Top 5 Rainy Day Indoor Dog Games & Activities
Bad weather doesn’t have to mean a bad day. Spending a rainy day indoors with your dog is the perfect opportunity to learn a few tricks, play a new game, or catch up on your grooming routine. The possibilities are endless, but we’ve come up with our top 5 indoor dog games and activities to keep your best friend entertained on a rainy day!
1. Play Hide-and-Seek
Take advantage of a day stuck inside by teaching your dog a classic rainy-day game: hide-and-seek! Start by putting a treat in a small cup or container, going into a nother room, and shaking the container. When your pet “finds” you, give them the treat and lots of praise. Repeat this process, gradually hiding further away and in harder-to-find spots. The best part about this game? When the weather improves, you can play it outside, too!
2. Teach Your Dog to Clean Up Toys
Being stuck inside all day can have you and your pup feeling a little cramped, especially if you’ve got some clutter lying around. For a fun and useful way to pass the time, teach your dog to clean up their toys!
Teaching this trick is easier than you think; simply start by giving your pet a toy to hold. Then, walk them over to their toy box, show them a treat, and say, “Clean up!” They will likely open their mouth for the treat, dropping the toy in the box. Repeat this until all their toys have been put away, then dump them out and start again. With practice, this chore can easily turn into a fun game for your dog and a useful trick year-round.
3. Groom Them from Head-To-Tail
While you’re in cleaning mode, you might as well spoil your fur friend with a full grooming session. Give your pup a bath with moisturizing dog shampoo and conditioner, trim their nails, brush their teeth, and comb their fur—the works. Top it all off by petting them with the Four Paws Love Glove Grooming Mitt. You’ll remove their shedding fur and they’ll get a nice massage—it’s a win-win!
4. Play “Find the Treat”
All you need for this mentally stimulating indoor dog game are three containers (plastic cups will do!) and a few treats. Line the containers up in front of your dog, then show them a treat. Put the treat under one of the three containers and rearrange them a few times. Your pet will “guess” which container has the treat by pawing at it or sniffing it. If they guess correctly, they get the treat!
This is a great game to engage your dog’s brain because it never gets old. As they get better at it, you can make it more complicated by adding containers or rearranging them in different patterns.
5. Make Homemade Treats
With a little bit of research, you can find plenty of dog-friendly treat recipes online! Many of these recipes call for ingredients you already have in your kitchen, such as peanut butter, rice cakes, and bananas.
There are always opportunities to have a blast with your dog—regardless of the weather. The next time there’s a rainy day in the forecast, just think about all the fun activities there are to enjoy!
