- This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.
Daily food portions, body workouts, and brain games… if a dog gets bored, this can often result in destructive or loud behaviors. This makes entertaining your dog indoors, during meetings, rainy weather, or even post-surgery recovery extremely important. Especially for puppies and adolescent dogs who benefit from a watchful eye when they are cooped up inside.
Finding things to do with your dog inside is as easy as buying the right toys to creating games and fun activities. As a dog parent who has had a puppy go through a case of warts, spaying, and giardia within a year, I’ve gathered tips from dog trainers and experts to develop routines that kept my working dog entertained and enriched.
Remember dogs love to play smart.
In this guide, we’ll explore a variety of activities that can help tire out your dog without leaving the house. Not only have these games helped me manage a one-year-old puppy’s energy, they have also improved our bond and her ability to focus in distracting environments—and I’m excited to share these tips with you.
We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite ways to entertain your dog indoors here:
Hands-Free Ways to Entertain Your Dog
- Snuffle mats for slow feeding and mental enrichment
- Indoor fetch machine for automated play
- Stuffed Kong for mental workout
- Dog-safe bubbles for a game of chase
- DogTV or window watching
Pro-tip: Create an indoor routine that family friend or dog sitter can follow when you’re out of town. A thorough routine will make sure whoever is boarding your dog doesn’t get overwhelmed by your dog’s energy if walks are out of the question.
Indoor Dog Exercises for Fitness & Mobility
6. Get moving with a flirt pole
Using a flirt pole to exercise your dog does have some safety concerns as sharp movements could lead to injury, especially on hardwood or tile floors. But this activity is incredibly entertaining and rewarding for dogs. Our recommendation is keep movements low and “slow” to avoid extreme tugging or jump injuries.
Bonus outcome: Flirt pole exercises can serve as an excellent opportunity to reinforce your dog’s “leave it” and “take it” cues. It’s also a safe environment to work on training out their prey drive.
7. Set up an indoor agility course or a silly obstacle course
Agility training is often associated with athletic and high-energy dogs, but it’s a sport that can benefit most dogs and their caregivers. Through agility training, you can see an improvement in your dog’s focus and concentration.
We reviewed an indoor agility kit with our test pups and found it great for dogs under 40 pounds and homes with more interior space. Large adult dogs and homes with limited space may find agility a bigger challenge.
A more playful version of the agility course wouldn’t require equipment at all. Have your dog weave around toilet paper rolls or jump over your leg.
Bonus outcome: You discover a new activity or training class you and your dog want to attend.
8. Teach your dog to balance
Balance disc exercises are not only entertaining but also beneficial for your dog’s physical development. Especially pups who need help with stability and limb strength—like senior dogs.
Even without a balance disc, you can start by using an overturned bowl on a carpet. Begin by teaching your dog to target their front paws (one at a time and then both) onto the balance cushions and wobble boards. Gradually, advance to teaching them to target their back limbs before progressing to all four paws.
Bonus outcome: If you invest in portable wobble discs, they become an excellent way to exercise your dog even when you’re on the road.
Mentally Enriching & Fun Activities for Dogs
9. Pull out your puzzle toys
Puzzle toys may already be a standard part of your dog’s playtime repertoire, but they can be especially handy when you can’t go outside. That’s why we recommend saving a boxed new puzzle toy for that rainy day. Introducing new puzzle toys can keep their minds active and engaged.
This puzzle toy once took 30 minutes to solve when brand new. Now it takes this Shiba Inu 5 minutes. Photo by Christal Y.
10. Create a shredding box
Gather some cardboard boxes, recyclable paper, old towels, and, of course, your dog’s favorite treats or food. Wrap the treats in the paper, toss them into the box, and let your dog enjoy the thrill of shredding their way to treat town.
It’s worth noting that this activity can leave a trail of shredded paper and treats behind, but the tired and satisfied pup at the end is well worth the cleanup effort. If you have a pet-friendly vacuum, the mess can be easily taken care of.
