Playing games with your dog is a great way to keep them active and keep their brains engaged. It’s also a great way to burn off some energy! We encourage you to grab your dog and head outside to spend a couple of hours having fun every day!
Here are 5 games you can play with your dog
-
Fetch
This is the most common backyard game you can play with your dog, and it’s one of the best outdoor games to play this summer with your dog! You can play with a frisbee, a tennis ball, or their favorite plush toy.
- Agility
This is a great exercise for both you and your dog. Agility is running through obstacle courses at high speeds to see how quickly your dog can complete the course. It can include jumps, tunnels, seesaws, chutes, weave poles, and much more. Set up an at-home course in your backyard and practice the course with your furry friend. Agility helps build up your dog’s confidence, and it burns energy!
-
Doggy pool
This is a great summer activity to keep your furry friend cool! Buy some dog toys that are made for water and let them splash around for a while. This is great to keep their brain stimulated while helping them from overheating. Get an extra-large pool and you can get in and play with your dog and have some summer fun!
-
Set up a sprinkler
If your dog is a water lover, set up a sprinkler that either rotates or goes back and forth and let them play in the stream. This is a great way to keep them active and their brain stimulated without you having to do much effort. Or, you can chase them in the stream and you can both cool off in the water. If you don’t have a sprinkler, a hose serves the same purpose, and you can chase your dog around the backyard and the two of you can play with the hose.
-
Digging in the sandbox
If your dog is a digger, get them a sandbox! This is a great way for them to have some fun without ruining your yard. Dogs are easy to train, so you can spend some time outside teaching them to only dig in their sandbox. This is a great way to keep them active and outside during the summer. One thing we love to do is hide treats in their sandbox so they have to dig to find them – it’s a super simple way to keep their brain stimulated!
Summertime is a great season to spend as much time outside as possible. If you like sitting in the sun for hours, but your dog wants you to play all the time, the games above are great ways to keep their brains stimulated and keep them occupied while your warm your bones in the sun!
