How to Keep an Indoor Dog Active

Playing Inside with Your Dog

Train your dog every day. Training your dog daily will help to keep his mind stimulated and it is a great way to bond with your dog and have fun together. Aim for two 5 to 10 minute training sessions daily to work on commands, such as sit, come, heel, and drop it. Make sure to reward your dog with treats, petting, and lots of praise for his hard work.

Tug a rope. Find a soft rope dog toy, and shake it in front of the dog. When they grab on to it, hold onto the rope to play tug-of-war. Do not let go easily. Let the dog tug for a few minutes before one of you wins. The dog may bring the rope back to you to play again.

Toss soft toys. You can play fetch indoors with your dog, as long as you use soft toys instead of hard or bouncy balls. Find a toy like a stuffed animal, squeaky toy, or felt ball. Toss it a few feet away. Say “fetch” or "go get it" as you throw. The dog should pick the toy up and bring it back to you. Toss it again until either you or the dog is tired. Even with a soft toy, you should not aim it towards anything breakable or valuable.

Put food in puzzle toys. Puzzle toys keep your dog mentally and physically engaged. Put a treat or some kibble inside. Watch as your dog tries to get it out. For an extra challenge, hide the food puzzles around the house. Your dog will be able to smell the treats inside, and they’ll hunt around to find them. Many puzzle toys are plastic containers with buttons and a compartment for a treat. Your dog will paw and press the buttons until the compartment opens. Some puzzle toys are balls that your dog must roll and turn to free the treat. You can fill a KONG toy with peanut butter or your dog’s daily food allowance. Your dog will spend a long time trying to lick the food out.

Give them chew toys. Chew toys relieve your dog’s urge to chew. If your dog is left home alone, a chew toy can keep them engaged while they are alone. Good chew toys include: Chew ropes Squeaky toys Plastic bones Teething sticks Rubber balls

Socializing Your Dog

Make a playdate with another dog. Many dogs enjoy playing, chasing, and wrestling with each other. If you have a friend with a dog, you might want to schedule a date when they can bring their dog over to play with yours. Introduce the dogs slowly, and supervise them when they first start playing with each other.

Hire a dog sitter. If you are frequently out of the house for work or travel, you may want to find a dog sitter who can consistently care for your dog. They can play, feed, and walk your dog when you’re not home, keeping your dog happy and active. Ask your vet if they know of a reputable local sitter. Certain websites, like Rover or the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters, can help you find highly reviewed sitters in your area.

Take the dog to day care. Instead of getting a daily sitter, you might drop off your dog at a doggy day care center while you go to work. Instead of staying home alone, your dog will run around and play all day long.

Attend an obedience class. An obedience class will let your dog socialize with new people and dogs while teaching them a new trick. Even if your dog is already trained, you might try visiting an advanced class. The trainer may even have tricks to exercise your dog indoors.

Visit the dog park. Some public parks have off-leash dog parks in them. These allow your dog to run free. They can play and exercise with other dogs as well. Weekly visits to the dog park can help your dog stay fit. Make sure your dog understands and listen to the "come" command before taking them to a dog park. If your dog gets into a fight with another dog, you want to make sure that they will respond to you. Do not take a dog to the dog park until they have had their rabies vaccination.

Exercising Your Dog

Walk your dog. Dogs need to go outside to eliminate and exercise. You should aim to walk your dog for at least thirty minutes a day. This can be broken up into two fifteen minute sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening. If you cannot walk your dog during the day, you may want to hire a professional dog walker.

Attend an agility class. Agility classes are a fun activity you can do with your dog. These classes will teach your dog how to run through an obstacle course while you give directions. The activities keep your dog’s mental and physical skills sharp. You can ask your vet if they know of any good classes, or you may speak to a dog trainer for more information.

Visit a dog pool. Some areas have special, indoor heated pools for dogs. If your dog can swim, this may be a good activity to keep them active, especially in the winter when long walks may not be an option. Dogs with short noses, like pekingese and English bulldogs, should not go swimming.

Buy a dog treadmill. If your dog cannot leave your home for full walks, you may want to invest in a dog treadmill. These are specially designed to help dogs exercise indoors. These treadmills can be ordered online, or you can talk to your vet.