Here Are 5 Fun and Engaging Ways to Play With Your Dog

Fetch

Fetch is a beloved pastime for many (but not all) dogs. If your four-legged friend seems to perk up whenever you toss a toy, you can look forward to hours and hours of fun and exercise. Many pet parents associate balls with fetch, but you should use whatever toy your dog finds valuable—a ball, a stuffed plushy, a rope, or something else entirely. 

If your dog is new to fetch, start slow. Toss the toy a few times to gauge your pup’s interest, and stop before your dog becomes bored or uninterested. Over time, you can slowly build up the duration of your fetch sessions. (This is also important for puppies or any dog that’s not accustomed to lots of exercise—as with humans, you need to build up the

Tug

A lively game of tug is one of the best ways to help your pup burn off some energy (especially on snowy or rainy days spent indoors). Since it’s interactive, tugging is also a great way to bond with your pet. Find a strong, durable toy that won’t rip apart easily. Then, entice your pup to play by waving the toy side to side on the ground or in the air.

If you notice your dog becoming too mouthy during tug, you’ll want to end the session to help curb this behavior.

Flirt Pole

When your pup is bored but you don’t have time for a walk or a trip to the dog park, grab a flirt pole instead, Muench says. These are long rods with a flexible cord or cable attached, with an enticing toy (known as a lure) on the end. (If you’ve ever seen a cat teaser wand, this is the dog equivalent.) Dangle the toy in front of your dog, then move it around to encourage her to chase and “catch” the prey.

Scent Games

Dogs use their stellar sense of smell to navigate (and make sense of) the world around them. Beyond letting your pup stop to investigate intriguing smells on walks, you can encourage sniffing by setting up scent games.

A wide variety of activities can help engage your pooch’s sophisticated olfactory system. You might hide treats around the house, then encourage your pup to sniff them out, for example. Or you might enroll your pup in a nose work training class, where they’ll learn how to identify and seek out specific odors. Another option is to sprinkle treats or kibble on a snuffle mat, then let your pooch use her nose to find them.

Sniffaris

Like many pet parents, you’re probably tempted to hurry your dog along whenever she stops for a long, deep sniff during your daily walks. But what if you let your pooch sniff to her heart’s content? A “sniffari” is just that—a walk that puts your dog’s nose in the driver’s seat. On your next walk, let your dog stop and smell whatever they want, for as long as they want, Muench says. Let your dog lead you where she wants to go, using her nose to explore the neighborhood. For an off-leash “sniffari,” head to your local dog park or rent someone’s backyard on a platform like SniffSpot.