What sort of games can you play with your dog on a rainy day? The popular dog game “Fetch” can wreak havoc if played indoors. But just sitting on the living room sofa and staring out at the rain is not a game your dog is likely to embrace. So what indoor games can be fun for your dog and still safe for your knickknacks?
Detective Dog Game for a Rainy Day
Exercise your dog’s mind as well as his body with this challenging indoor dog game. Take your dog’s favorite toy and use it to lure him into the bathroom, closing the door on him, though leaving it slightly ajar… so slightly that your dog will keep trying to open it while you walk away, calling out, “Where’s the toy?” (Or whichever name you have given this princely favorite.) Hide the toy somewhere in a room, then go back to free your excited dog. Keep asking him where his toy is as you lead him into the room. Soon, your dog will start searching, detecting the familiar scent of his beloved toy with his nose, running around until, at last-success!
This dog game offers endless fun. After your dog figures out all the possible hideouts in one room, expand the game into two rooms and, eventually, the whole house. Each time the toy will leave a little bit of scent behind, to confuse your dog and make the game more challenging. Before long, you and your dog will be having so much fun, you’ll forget that it’s raining outside.
Delicious Dog Game for a Rainy Day
This dog game is a scrumptious variation on the Detective Dog Game. Finish off your playtime by hiding small chunks of your dog’s favorite snack all over the house. Again, be sure to keep your dog closed in a bathroom while you do that. Then, once the snacks are hidden, unleash the beast and guide him with the call, “Where’s the snack?” (Or whichever name you have for this favorite treat.) Now a snack-hunt will begin. Keep guiding your dog as he charges from one hiding place to another until the last delicious morsel has been ferreted out.
Pawball Dog Game for a Rainy Day
Like football, the Pawball dog game requires a ball and a goalie. In this case, a soft round toy makes the perfect ball, and your dog, the indomitable goalie. Choose a narrow space in the house, like a corridor, then stand with your back to your dog and bend over, so as to watch your furry goalie upside down, between your knees. Pretend-throw the soft ball a few times, then throw it for real, not so much in the air but with a flat motion that will send the toy gliding on the floor and, hopefully, between your dog’s paws. As you repeat the game, your dog will catch on to his true role and try to snatch the gliding ball before it slips between his paws. Then you can trick him with false body gestures, and the fun will grow as your dog skips to-and-fro in response.
Catch Dog Game for a Rainy Day
Gather all your dog’s toys together for a fun game of catch. Position your dog on your bed, or on the floor at a distance of a few feet from you. Then start hurling toys at your dog’s head, one toy at a time. At first your dog will probably jump around to fetch his flying toys. But, if you aim well, the toys will fly at his mouth, and your dog will start snatching them with his teeth. For every toy he catches, congratulate your dog. Some of the toys will hit his forehead or muzzle and bounce off in a very amusing way. Keep the barrage coming, and your dog will stay focused on the coming toys. Once the toys are scattered all over the room, collect them together, then start the dog game again.
These fun dog games are sure to turn a rainy day into a fun-filled day. If you have more than one dog, the fun multiplies as paws get tangled and furry heads collide. Winter will never be the same again at your house!
More dog articles by the same writer:
Best Winter Gear for Dogs
Christmas Gifts for Dogs
Lost Your Dog? Here’s What You Should Do!
Best Ways to Adopt a Dog: From the Pound, Newspaper Ad, Breeder
