10 Ways to Tire Out Your Dog Indoors
by mylifewithpets | Last updated on October 26, 2021
Some of the links bellow are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we'll receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
A tired dog is a happy dog.
And also a focused, calm, quiet dog.
What takes to tire out a dog depends largely on breed and size, what tires a Labrador won’t make so much as a dent on a Jack Russell Terrier (trust us, we know!!).
That becomes particularly obvious on those rainy days when playing outside is just not an option.
Nothing we Did Tired Out Our Dogs
We have three dogs in our family, one Portuguese Podengo Mix and two Jack Russell Terriers.
The first one is pretty much a cat and all he wants is a soft couch, tasty food and cuddles for his life to be complete.
But for the other two little devils, it’s a completely different story.
They pretty much manage to tire US out every single time we can’t take them outside.
And even when they look tired, all it takes is a nap to regain all the energy we so painstakingly managed to burn.
Giving them ordinary toys to play with or expecting them to tire themselves out just won’t work.
We even got them a treadmill at one time to dismal results!
As far as high-energy dogs go, you need to get creative.
And, once we’ve tried these ideas, we realized they’re not difficult or complicated to carry out.
How to Tire Out a High Energy Dog Indoors
Read on and decide for yourself, is it really difficult to tire out a high-energy dog indoors or is it just a matter of thinking outside the box?
On this list you’ll find a bit of everything.
Fast ways to tire out your dog when you’re in a hurry.
Simple things you can do to get him nice and tired without having to step a foot outside the door.
10 things you can do to tire out your dog without having to walk him, perfect for those bad weather days when even a quick walk is a challenge.
Try a couple, or all of them, and see how it goes.
1 – Go Up
Stairs are tiresome, for both people and dogs.
So, if you have a staircase in your home, why not use it to tire out your dog?
Like throwing the ball down the stairs for your dog to fetch and bring back.
Not only will he love the challenge, it will also tire him out much quicker.
2 – Play Sniffing Games
Dogs love to sniff around.
All you need to do is take advantage of that to create a game that will be both fun and challenging for him.
Hide a few tasty treats around the house for him to find.
Get an empty egg card box, place something yummi inside and watch him trying to open it (without ruining the box) to get the goodies.
Take the challenge up a knot with a snuffle mat.
Hide treats among the fibers and watch your dog go crazy trying to find them.
You can also try with other things with interesting smells your dog will love to find, like wood or leaves.
3 – Chase Bubbles
Who doesn’t love bubbles?
Such an inexpensive, whimsical way to keep your dog busy and tire him out.
While chasing those bubbles, dogs run, jump, chase and have a great time while they’re at it.
The best part is you can tire him out without moving.
4 – Get a Flirt Pole
Another way you can make your dog move without having to work much is getting a flirt pole.
Flirt poles are made to be very attractive for dogs, who’ll want to chase the decoy at the end of the pole relentlessly.
Just please, don’t leave your dog with the flirt pole unattended.
Not only because he may swallow the decoy but also because he may get tangled in the rope and suffocate.
5 – Play Hide and Seek
Hyde and Seek is a fun game for both humans and pets alike.
And it’s also something you can easily do indoors in order to get your dog tired.
Just hide somewhere away from your dog, call his name and hide.
The hiding depends on your home and creativity, we’ve seen people hiding on top of doors to keep the dog searching for longer.
He’ll search the house for as long as it takes to find you.
6 – Wrestle or Play Tug
A little one-on-one playtime with your dog is sure to tired him out (possibly you too).
Depending on the dog, a bit of wrestle is what it takes to make your dog want to take a nap afterwards, but tug of war has always been a favorite as far as out pets go.
Granted, for some dogs, this kind of play will make them more excited than tired, the exact opposite of what you’re after.
Know your dog and see what works best.
7 – Schedule Doggy Play Dates
How about tiring several dogs for the trouble of one?
Play dates with other dogs are one of the most sure ways to get your dog tired, particularly if they all have the same energy levels.
Ours can play for hours, particularly if we’re talking about dogs they love.
Fun times all around.
8 – Play Fetch
We’ve mentioned fetch before and how you could play on stairs, but fetch is something dogs love so much, you can pretty much do it anywhere in the home.
Just pick a room that has the most open space.
Maybe even a long narrow corridor he can run a few miles in, back and forth.
If you want to add an extra touch, use an extra bouncy ball to make things interesting and challenging for your dog.
Or, better yet, get something to throw the ball for you! You can even teach your dog to feed the ball himself!
9 – Create Your Own Obstacle Course
When you think of a dog obstacle course, you imagine something complicated that requires equipment.
But you can create your own obstacle course out of pretty much anything!
Tape in a doorway to create something they’ll need to jump over, rearranged furniture to make them go a certain route, chairs and small furniture to jump or go around, anything can provide you with an obstacle to challenge your dog.
Take a look around and see what you come up with.
10 – Rotate Your Dog’s Toys
Dogs love new toys and are much more motivated to play with a toy if it’s a novelty.
But this doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot of money on dog toys.
All you need to do is rotate them by hiding a few away for a few weeks, then present them to them and hide the ones he’s been playing with.
The longer your dog plays, the more tired he’ll get.
Recommended Reading
