Winter can be harsh, and it can also make a morning walk difficult for both dogs and their owners. The early mornings are too dark, and taking a long walk with the dogs isn’t that feasible. However, one can’t compromise on a dog’s physical exercise requirements as the lack of it affects their physicality and overall immunity as well.
Lack of exercise in dogs can also create boredom in dogs and also encourage destructive behaviour in them. So it is important to keep them active and healthy in spite of the weather conditions outside.
In this blog, you will see 6 wonderful indoor games you can play with your dogs this winter to fulfil their complete exercise needs. The games are simple and can be played anytime you and your dogs want to. So, here are they,
1) Find It
One of the best ways you can keep your dog’s mentally stimulated is through a play called “Find it”. In this game, your dog uses his smelling power and tracking instinct to find his favourite “object’. Dog experts suggest that even 10 minutes of “Find it’ game is as mentally tiring as a short walk.
This game is extremely simple to play, and yet it gives hours of entertainment to the dogs. All you need to do is show your dog a highly engaging dog toy, then give him the “wait command” while you hide the toy in another room. Once your dog finds it, give him praise and then a treat.
2) Treat Box
Another simple game, all you need to do in this is to hide some good dog treats in a cardboard box and let your dogs find them. Some dogs might rip apart the boxes although most will likely take a more calculated approach. In short, this game is all about forcing your dog to think and come up with its own strategy to find the treat.
If you think this game is too easy for your dog, consider buying them a good interactive dog toy that can physically and mentally exercise him.
3) Tricks & Commands
One of the best ways to enjoy leisure time inside your house in winters, teaching tricks & commands to dogs is highly underrated. Almost all dogs can learn tricks and it goes a long way in keeping them well-behaved as well. Commands like sit, fetch, shake hands etc, not only makes life easier for dog owners, but also amuses the visitors in the house as well. Above all, trick training is one of the best ways to boost your overall friendship with your dogs as well.
4) Name the Toys
Did you know that dogs have an incredible ability to learn a lot of words? Well, it’s true and dog owners can use this skill of dogs to make new games for them. One of the best ways to get your brain working is to teach him names of the specific dog toys. This might take a bit of your time and effort but it is all worth it once your dog learns about the names.
Once your dog learns the name of the toy, you can hide it among other objects and get them to bring the toy to you. This is a fun game which you will absolutely love once you start playing it.
5) Tug of War
Arguably, the easiest of games to play with your dogs, Tug of War is hot-favourite for almost all dog breeds. When played rightly and safely, you can tire your dog pretty fast without having him to take outside during the chilly winters. It’s better to teach them the “give command” before you play tug of war, so that they can drop the once you tell them to stop.
This is important especially for aggressive breeds like Rottweilers and German Shepherd who can get over-aroused when playing the Tug of War too rough with them.
6) Choose the Cup
You might know the children’s game where an adult hides an object under one of the four cups and then moves all of them around. Well, you can play the same games with dogs too. All you need to do is start by lining up, say 3 cups and then putting a dog treat under one. Let your dog sniff one cup and then let him touch one. Once he picks it correctly, praise him and give him a treat.
After doing this 2-3 times, you can start shuffling the cups to make the game more challenging and interesting to the dogs.
In Brief,
You have just seen 6 wonderful games you can play with your dogs inside your house, while beating the winter chills outside. If you find your dogs are taking time to learn it, be patient and they will eventually grasp what you are trying to teach. Lastly, it is important that you give regular exercise to dogs so that they stay healthy and showcase their sense of humour for a very long time.
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