Fun Indoor Doggie Games

Here are some fun, quick ways you can play with your dog indoors from an expert article at Go-Pets.com.

Tug of war

Some people fear that a game of tug might make a dog aggressive or aggravate any possessive tendencies. However there is nothing wrong with the game, as long as you follow certain rules:

1. The toy you choose must be long enough to avoid accidental injury. Try our Bungee Tugs. Or thick rope with knots is good. Bone Tugs anyone?
2. The game should be played only with the tug toy. Teach your dog a command such as "drop it" or "leave it" before you start playing. Never try to pull anything away from the dog (it might appear like fun), use your command instead.
3. You must be in control of the game. You decide when to play - keep the toy out of sight in between games. To maintain alpha-dog atatus, you should win most of the time.

Hide and seek

Conceal toys or treats around the house and ask the dog to find them.

1. Start by hiding a toy under or behind something while your dog watches, then exclaim, "Where's your toy?" in an excited voice. Use a consistent hand signal for quicker learning.
2. Praise when your dog retrieves the toy. Once your doggie gets the rules of the game, have your dog stay in one room while you hide treats in another.
3. If your dog likes to use the nose, try hiding the treats inside shoes, under rugs, between couch cushions and places like that. Break up large treats so that you are not giving too many at one time.

Treats in a Shell

You can also try some brain teasers with your dog, such as the doggie-version shell game.

1. Find three identical cups.
2. Have your dog sit and stay, facing the boxes. Let your dog see you place a treat inside or underneath an overturned cup. Release your dog with a command "Find it!" to choose the cup the treat is in.
3. If your dog chooses the wrong cup, turn it up, show your dog it's empty and repeat command. Praise and reward your dog with the treat when your dog gets it right.
4. Eventually you can switch the cups around and have your doggie use the nose to locate.