Best Games to Play With Your Dog

Have you ever felt that itch to play a game with your dog or have a dog with too much energy that you want to tire out? We have 6 games you can play with your dog! Not only will this help you stay active and happy, but it will also make sure your dog is healthy and happy. You can entertain yourself and your pup with a game of tug of war to stuffing CBD dog treats in toys to keep your dog engaged while they try to get the treats out and help calm them down once they eat them! 

1. Tug of War

There are few dogs I’ve come by that are not completely engaged by a game of tug of war. This game is perfect as long as it doesn't involve your favorite shoe. It’s a great way to incorporate practicing a dog’s manners and also a great way to get them moving around. 

It’s important to stop playing with your dog anytime their teeth touch your hand. This might be hard since some dogs, especially puppies, get very riled up while playing. But if you make it a habit to stop playing with them once they touch your skin, they’ll begin to associate touching your hand with the end of having fun. 

And, it’s okay to let your dog win since it’ll show them that you are fun to play with. No one likes always losing!

2. Food Dispensing Toy

Giving your dog a food dispensing toy is a fun and easy game to play with your dog. You can play this game anywhere, inside or outside. This mini scavenger hunt is mentally stimulating for your dog and gives them a tasty treat.

The best part of using a food dispensing toy for you is that you get to pick what treat. This can be a great toy to give your dog when you’re leaving the house because it’s a little game and a treat for them. You can place CBD dog treats in the toy to help with anxiety. You can also mix a drop or drops of CBD oil for dogs into some peanut butter and freeze that mixture inside the toy overnight!

3. Agility Course

Mental stimulation meets physical exercise in this game. An agility course can be fun for you to create and fun for your pooch to attempt to conquer. Obviously you could go and buy all the obstacle course material at a pet store, but making your own can not only be more cost effective, but also an exciting challenge for you. 

You can use little cones that your dog would need to weave themselves around, a hula hoop to jump through, blankets to hop over, a chair to jump up on, and anything else you can think up. 

4. Fetch

This game doesn't need much explaining because it’s quite the classic. This one will definitely tire your dog out as long they have been trained to bring the toy back. They should learn pretty quickly that the game won’t continue unless they bring the ball, frisbee, or toy back to you. You can always try using a food treat to get them to come back with the toy. Start fetching over short distances and slowly increase to long distance.

5. Treat Scavenger Hunt

This game of “find the treats” might become a quick favorite of your dog’s. The first step to playing this game is hiding treats around a room. The treats can be any foods your dog enjoys and can include CBD dog treats that can help your dog calm down after they are done finding all the treats. The second step is getting your dog into a sit position and placing some treats in front of them, so they can get their sniffer ready. Once you release them from sit, encourage them to “find the treats.” If they are having a difficult time finding the treats, help them along by pointing to them. It’s important that you give them praise for finding each treat.

As your dog gets familiar with this game, you can start leveling up by increasing the game’s difficulty. As they get more comfortable with this game, you can begin expanding the range of the game into more rooms and eventually your whole house or apartment. 

6. Bubble Chasing

You might have loved chasing bubbles as a kid and even secretly enjoy doing it right now. Have you ever thought your dog might like this game, too? And, the plus side to teaching your dog this game is that you get to demonstrate. 

If your dog doesn’t naturally gravitate towards the bubbles, try encouraging them to chase them before the bubbles touch the ground by catching some yourself. They make flavored bubbles specifically for dogs that you can try out as well. Just make sure you wipe your dog’s face off after a game of bubble chasing just so you don’t irritate your dog’s eyes.