Brain games
7 indoor brain games for rainy days
Bad weather doesn't have to mean a bored dog. These games use things you already own and work in a small apartment. Keep each one short and stop while your dog still wants more.
Before you start
- Use small, soft treats or part of your dog's daily food.
- Five minutes per game is plenty. Two or three games make a full session.
- If your dog gets frustrated, make the game easier, then build back up.
The games
- Find it. Ask your dog to wait, place a treat in plain sight, and say “find it.” Once that's easy, hide treats behind chair legs and under cushion edges.
- The cup game. Put a treat under one of three plastic cups while your dog watches. Let your dog nose the right cup. Shuffle slowly as they improve.
- Towel burrito. Roll treats into an old towel and let your dog unroll it. Tie a loose knot in the middle for a harder version.
- Muffin-tin puzzle. Drop treats into a muffin tin and cover each cup with a tennis ball. Your dog has to move the balls to get the reward.
- Box shred. Put treats in a cardboard box filled with scrunched paper. Supervise, and pick up the pieces afterward.
- Name the toy. Say a toy's name each time your dog picks it up and reward. Over a few weeks, many dogs learn to fetch it by name.
- Hide and seek. Have someone hold your dog while you hide, then call once. Start with easy spots; this one also builds a better recall.
Safety: skip any game your dog plays too roughly, and never leave a dog alone with paper, towels or boxes they might swallow.
How to tell it's working
After a good session most dogs settle, lie down or nap. If yours is still bouncing off the walls, try a sniffing game next time, since nose work tends to be the most tiring.
General information, not veterinary advice. If your dog's behavior changes suddenly, talk to your vet.
