10 ways to keep your dog busy indoors

Some pets need more regular care than others and an example is a dog. Why is it important to keep a dog busy? This is so that it does not get in trouble, become destructive or annoying. If you could be able have your dog with you the entire day or take it with you everywhere, you would not have to worry about the dog getting bored and more so lonely. Below are some of the best ways to keep your dog entertained:

1. Playing The Tug-Of-War Game with your Dog

One of the best games to engage dogs in is a tug-of- war. It is a great method to bond and also exercise your dog physically and mentally. Since the game does not require a lot of space, you can play it safely indoors.

There are some myths that playing tug will make your dog aggressive and violent. Also that letting them win will make them dominant, and to them it means that you are a weak pack leader and hence they will develop superiority towards you. These myths have no science or evidence to back it up. In fact, letting your dog win makes the game of tug more fun for the dog and it encourages them to play some more. The dogs that play tug-of-war with their owners have been discovered to be more confident and obedient. This is a good game to exercise and play with your dog as long as you make some few simple rules for the dog to follow. This is such as when the dog’s teeth touch your hand, that’s the end of the game.

2. Teach Your Dog to Clean Up His Toys and help you with chores

You can teach your dog to store its toys how you usually keep them for example in containers, boxes. It might sound weird to teach a dog how to return toys but it’s actually a lot of fun. This works as a great way to give your dog mental stimulation and also teaching them new skills help them boost their confidence.

If your dog knows basic words like “drop it”, you should have them pick a toy and when they standing next to the storage place in this case, a box, give them the drop it command. Praise them when they do it correctly, rinse then repeat. Do this with consistency and eventually your dog will be able to clean after itself. Dogs love having something to do, no matter how simple it is like fetching for you your slippers. You can teach them the names of things you would like help in retrieving and in this way you make them feel more useful.

3. Use a Stuffed Kong to Keep Your Dog Entertained

Stuffed Kong’s are great toys for dogs, when it comes to relieving dog boredom because they’re so easy to prepare. You can keep your dog busy for a while by stuffing a Kong with some of their favorite treats. For example, you can freeze your stuffed Kong overnight and then give it to your dog the next morning as you leave. Classic Kong’s are preferable because they’re nontoxic, indestructible, and dishwasher safe.

4. Invite a friend over for a doggy play-date

If you know someone with a dog, a coworker, a friend, you can invite them over so that your dogs can get to socialize with other dogs. It is fairly important to let your dog socialize with other dogs and also other people. This is a great way to keep your dog entertained and to have a little time to your own to get things done around the house.

5. Play a Game of Hide & Seek

The game hide and seek may not seem that entertaining to us, but plenty of dogs enjoy it. But in the case your dog does not have a good stay command down, you can get help from a friend by having them distract your dog as you hide. Another way of doing it is practice your “stay” before you start the game to enable the dog to know what to do easily.

6. Let your dog watch TV

There are channels that are dedicated for dogs. You can search which one is available in your region and let it entertain the dog. Examples of such are Dog TV. This keeps the dog mentally stimulated by seeing fellow dogs doing activities.

7. Teach Your Dog the Names of Their Toys

You can begin by playing with one toy and give it a name while you do. After several practices and praises your dog will associate the verbal name with the toy. Once the dog has learnt the name of the specific toy, you can test them by seeing if the dog can pick the toy out among other toys.

8. Teach Your Dog to “Go Find” Their Toys

Once your dog has known the names of several of their toys, you can teach the dog the “go find it” game. You should have your dog toys in a box or container and tell the dog to “go find” her favorite toy. When they succeed, you can keep it fun by rewarding them generously with a treat, a quick game of tug or any other suitable way. This will enable your dog to have a great mental workout.

9. Get Some Puzzle Toys for Your Dog

A puzzle is a way of keeping your dog mentally stimulated. There are a lot of dog puzzle toys in the market and also a good amount of great DIY toys out there you can make. You can choose one or make one according to what your preference and convenience.

10. Master the Basics of Obedience Training

All the dogs should be able to have a reliable sit, down, stay, drop it, and come here. Several quick training sessions around 10 minutes each day are a good way to assist your dog master the basics and to be able to keep your dog mentally stimulated.