These games you can play with your dog

When you’re looking for things to do with your dog, walks most of the time come up. A good walk can not only help with exercise, but is also a form of mental stimulation. During training there are mostly cues that you’re practicing. But there are ways to make training more fun and still get the dog to learn things! And it also helps with behavior issues. But what games to play with your dog? These dog games can help you build a better bond with your furry companion.

What games are and the benefits

Before we’re looking at games to play with your dog, we’re going to look at some of the benefits and what games exactly are. Dog games are the type of games that you do together with your dog as a form of exercise, mental stimulation and to build a better bond. You can mentally tire your dog out while playing games, but also keep the dog fit. These games are possible outdoors and indoors. So even on the rainy days there are a lot of opportunity to do something fun with your dog!

And the benefits you’re getting from it are endless. First of all there is the mental stimulation from playing games. Enrichment and other mental stimulation can help with a lot of behavior issues. Think of the high energy dogs that don’t know how to calm down. It is also a relief of anxiety, which can help with reactivity. Because dogs get more social skills with the games, it can also show them how to interact with other dogs with communication and following social rules. Because the dog gets mentally stimulated, it helps with boredom, keeps the dog’s brain sharp and makes sure that the dog feels joy and happiness. Because you play the games together, you’ll bond more and can strengthen the relationship for your daily life and training.

DIY games to play with your dog

There are a few DIY games to play with your dog. With these games you don’t have to buy a lot of supplies, because there is a big chance that you already have everything you need!

Cardboard tube treats

Another fun game that you can play with your dog, without going to the store. Save all your toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls to start with this game. You can use one of the tubes and put some peanut butter in it. Your dog can lick it up and is busy for a while. Do you want it to last longer? Then you can also freeze it before giving it to your companion. Another way to do the cardboard tube treats is by putting a few rolls in a shoebox. Make sure they stand up straight and drop some treats or kibble in the tubes. Your dog has fun looking for them.

Treat burrito

One of the easiest games to play with your dog and make sure that your dog is tired, is by making a treat burrito. And the best thing is: you don’t have to go buy things at the store for it! All you need is an old towel and some treats or the dog’s kibble. First you have to lay the towel on the ground and you scatter all the treats and kibble over its surface. Then you roll up the towel, while you keep the treats in place. The burrito is ready to be served to your dog! All your four-legged friend has to do, is to figure out how to get to the treats or kibble by unrolling the burrito.

Snack track down

For this game with your dog you just need some containers in different or the same sizes. You can use everything you have in the house, from old yoghurt cups to shoeboxes. Make sure that you use containers that are compatible to your dog’s size, so the dog can actually have some fun. When you gathered all the containers, you can place them throughout the room. Make sure your dog isn’t seeing what you’re doing. Put a smelly treat in at least one of the containers and bring your dog to the room. Time to start searching!

Make your dog smarter with games

Games to play with your dog don’t only have to be for fun. You can also give them an educational purpose. Some games can actually make your dog smarter! Think about a game of hide-and-seek, trick games and name games.

Hide-and-seek

Hide-and-seek is a good way to train your dog to sit and stay in a certain location. You first have to make sure that the dog knows these cues before starting with the game. When the stay is reliable, you can put your dog in a location, give the commands and find yourself a hiding place. When you found the perfect location, you can give the ‘come’ cue. It’s time for your dog to try to find you! Not only do you practice the cues with it, you also teach your dog search skills and attention.

Trick training as a game

Every dog can learn new tricks. And most of our companions see this type of training as a game. It also makes your dog smarter, while you’re having fun teaching it. You can teach your dog to spin, give a high five or to dance. Everything is possible and within a short period of time the dogs can already do something. Watching tutorials can help train your dog to do tricks, but you can also use your creativity. Every dog learns different, so make sure that you adjust the trick training when needed.

The Name Game

Name games are a perfect way to make your dog smarter while doing something fun. The American Psychological Association researched how smart dogs really are. On average a dog can learn 165 words. That is a lot and is a good opportunity to train your dog. Nowadays there are buttons you can use to make your dogs speak. But did you know that you don’t even need those for the name game? You can also name their favorite toys, people and activities. Start out with naming one of their toys and build it up. Eventually your dog knows everything in and around the house.

Indoor games to play with your dog

Sometimes the weather is too bad to go outside. For a lot of dogs being inside causes boredom, especially without a good walk or run in the yard to release some energy. But there are a lot of games to play indoors. On every moment of the day, you can keep your dog busy and have some fun together.

Obstacle course

If you want to play indoors and keep your dog fit, you can choose to do an obstacle course. Make sure you clear some space before starting with the obstacles that your dog has to jump, climb and walk over. You can use every household item you have to build a course and can make it as hard as you want. When you’re doing an obstacle course, you have to adjust the level to your dog. A smaller dog can’t jump over high furniture, while other dogs are not as agile as others. You can always build up to a harder course when your dog is getting used to this game.

Clean up game

If you’re looking for games to play with your dog, you also want it to have a benefit for you. One of the games that can help you with this, is the clean up game. The name already says what it’s all about: cleaning up! With the game you teach the dog to clean up after themselves. First you have to make sure that the dog knows where the dog has to put the toys. This can be a laundry basket or another basket that you keep in the same spot. Then you let the dogs retrieve the toys, tell them to drop it and to ‘put it away’.

Obedience training

You might not think about it as a game, but a lot of dogs see obedience training as a fun way to stay busy. And indoors is a good way to start teaching your dogs new commands, like working on a recall. Start with training in a room where there are not many distractions. This means that there can’t be other people and dogs, but also not a basket with toys. Make sure that with every training session, you reward your dog for every good behavior. The more you reward and give high value treats, the quicker your dog is going to learn more and will be ready to go outside for a training session.

Games for your senior dogs

Some games that are mentioned, like an obstacle course, won’t be suitable for a senior dog. Especially if your four-legged friends is showing signs of pain. But even then you can play some games to keep your dog busy! Keep in mind that you can play these games with younger dogs too.

Cavaletti course

A Cavaletti course is basically the same as an obstacle course, but then perfect for the older ones. For this game you can use some poles, which you place about a foot apart from each other. When you have everything ready, you take your dog on a short leash and walk your companion through the course. The big benefit of this course is that you work on strength. If your dog is still able to do more, you can make the course more challenging by raising the poles a little higher so the dog has to lift his legs more.

Puzzle games

Another game that’s fun for younger and older dogs: a puzzle game! You can buy one of the puzzles in a pet store, but also make your own puzzles by grabbing things that are already in your home. Think about the treat burrito and cardboard tube treats games. You can also make your own snuffle mats with old blankets. Use your creativity and you can help your dog having some fun activities, while also using the brain and getting tired.

Swimming

Last but not least, for dogs of all ages, swimming is a fun game. A lot of dogs love water, others only want to go in with their paws. If your dog wants to go in, swimming is a low-impact sport to make your dog move. The dog can move without having a big impact on joints and muscles.

All these dog games are a fun way to keep your dog busy, while also building your relationship. Whether it’s training or using your creativity you can spend a lot of time together.