How to keep your dog entertained stuck indoors

Whether it’s icy weather or torrential rain keeping you inside, it can be hard to work out how to entertain your dog when you can’t just stick on your boots and take them for a walk to let off some steam. Although you may be happy to lounge on the sofa watching Netflix all day, you may find that your pooch needs a bit more to keep them entertained.

Why not take this opportunity to teach your dog some new tricks? Not only will they enjoy the interaction with you, but it will exercise their brain as well as their body. Learning a new trick is also a great confidence boost. You might want to start off with simple tricks like sit or leave, but if your dog has already mastered this then you could move on to more complex ideas like teaching them to close the door behind them or how to tidy up their own toys.

If your dog isn’t in the learning mood, why not play a few fun games together? You could try a traditional game of hide and seek where you hide their toys or a selection of treats (or even yourself!) around the house and they have to go and find them, or why not go for a timeless classic like tug of war or fetch. If you’re feeling really creative, you could make them their very own obstacle course using a mixture of household items for them to jump over, crawl under or weave around.

If you’ve got friends that live close-by who own dogs that you know your dog interacts well with, why not invite them over for a good old doggy play date? You get to catch up with your friend over a cuppa while your dogs play happily with each other.

Grooming is also a nice idea, especially if your dog is older or less active. You could give them a nice pampering session with some washing, brushing and maybe even a doggy massage.

And after all those tiring activities, there’s no harm in you snuggling up with your pet in front of the telly for a little while. Dogs love affection just as much as we do so this will put everyone in a good mood and help to strengthen your bond.

Thu Jan 23 2020