5 activities you can do with your dog instead of a walk

Are you finding it hard to squeeze a walk with your dog in around the cold, wet weather? Or does your doggo just not seem interested in a walk some days? 

“Not today, human.”

Good news, there are so many other fun (and easy) activities you can do at home which will help give your furry friend’s brain a workout and tucker them out, ready for a snuggle on the couch! #wintergoals. 

@petrescueau Enrichment doesn’t have to mean fancy toys - it can even be kibble wrapped up in a towel - time to get creative 🐶#dogenrichment #officedogs #rescuedog ♬ Island In The Sun - Weezer

Enrichment toys

There are SO many easy ways you can mentally stimulate your doggo with simple enrichment toys. You can stuff a Kong with their food, cover a licky mat in peanut butter or wet food, or scatter their kibble in a puzzle toy or snuffle mat. Goodbye, eating food from a boring bowl!

Office doggo Kazua enjoying his licky mat.

Haven’t got any enrichment toys on hand? You can also create lots of fun toys from items around your house, which will help to practice their problem-solving skills!

You can create a food tube puzzle by popping toilet rolls upright into a shoebox, then pouring their dry food in for a sniff-a-thon. 

@petrescueau Make mealtimes fun & stimulating with this easy enrichment idea 🐶 #dogenrichment #petsoftiktok #rescuedog #petrescue ♬ go (feat. Sam Smith) - Cat Burns

Or, simply wrap some of your dog’s food in an old towel to make a burrito, which will keep them occupied for a while!

@petrescueau A fun way for your furry friend to use their 🧠 #enrichmentfordogs #enrichmentforpets #dogsoftiktok #petrescue ♬ Love You So - The King Khan & BBQ Show

Note: Make sure you’re careful and keep an eye on dogs who are known to chew and ingest non-food items during enrichment to ensure they don't eat anything they shouldn't!

Food hunts

You can also create a treasure trail of treats for your dog to sniff out. Start with an easy trail through the house, then move onto a more challenging path through long grass and plants outside! You can also use containers and cones to hide food under to really make things exciting for your doggo. 

Tug of war

Not only does tug of war give your dog a mental and physical workout, but it also helps to teach them impulse control. It’s important when playing that your doggo waits for permission first to grab the toy, and only in the ‘safe zone’ away from your fingers - check out this fantastic guide (and rules of play!) for playing tug-of-war. 

Tiny Taco is looking for a tug-of-war buddy via Dog Rescue Newcastle.

Hide and seek

Playing hide and seek with your furry BFF is fun for the whole fam, and helps to encourage your dog to come when called! Start on easy mode, and make sure you give your dog lots of praise when they find you. Then work up to more difficult hiding spots! 

Learning new tricks 

A rainy winter day is the perfect op-paw-tunity for an indoor training session. Once they’ve mastered the basics, like sit, stay, and lay down, why not move on to more challenging tricks like ‘whisper’ and ‘roll over’ to really give their brain a workout!

Reggie, via The Lost Dogs' Home North Melbourne, showing off his tricks! 

For more enrichment and training tips, boop here. 

Want to learn more about the benefits of enrichment for your dog? Click here.

Are you welcoming a new doggo into your home? Yay! Learn how to help them settle in here. 

Thanks to our friends at Pet Circle if you enquire about a pet via PetRescue, you can get $25* off when you spend more than $50 on pet supplies and a free Vet Pet Plan. Learn more.

PetRescue and Pet Circle are working together to create a better world where every pet is safe and loved as a valued member of the family.

Banner image: Darcy Lawrey, Via Pexels