2023-08-07
What better way to spend a nice day than going on a walk with your dog or watching your cat play in the garden? Just like us, our paw friends enjoy the nice weather as it allows them to explore their surroundings, socialize with counterparts or just lay in the sun and have a nice nap.
However, what to do if the weather is not suitable for outdoor activities? Our dogs and cats will still need some mental and physical stimulation. Otherwise, they can get bored and start showing unwanted behaviors.
This applies especially to canines and cats of energetic breeds that need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to spend their energy.
Today, we will give you tips on what types of indoor activities you can engage in with your canine or feline companion to help them have a fun and active day at home in bad weather.
Our paw friends tend to show unwanted behaviors when they lack physical and/or mental stimulation.
Chewing, biting, attention seeking, digging, and whining
can be signs that your dog is bored and needs to spend time exercising, playing, or otherwise spending their energy.
Some of the common types of behaviors that cats show when bored are:
Inappropriate soiling, biting, overgrooming, oversleeping, attention seeking, an abruptly increased or decreased appetite.
Fun Indoor Activities for Dogs
Let’s start with the Cup Game- a fun game, whose original version was developed for fun for youth and kids. However, this game has become very popular among pet parents as a fun and effective way to keep their furry friends engaged.
The essence of the game is very simple-you prepare three cups and put a treat under one of them. Then you should swap the cups around and your dog should find out where the treat is by using their great sense of smell and sight.
This is a game some dogs just die for! If you have a Jack Russell Terrier or a Golden Retriever you are likely to spend a lot of time with your dog playing fetch.
Not all dogs are natural retrievers though, so this game may not be the right fit for all canines.
Basically, this is a stick with a lure attached to its end, which will entice your dog to chase it. You can either purchase it from a local or online store or make it yourself as this toy is very simple.
Playing with a flirt pole will help your dog stay physically fit and improve his focus. This game can be very beneficial for canines who are energetic but do not have a spacious area to spend their energy.
Hiding treats in different areas at home and encouraging your dog to find them is one of the most popular indoor activities for canines. It is simple and requires only a handful of treats, which can be even part of your dog's regular food.
It is recommended that you play this game with your paw friend prior to meal time so that your dog is more motivated to find the hidden treats.
This game will require your dog to rely on their sense of smell and will help them improve their sniffing skills.
Playing Frisbee is a favorite game for many people and dogs too! However, similar to fetch, your dog should be a natural retriever, otherwise you may end up playing Frisbee yourself.
Also, this game may be more suitable for spacious areas at home where there is a minimum chance to cause damage to small and fragile items at home.
You can use different pieces of furniture or other items at home, such as pillows, to create obstacles, that your dog will have to overcome to get a reward.
You can start by placing a few objects and based on your dog’s performance you can continue adding obstacles to make the game more intriguing.
Another simple and fun game! You only need a towel and several treats. Put several treats at one end of the towel, by evenly distributing them. Then roll the towel once and put another set of treats. Repeat these steps until you reach the other end of the towel, and it is completely rolled up.
In the beginning, your paw friend may need a small hint to figure out how this game works. You can roll out a small part of the towel to show them a few treats. Then you can leave the rest to him!
Be careful to not overfeed your dog, and always take the calorie intake into account.
If you think that digging is an activity that your dog can engage in only outdoors, you should think again! There is a simple and fun way to let your dog dig which will help them spend some energy and feed their natural desire for digging!
You just need a deep cardboard box where you can put tasty treats or your paw friend’s favorite toys. Add some other items on the surface to encourage your canine to put some effort to reach the reward at the bottom.
Why not play your favorite song and start to dance enthusiastically? Your paw friend is very likely to respond to your movements and singing and start “dancing” and “singing” in response!
Of course, if you live in an apartment and your neighbors are not very keen on loud noises, so you may need to reconsider that.
However, playing music at a low volume and teaching your dog to dance is something you can do with your beloved furry friend regardless of where you live!
You can buy a tug toy or just grab an old rope, a towel or other robust item and let the game begin! This game can physically exhaust your dog if you play it for a long time. At the end of the game, you will have a happy, tired, and calm paw friend!
There are various puzzle games on the market, which are based on the same principle-your dog should use their problem-solving skills to get the treat.
Puzzle toys are interesting and engaging and help dogs deal with boredom and anxiety.
Although lasers are more popular as tools to keep cats engaged, some dogs are also very fond of them! All you need to do is to move the laser pointer and let your dog chase it. Some canines can spend a lot of time doing that!
Games are an interesting and fun way to spend time with your paw friend at home, but training will take your dog’s skills to a new level!
You can use the time spent at home to train your paw friend in basic obedience commands such as “sit”, “stay”, and “recall”.
Clicker training is a very popular and effective dog training technique that can help you easily teach your paw friend new behaviors. It is based on a simple principle-Click means Treat. In other words, every time, your dog does the right thing / shows the wanted behavior, you should click with a clicker or another item that produces a distinctive sound, and reward them.
As mentioned above, the laser pointer is one of the most effective tools to keep cats engaged.
Our feline friends have a strong prey drive (unless laziness takes over) and they really enjoy chasing fast-moving objects, even if they can not actually be caught.
A flirt pole is another type of toy that can be an effective tool to fight boredom for both dogs and cats.
You can buy a flirt stick or create it yourself by adding feathers, or other small items to the end of the stick.
We would highly recommend that you be very careful when playing with a flirt pole with your dog or cat. Make sure that there are no loose parts that can be easily digested. This is especially valid for those pets who are “all-eaters”.
Another way to stimulate your cat to indulge in their hunting prey is to provide them with a toy they can chase.
You can use an automatic mouse toy or just move back and forth a stuffed animal. Generally, you can move all types of items, not only animals alike, but also balls, or old corks from bottles.
Which option you should choose depends on how much time and energy you have to play with your cat.
We advise you to never rely on automatic toys only but to spend time playing with your pet. This will help you strengthen your bond and get more attuned to each other.
The obstacle game is another type of indoor activity, that both dogs and cats can benefit from. You can use old boxes, or items with a rough surface, that your cat can scratch, chew or climb on.
Playing shuffle or playing the Cup Game can be a pleasant way to spend time with your feline friend at home.
Your kitty may be intrigued to find a hidden treat under a cup! If your cat is not very food-motivated, they may at least enjoy the quickly moving cups, which they may observe with interest!
Who says that only dogs can be trained? Clickers can be as effective and fun to use with cats the same way they are with dogs.
Cats have proved that they can become great companion animals and learn various tasks and tricks. As explained above, clicker training is very simple and effective.
You just need a clicker or another device or item to produce a distinctive sound and teach your cat to pair it with a reward. Every time your feline friend exhibits a wanted behavior, you should click and give them a treat.
You can let your imagination lead you toward exploring fun ways to spend time with your cat or dog at home. Our paw friends are individuals who have their own temperaments and who may be predisposed to different types of activities.
It is important that you always find time for your pet and try to turn it into a great experience for both of you!
