Rainy days can put a damper on our plans, but when it comes to our furry friends, the fun doesn’t have to stop just because the weather is gloomy. In fact, it’s the perfect opportunity to get creative and engage in activities that will not only keep your canine companion entertained but also strengthen the bond between you and your four-legged friend. In this article, we’ll explore 5+ fun rainy day dog activities that guarantee enjoyable pup playtime, ensuring both you and your dog have a blast, even when the rain is pouring outside.
Sometimes the weather isn’t great, especially in the UK, or sometimes you’ve had a really bad day at work and you want to just stay home, put your feet up and relax. Finding the perfect rainy day dog activities to do on these days can be very difficult and leave you and your dog very frustrated.
Fortunately, there are other ways to provide your dog with the exercise and mental stimulation it needs. Check out the rainy-day dog activities below that can help keep your dog exercised without leaving your home.
Rainy Day Dog Activities
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Walks are so useful because they provide a lot of things: exercise, brain work (from all the new sights and smells), and bonding time with you
Here are some of the rainy-day dog activity ideas that provide those same benefits.
Flirt Pole
Get a stick (a wooden dowel, narrow PVC pipe, whatever) and tie a string to it. The string should be two to five feet long, depending on how much space you have. On the other end of the string, attach a dog toy. Stuffed animals and rope tug toys work well.
Then clear the play area of things the dog could crash into, and let the games begin.
Blow Bubbles
A quick and easy game for dogs who like to chase. Get a bottle of kids’ bubble solution and blow some bubbles. You can also find bubble solution for dogs; it comes in delicious flavours like chicken or peanut butter. Yummy.
Pass the Puppy
Enlist a few volunteers. Give everybody a small handful of treats. Have them sit on the floor in a circle, with at least a few feet between each person (don’t crowd into a tiny circle, as this might intimidate the dog)
One at a time, each person calls the dog. Use his name or just make interesting noises (kissy sounds, for some reason, are the universal canine attention-attractor).
When your dog arrives at each lap, the person should praise, treat and pet him. Then someone else calls him. When the next person calls your dog, that’s the cue for the first person to stop interacting with the dog.
Hide and Seek
Have someone hold on to your dog while you run off to hide. Call the dog’s name. When she finds you, praise her and give her treats or play with a toy.
When you first play this, don’t hide too well or they might give up. As he/she gets better at the game you can go farther away and make it harder for her to find you.
Turn this into a variation on Pass the Puppy: get a bunch of volunteers to hide. Make a big fuss over your heroic search-and-rescue dog as the dog recovers everyone from their hiding places.
Treat-dispensing toys are God’s gift to dogs. These toys are the easiest, fastest, most effective way to tire a dog out. Have you started your collection of Treat Balls yet?
Find the Toy/Treat
Put that dog’s nose to work. Get a toy or treat that your dog really likes. Show it to him/her and get them excited. Have someone restrain your dog. Tell him/her to “get reeaaady!” While she watches, hide the object a few feet away, behind a wall or a sofa. Tell your dog to “find it!” and let them go. Praise them big when she gets to it.
Once they figure out what “get ready” and “find it” means, and had a few successes at this easy level, you can increase the difficulty.
Dog Treat Dispensers
Another great rainy day dog activities are the use of interactive dog toys. Kongs and other dog treat dispenser balls are great for keeping your dog occupied and excited. All you need to do is measure out a meal’s worth of biscuits/meat whatever you feed your dog. Mix in some shredded cheese or bits of chicken to make things interesting, then scatter it around the garden or living room. Make it even more of a challenge by putting the food into puzzle toys, and then hiding the puzzle toys. This is a great way to keep your dog occupied when you have to leave them home alone.
Rainy Day Activities: Indoor Agility
Make a tunnel by draping blankets over a line of chairs. If your dog is a little guy, buy a cheap kid’s play tunnel from Amazon. Make a tire jump by duct-taping a hula hoop between a pair of chairs. Make a weave obstacle by setting up buckets in a line.
Before testing your dog on the whole course, teach them how to perform each obstacle individually using lure/reward training. Stick a treat in front of his nose, and lure him through/over the obstacle a few times. Then fade the lure out by getting the treat out of your hand, but making the same hand motion. Have them follow your treat-less hand through the obstacle, then reward your dog with a treat out of your other hand.
Also, check out this Zip Zoom Indoor Dog Agility Starter Kit
great for indoors and outdoors and a great rainy day activity for all the family. Got small children? Indoor agility courses are also great for wearing out stir-crazy human puppies.
If you are unsure where, to begin with, agility training then checks out our beginner’s dog agility training equipment page.
Pawsitively Rainy Day Fun!
As the rain taps against the windowpane, your pup’s excitement doesn’t have to wane. These 5+ rainy day dog activities not only turn a dreary day into an enjoyable playtime extravaganza but also foster a deeper connection between you and your furry companion. From indoor fetch to DIY treat puzzles, every moment spent engaged in these activities contributes to a happier, healthier, and more harmonious relationship with your pup. So, the next time the raindrops start to fall, remember that the fun is just beginning – it’s pawsitively rainy day fun for both you and your delightful dog!
If all else fails then why not purchase a treadmill? This will ensure your dog gets the exercise it needs and mean that you can walk your dog without leaving home. Below are a few treadmills that you can purchase.
