Indoor games for rainy days - Tug-O-War & Find-It

Me, Bob, I don't mind wind and rain.....but there are plenty of dogs that don't like it and may not want to get their exercise outside if it's pouring!  So how about a game of tug-o-war or find-it to keep you entertained?

Tug-O-War

Different dogs like different games, but if you are a fan of tug-o-war, we have some fantastic toys for you!

We have little soft tug toys for puppies right through to super strong and tough toys for seasoned players!

Puppy tug-o-war

Playing tug with your puppy can be a great way to get rid of some energy!

Just remember to follow some basic rules when playing tug with a pup

• Playing tug can get pup quite excited, so stop when their mouth touches your hand and they will learn that the fun game stops 'when I mouth my person.’
• no need to pull back when playing tug with a pup.  You can keep your hand still and let the pup do the pulling....that way you won't ever over pull or accidentally hurt the pup, they control the tug. 
• be sure to let pup 'win' the game every now and again!

I'm a grown up doggo!

We've got some fun toys that make good tug-o-war buddies! From natural unbleached rope to Kong strong rubber toys.

We find it works well if you use these toys as 'together play' and then put away for next time....that keeps them as a 'special' toy and they last a lot longer that way too!

Rum Tum Tuff Tuggers!

We've also got some really strong and tough toys for seasoned players!

Our pal Archie is one of the UK's best tug-o-war experts and he's tried loads of different tug toys.  He tells us that the Tuffy Tug-o-War is one of his favourites!

"It's a great tug toy, really robust and love the fact it's fabric" - Archie.

You can follow Archie and his adventures on Twitter, and see his many games of tug-o-war with dad - @ArchieLakeland

Other super strong options also include the Tuffy ring, made from strong and durable material and five rows of stitching.  This is a big toy and perfect for large breeds.

The Tuffy toys also has five layers of stitching and durable fabric.

Chucki-It Links are made from very hard plastic.

Kong Sneakerz Knots has rope inside his arms and legs.

Click HERE to see ALL of our tug-o-war toys here.

Seek and Find - practising scent work

Using your dog's natural instinct to sniff will keep them entertained, engaged and even though you aren't charging around, it will use up energy!

As you know, dogs have some of the most powerful noses in the animal kingdom and it’s incredibly rewarding for them to sniff things out, as it releases hormones that can contribute to happiness.

Using bits and bobs from around the house (old towels, cardboard boxes or tubes, plastic cups, old egg boxes) hide some treatos and play 'FIND!' 

Watch tails wag as the old sniffer gets to work!

You can use some of your dog's kibble allowance from their dinner for this game, or to make it extra rewarding and fun you can use a high value (but low fat) treat!

If you haven't played before, you can start with easier finds using two or three boxes with a treat under one box.  As your dog's scent work improves you can make the task harder by increasing the boxes or hiding the treato in a different room or around the house.  Experiment and see which type of seek your dog enjoys the most. 

We've got just tons of treats that will do the job....here's just a sample of three good for you treats that are suitable for pups and adults.

You can also play this game with a toy.  Keep one toy aside as the seek and find toy, so that it's special!

If your dog doesn't know the "find it" command you can use a word it does know, such as "ball." After hiding the object, pretend to look for it while asking "where's your toy?" or "where's your ball?" After finding the item a few times, your dog should respond to the question on its own.

Hide the toy around the house and ask doggo to 'find'! You may need to help for the first games so that they get the idea, and understand the command.

Indoor Ballee

Now playing ball around the house doesn't always sound like the best idea! But we do have some soft indoor play toys.  Pick a nice space (the spare room? the landing?) and save this toy for those games only.

Do you have any ideas for fun indoor games that you can share with us pals? Leave us a comment if you have any examples of games you like to play indoors.

Stay warm pals and see you next time!

Bob x