask. As for health and safety considerations, tugging should always be done sideways, not up-and-down, to help prevent spinal injuries and should be kept gentle for puppies, elderly dogs, or those with relevant medical conditions. For more on how to safely set up a game of tug, see “Eight Rules for Playing Tug of War With Your Dog.”
Mental Stimulation Toys for Dogs
Interactive puzzle toys are a great way to provide some mental stimulation for your dog without leaving the house. While such toys often require supervision and assistance (particularly if the dog is inexperienced with puzzles), most dogs find a good mental workout to be rewarding—and exhausting! As discussed in “The Best Dog Puzzle Toys,” it may take a few tries with different toys to figure out the right difficulty level for your dog.
Similarly, snuffle mats, lick mats, and other food dispensing toys can very useful methods of doggy entertainment. My young terrier will happily spend up to 20 minutes engaged with her snuffle mat. If I have a meeting or just need some time without her “help” writing articles, I’ll set the mat out next to my desk and fill it with half a cup or so of her dry kibble. As a bonus, she often falls asleep after she’s done.
Don’t Forget About Training
Whether you are working from home or just stuck indoors with a bored dog, a few quick training sessions throughout the day can go a long way to entertaining your dog (and you!). A good session doesn’t need to be longer than 5 or 10 minutes to be effective. A short round of heelwork down the hallway or down-stays during lunch can make a big difference in both training progress and preventing boredom at home.
Online dog training classes are another way to keep engaged and discover new ways to work with your dog if leaving the house isn’t a good option. I spent the last heatwave teaching my dog to walk with me—her front feet on top of my feet—with the help of an online tricks class. It was great fun for us both and resulted in a really cute behavior.
As always when it comes to training, don’t forget to have fun! If the usual routine is feeling dull, consider teaching your dog a new trick.