Bonus outcome: Allowing your dog to express their natural behaviors, such as shredding, can reduce the likelihood of them engaging in undesirable shredding behavior elsewhere in your home.
11. Allow for indoor digging
Create a controlled indoor digging opportunity without the mess. For a straightforward activity, pile up some durable blankets, hide a few toys or treats within, and let your dog have a blast searching. It’s a simple variation on the classic hide-and-seek game.
For a more ambitious indoor digging experience, consider picking up a plastic kiddie pool and fill it with colorful balls. Many animal shelters use this as an enrichment activity, and your dog will likely enjoy it too.
There is also the iDig, a toy designed for dogs with a strong digging instinct and can provide them with hours of indoor entertainment. Shirley the pug is featured in our video review below.
12. Paint your own lickmat
Lickmats are known for their benefits to a dog’s digestive, dental, and mental health. And the truth is, your dog may not care what kind of lick mat they get—as long as they get it. So, why not make it fun for both you and your dog by adding a creative touch?
Based on our experience with lick mats, we’ve found some useful tips:
- Bowl-style lick mats work best for wet dog food and freezing treats.
- Lick mats with deeper grooves require high-value treats to be completely worked through.
- Always keep an eye on your dog while they’re using a lick mat, as they may chew through it if they get too enthusiastic.
Bonus outcome: While you prepare the ingredients, have your dog practice “settle” on a dog bed nearby. Reward them with a treat as they relax before allowing them to enjoy their lick mat.
13. Reward calm behavior when window watching
To make the most of this activity, gather two bowls of snacks—one for you and one for your dog. As you both look out the window, talk to your dog about what you see. For every dog, cat, person, or car your dog spots, offer them a dog treat. You can even give them the treat before they have a chance to bark, rewarding calm and attentive behavior.
Bonus outcome: By rewarding your dog for being quiet while activity happens outside, they may develop fewer negative associations with external triggers. You may even stop your dog’s barking habits.
Games to Play with Your Dog
14. Play the classics: tugs and fetch
You can’t beat the old standbys when it comes to indoor dog action. Fetch (with an appropriate soft toy or ball and lots of breaks) is a fun way to get your dog moving.
Make the game more challenging by asking your dog to do a trick for each toss.
Tug-o-war with a soft toy or rope is another training opportunity. While you give their canine urges an outlet to grab and shake, you can also use the game as an opportunity to cues like “give” and “gentle.”
Pro-tip: Not all toys are equal. Find the best ball or tug toy for your dog by experimenting with several types and textures.
15. Let out your inner dog with social play
Social play is distinct from other forms of play in that it relies on your dog being in a relaxed state of mind. This method, developed by Amy Cook, PhD known as “The Play Way,” involves using your body to play with your dog, respecting consent, and communicating through body language—which your dog understands best.
Here are some guidelines for effective social play:
- Give your dog plenty of space and pay attention to their cues, including when they indicate “no” by running away, barking, or ignoring you.
- Focus on your dog’s body language rather than your spoken words.
- Your dog returning to you for more interaction is a positive sign that they want to keep playing.
When engaging in social play, maintain low energy, gentle movements, and soft interactions.
16. Hide & seek with treats
Start with something extra smelly and delicious like freeze-dried liver. Teach them the game by tossing the food their way and saying “find it.” Once they’ve grasped the concept, challenge them by strategically placing treats out of view and encouraging them with a “find it” command.
As your dog improves, you can make the game even more challenging by hiding treats in separate rooms or using toys instead of treats. Hide and seek taps into your dog’s natural scent-tracking abilities and provides a mental workout.
17. Play keep away, or monkey in the middle
Toss a treat or toy back and forth between two or more people while your dog tries to catch it. However, be cautious about escalating energy or behaviors. If your dog starts to become overly excited or if any teeth come into play, say “break,” toss a treat away from you, and stop the game briefly.
Offer to play again, but only engage if your dog chooses to participate calmly. This game can help reinforce impulse control, gentle play, and calm hyper active dogs.
