Although we all love walks, and we all appreciate the importance of physical exercise to the overall wellbeing of our canine friends – sometimes the conditions outside are not optimal for us or our pets to enjoy the great outdoors.

We know that with the recent heat waves and poor air quality, your dog is likely spending more time indoors than they regularly do so it’s more important than ever to provide them with plenty of mental stimulation.

Dogs are smart animals and it is crucial that we provide them with plenty of mental stimulation to exercise their brains. If they don’t get to use their brains, they can quickly get bored and a bored dog may start to develop a wide range of problem behaviors! 

You can see some of our favorite ideas to keep your pup busy below; they don’t need to cost a fortune, nor do you have to be particularly creative to put together something fun for your dog. We recommend you enjoy the activity with your dog and keep them under close supervision. 

Stuffed Kongs
Kongs are a fantastic source of mental enrichment and a great way to make mealtimes more fun. Your dog’s usual diet can be packed into a Kong for them to figure out and they can even be frozen for a tougher challenge. You can also put treats or things such as doggy-friendly peanut butter or liver paste into the Kong or mix up the shelter’s Kong Recipe at home. They come in a range of shapes and sizes, offering different challenges. Enrichment should be challenging but not frustrating; so we would recommend starting off fairly easy and gradually increasing the difficulty of the Kong as your dog starts to get the hang of it.

Puzzle Games
Puzzles and interactive games are a great way to keep your pup busy. Not only does this make mealtimes more fun, it also slows down even the quickest of eaters! Again, there are a wide range of these puzzle type feeders on the market online or available at your local pet store. They don’t have to just be used for mealtimes either; they can also be given as an extra treat.

DIY Puzzle Games
Obtaining puzzles doesn’t have to be expensive — in fact, you can easily make your own. Here are some great ones you can create from home with things you probably already have around the house.

• Cereal Box Toy - If you want to keep your pup distracted, try hiding a bone, some treats, or a small pile of food under an old cereal box. Your pup has to figure out how to knock it over in order to retrieve the treat.
• Toilet Paper Roll Toy - If you have a pup who loves to chew, make him a treat-filled chew toy with some old toilet paper rolls. Simply fill the rolls with dog food and bend the edges to keep them closed. Then, hand them to Fido and let him “ruin” them.