Dogs notoriously need a lot of exercise to keep them fit and healthy, with it generally recommended that most dogs have two walks a day as standard. However, there may be times when owners can’t walk their pets every day – for example, if the weather isn’t suitable for a walk, or the owner has sustained an injury. In situations like these, it is important to have a selection of indoor games to use with your dog – some of the games listed below will also help to reduce anxiety and pet stress.

Pet Remedy Boredom Buster Foraging Kit

The Pet Remedy Boredom Buster Foraging Kit is a fairly new product to the market, in which owners can hide their dog’s favourite treats in the pockets of this piece of kit to encourage the dogs to forage for their food, eat and rest. The dog will need a lot of concentration to play this game, which will allow them to sleep afterwards – it also stimulates their brain in an enriching manner.

Dog tennis balls

Dog tennis balls are toys that are often seen in the home of pet owners, as they are relatively cheap and easy to buy, also giving lots of enjoyment to your dog. It’s recommended that specific pet tennis balls are used, as they are specifically designed not to damage your dog’s teeth. A game of fetch can be played with these tennis balls – they often have squeaks within them too, making the dog feel like they have caught a real animal.

Scatter feeding

With scatter feeding, dog owners can combine feeding their pet with a game. This is a fairly easy way of enriching your dog’s life and involves spreading its food around an area, instead of putting it straight into a bowl. This turns eating into a game and makes the food last longer – it’s also reminiscent of the natural way in which a dog would hunt and eat if they weren’t domesticated, giving them some much-needed exercise alongside feeding. Treats can be hidden inside items or under mats, and you could also toss some food into your garden to allow the dog to find it.

Fill a toy with treats

It’s good to use filled toys for your dog, as it makes them work to get a treat, again playing on their natural instinct to hunt prey. A variety of foods can be placed inside these toys – dog owners can even make a food cocktail of different natural foodstuffs, which will give more variety to your dog’s diet.

Tug Toys

Tug Toys are a fairly common sight in the homes of dog owners. As with the tennis balls mentioned above, they can be purchased for a fairly cheap price, allowing you to play a game of tug of war with your dog. This will help to tire out a high energy pet and stimulate their brain. It also stimulates the natural hunting urge within the dog.