Practice Training Games Inside
18. Practice sound desensitization
Is your dog afraid of thunderstorms? Get ahead of that fear by practicing sound desensitization. We put together a guide with experts to help make your dog more comfortable around loud noises.
Tip: For anxious dogs, this can be extremely exhausting. Keep these sessions under 10 minutes.
19. Try a Doggy IQ test
You don’t need any special equipment. Test your dog’s IQ with everyday items and some high-value treats. Even if your dog isn’t the world’s greatest problem solver, it’s great mental exercise and fun for both of you.
20. Brush up on training basics
Are you a repeat offender with saying, “Sit” more than once? Then spending a day revisiting obedience training with your dog will be just as much of a brain workout for you as them, if you follow these guidelines:
- Incorporate clicker training into your routine. Clicks help your dog identify when they’ve done something correctly and associate the reward more effectively with their action.
- Say the cue once. Embrace the silence and wait for your dog to deliver. If your dog doesn’t follow the cue, toss a treat away from you. This helps “reset” them and allows you to try again.
- Test how long your dog can hold themselves in a sit, stay, or down position. Duration takes a lot of self-control, which for a dog can be an exhausting task.
- Incorporate distractions. Work with the TV on, with a door open (with a pet gate in place!), or even speakers in another room.
21. Elevate old tricks
Tell your dog to sit from a distance. If your dog comes to you and then sits, instead of sitting where they are, it’s an excellent opportunity to practice recognition from a distance.
Another way to uplevel old tricks is to transfer their use cases. For example, the cue “touch” can be used to teach your dog to weave between your legs. As your dog becomes accustomed to touching your palms, you can phase out your hand signals and use your leg positions as the cue.
Bonus outcome: Training your dog to listen from a distance can help you avoid sticky situations outdoors.
Experiencing pet ramp training fails while trying to keep our Samoyed’s post-surgery routine low key. Photo by Christal Y.
22. Focus on teaching one new trick
Spending just 10 minutes a day to teaching a new skill can go a long way with building your bond with your dog.
Try these new tricks with your dog, from easiest to most difficult:
- High five: High-five is a great alternative motion to prevent excitable and jumpy dogs from climbing on your guests.
- Spin around: This party trick is a great one for us humans to learn how to break down more complicated tricks.
- Roll over: Dogs rolling on their back can be a huge sign of trust and vulnerability, which is why we advise taking your time with this trick. Don’t physically push your dog and practice patience.
- Talking buttons: Teach your dog how to talk back to you! Dog buttons do work, although the experience may take some trouble shooting.
- Pee on command: This cue will take time but is such a good one if you need to utilize indoor training pads in an emergency lock-in situation.
If your dog doesn’t pick it up within the 10 minutes, don’t sweat. Rainy weeks and snowed-in days are the perfect time to break down more complex tricks into achievable stages.
23. Build a foundation for cooperative care
You know how new experiences can tire you out? This is the same for dogs with cooperative care. Cooperative care involves teaching your dog a consent cue, which lets you know they are agreeing or opting-in to the next step.
One of the first cues is a chin rest. Another is getting your dog used to you touching their toes. Touch, treat, touch, treat, and repeat. End the session if your dog walks away, but make note of how long they’re willing to stay for next time.
Bonus outcome: Many fear-free vet and grooming practices utilize similar techniques with their clients. Building a cooperative care foundation can set your dog up for long-term success and healthier wellbeing outside the home too.
Your Dog’s Routine Will Go On, Even Indoors
On average, two walks a day may be often enough to keep your dog calm throughout the day. But what happens when you can’t give them a walk due to inclement weather, post-surgery recovery, or other reasons? Surprisingly enough, your dog can thrive indoors with these engaging activities.
In fact, from agility courses to training games, there are plenty of activities you can do with your dog indoors that will require just as much energy. For reactive dogs, especially, safely fulfilling their needs inside the house is more important to their growth than taking them outside.
Even if your dog loves walks, they are also flexible and forgiving—and can learn to love new routines. You can make up the energy by going on longer walks the next day. Remember, even if you can’t venture outside, your dog can still enjoy quality time with you indoors.
