10 easy ways to exercise your dog at home

Dogs need physical and mental exercise in order to thrive. They need food and water and basic care to merely survive, but physical and mental stimulation are important for their wellbeing.

But let’s be honest, sometimes it is simply not possible to go for a long walk.

And for some dogs it is actually better to suspend walks for a while because they need a bit more education about walking nicely on a leash or because they overreact to so many things out in the world that we need to give them a break. 

So here is a list of games for those “rainy days” that you can play with your dog at home and that will exercise not just your dog’s legs but also their brains. 

1. Treat diving aka as the search game
   Have a nice pile of cookies ready, hold one in your hand, gently grab your dog’s collar, let them see the cookie, say the word ‘search’. Then drop the cookie on the floor as you let go of your dog’s collar so they can go and get that cookie. When they come back, you’re just going to do it again. Start by just dropping the cookie right in front of your dog and when they start to get the idea you can toss the cookie a little further, but the idea is that your dog can see the cookie land. Once you have played a few times you can call your dog as soon as they pick up the treat. This game will boost your recall training. 
2. The game of Tug
   Game number 2 is my absolute favourite one and that is just a game of tug. Now if you want your dog to play tug of war with you, be sure to use a toy that actually feels nice inside your dog’s mouth. Only your dog can tell you that, so you might want to try some options. Some dogs like tugging on a rope but rope can be hard and many dogs won’t tug on a rope. Try an old sock. Or an old T-shirt, even paper can work, although it won’t last long, but so what it is just paper.
3. Find it
   If your dog loves toys you can hide his toy for them to find. Or you can just hide some cookies. If your dog doesn’t look for hidden cookies, start by putting the treat under a dish cloth, let them see you are putting it there, then tell them to find it. When they get good at it, you can place the cookie under a dish cloth behind a chair or behind the couch. Next you can put the cookie inside a kong. So you they get to find the kong AND then they get the cookie too.
4. The Smoke Ya Game
   This is another favourite game in my house, which I learned from my mentor Susan Garrett. You start by gently holding your dog back, giving them a gentle push and then running away so that they chase you. When they catch up with you, give them their favourite treat or toy. You can then grow this to running around your kitchen island, or your couch or a group of chairs whatever you may have available. Just be careful of slippery floors! I don’t want you or your dog to get hurt!
5. Balance Path
   Build a path of objects for your dog to walk on. Just put a few couch cushions on the floor, maybe a couple of books. Just make a path that the dog has to walk across and you’re going to give them cookies every step of the way along that path. You could get a plank and now they have to balance on that plank. Your dog has to focus this physically tough for them and they learn balance.
6. Doggy Push Ups
   Ask your dog to sit and reward them with a cookie. Then you ask them to down and give them a cookie. Next you can do a combo, so they have to do two things: down, sit before they get their cookie. Then maybe three things: sit, down, sit again (throw in a stand if your dog has learned to stand on cue). Eventually they have to change position 10 times before they get a cookie, but be careful not to make it harder and harder, sometimes ask for more, sometimes for less. That’s doggy push-ups.
7. The Hot Zone game
   If your dog goes to bed on cue, send them to their bed give your dog a cookie for being in there then say ‘search’ and throw another cookie on the floor. When your dog is good at this game you can add another bed and play double hot zone. You can even add a third and send your dog from bed to bed. This is super fun!

   If your dog hasn’t learned to go to a bed or hot zone and stay there then I invite you to join our free training group on Facebook 

8. The game of fetch
   Throw a toy, then send your dog to pick it up and bring it back to you. And then you can have a great game of tug before you toss the toy again. I like to have my dog wait in a sit until the toy has landed because it is safer. I also don’t like playing fetch with a ball, because the risk of injury is so much higher with a ball. But fetch is a great way to exercise your dog, if you play it safely.
9. Hide and Seek.
   This is such a fun game! You can have someone hold your dog so that you can hide and then you make a funny noise and your dog will come looking for you. And when they found you, have a party, give them some yummy treats or play a game of tug with their favourite toy. If you play with a partner, they can hide next.
10. Leg Weaves
    Teach your dog to weave between your legs. This is a little more technical but once again you can use your search game for this.

    Ask your dog to sit, stand in front of them with your legs wide and drop a search cookie so that they have to go under your leg to get the treat. Then take one step and do it again, placing your search cookies beside your foot so that your dog is positioned to go around. Just get them to love going under your leg and then gradually you can grow this to giving them a cookie after 2 steps then 3 steps. But remember – you don’t want to make it harder every time. Just focus on having fun!

There you have it, these are my 10 favourite games to exercise my dogs at home and have fun.

Which games do you like to play with your dog? 

Leave a comment and tell us about them.

And if you are looking for more ways to have fun with your dog then join our free training community over on Facebook 

See you there!