Activities and games for your puppy that you can do at home

Playful, energetic, and always eager to move, puppies can encounter difficulties when they have to stay indoors for too long. So, to support them during this period, without letting them become apathetic and lifeless, we can train their playfulness through a few simple activities.

Hide-and-seek

Although your dog doesn't know how to count, they can play hide-and-seek, and sometimes it's even more fun than playing with people your own age. The joy and pride they feel when they find you are contagious, so the game is worth trying. As a bonus, you'll get a few laughs. Start by teaching your furry friend short commands like "wait" and "find." Then, tell them to wait while you hide, and call them or say "find" when you're ready. Praise them every time they find you or reward them with some treats.

Fetch with new toys

You've probably practiced fetch if you've gone to parks or open spaces where you had enough room to move around. You'd throw the ball and tell them to bring it back to you. This activity can also be done indoors, but the risk is knocking over all sorts of things, especially if your furry friend is medium to large-sized. Therefore, you can find a game variation adapted for an indoor environment. Find a simple name, no more than two syllables (like "cheep-cheep") for their favorite toy, then teach them to recognize it and bring it to you on command. You can do the same with other toys, giving each a different name, and you can test them, observing if they bring you the correct ones. Reward them with their favorite treat when they bring you the toy and obey the fetch command. What can you choose as a suitable treat for them?

Do you want a well-behaved and obedient dog? Dog training is essential for building a harmonious relationship with your furry friend and enjoying a harmonious coexistence. Discover the secrets of effective and positive training!

Treasure hunt

Even your dog will love stories of hidden treasures, especially if the ones they have to find are their favorite treats. Being naturally greedy, the dog will quickly learn this exercise. The previous game can also be combined with this step: once your dog has learned to recognize the toy by the name you gave it, you can hide it around the house and have them search for it. Play with them and train them, going to the places where they are searching. Don't forget to reward them with something good every time they find the toy. You can also play this game using their favorite treats. Place them in various places around the house, then challenge them to discover where they are. Initially, you can put the goodies in accessible places where they can easily see them, then increase the difficulty of the game by hiding the treats in harder-to-reach spots. For this exercise, you can use one of dogs' favorite products: special treats containing 90% chicken meat.

Which hand is it in?

You probably played this game as a child, hiding various objects in one hand and having other children guess. This time, your furry friend can take on the role of the child. All you have to do is take a stick or any other treat and hide it in one hand. Teach them to elegantly indicate the correct palm, without biting or scratching. You can do the same exercise in the "Shell Game" style: hide a treat under one cup and a coin under two other cups. Change the order of the cups, then let them guess. Encourage and praise them every time they find the correct answer.

Tug of war

Even if you didn't call it "tug of war," you've certainly played this game, especially when your furry friend was a puppy and was chewing or grabbing various materials around the house. When you tried to take them away, the real fun began. "Tug of war" involves using a ball with a rope, a plush toy, special bite bags, also called "tugs," and stimulating your friendly pet to "conquer" them from you. It seems simple, but there are some rules so that the exercise is played correctly. First, you shouldn't pull the tug with all your might; you need to give your dog a chance to win, otherwise they might lose interest. Who would find a game where only one person wins fun? Then, to convince the dog to release the tug, you shouldn't snatch the object and force them to give it to you. It wouldn't be pleasant for them, so you can offer them another tug or train them to drop the tug on command, offering a reward and encouraging them when they obey. Also, this game can be combined with other commands: sit or down. Practice until you have control, and your play partner manages to obey the command quickly and without hesitation.

Photo source: Shutterstock, pexels.com

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