Enrichment
Eight rainy-day games to tire out your dog indoors
It is Seattle, it is raining again, and your dog has the zoomies. These indoor games work their brains as hard as a long walk works their legs.
Maya Lindqvist4 min read
Fifteen minutes of mental work can tire a dog as much as an hour of walking. That is great news in a city where it drizzles for half the year. These are the games we play at the club on the wettest days, and every one of them works in an apartment.
Our favourite indoor games
- Find it: hide treats around one room, then the whole home, and let them sniff them out
- Muffin tin puzzle: treats in a muffin tin covered with tennis balls
- Snuffle towel: roll kibble into an old towel and let them unroll it
- Name the toy: teach one toy name at a time, then ask them to fetch it from a pile
- Cup game: a treat under one of three cups, shuffled slowly
- Stairs or hallway fetch with a soft toy
- Tug with rules: start and stop on cue to practise self-control
- Five-minute trick sessions: spin, paw, settle on a mat
Start easy so your dog wins quickly, then make each game a little harder. Frustration ends the fun fast, especially for puppies.
Use part of their regular meal instead of extra treats, so rainy weeks do not turn into weight gain. Rotate games too. A puzzle that was brilliant on Monday is boring by Friday, but it will feel brand new again next month.
Why sniffing matters so much
A dog's nose is its main way of understanding the world. Sniffing lowers heart rate and helps dogs settle, which is why nose games are especially good for anxious or reactive dogs. Even a slow, sniffy ten-minute walk in the rain beats a fast, dragging one.
A tired body is good. A tired brain is better. A dog with both is the happiest roommate you will ever have.
Keep it calm at the end
Finish every play session with something calming, like a frozen lick mat or a long-lasting chew. It teaches your dog that indoor play winds down instead of revving up, which makes evenings much more peaceful.
If you notice your dog chewing furniture, barking at nothing or pacing on rainy weeks, they probably need more outlets. A couple of daycare days or a midday walk from our team can take the edge off until the sun comes back, sometime around July.
