Boredom Busting Pet Activities
Updated: May 19, 2020
Falling into a boring routine while in quarantine? Just as people can get a major case of cabin fever, pets can find the lack of stimulating activities a bit snooze worthy as well. We have collected a list of fun DIY activities to try at home with your pet with items you can find right in your own home! Try some out today and put some spark back into play time. Let us know what you tried in the comment section!
Box Puzzle:
If you have been getting a lot of deliveries, you probably have boxes sitting around waiting to be recycled. Put them to use! Stash your dog in another part of the house for a few minutes, arrange some of those empty boxes on the floor and choose a few to hide treats in. Show your dog the boxes and let your pup’s nose lead the way to the hidden treats. Rearrange the boxes with more treats for endless fun!
Set Up An Obstacle Course For Your Dog:
This can be a lot of fun. You can use things around your home to create an obstacle course for your dog inside or out! You can even hide treats throughout the obstacle course to make it even better for your dog. Use hula hoops, boxes, kiddie pools, or tunnel toys, basically anything that you can use make it fun! The possibilities are endless. Once they have gone through the obstacle course a few times you can switch it up and change things around so they can go through a new course. This is great for mental stimulation as well as physical exercise. If you have kids, they may enjoy the obstacle course too, both building it and going though it!
https://www.aussiepm.com.au/2016/11/03/set-obstacle-course/
Cupcake Puzzle:
Find an empty cupcake tray and 12 (or as many as you have) tennis balls. Place small treats or pieces of kibble into some (but not all!) of the baking cups, and cover all of the cups with the tennis balls. Show your dog the tray and see how long it takes for them to move the right balls to find the hidden food. Each time you play, change where you place the treats in the baking tray.
The (Toy) Name Game:
Did you know that on average, a dog can learn 165 different words?! A really fun brain game for dogs is the name game, and the best way to do it is by using your dog’s toys. Do you already have names for your dog’s toys? If so, you’re already ahead of the game!
You can start this by playing with your dog and one specific toy, giving it a name while you do. After some practice & praise your dog will connect that name with that specific toy. Once your dog has learned that toy’s name, you can test their skills by seeing if they can pick it out among their other toys. After your dog knows the name of one toy you can move on teaching them the name of another. Having dogs pick out specific toys from a pile is a great way to boost their problem-solving skills.
Check out this video of Chaser the Border Collie, a seriously UNBELIEVABLE dog who knows the names of over 1,000 toys! Fair warning, you’re about to have your mind blown.
Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles!
Bubbles are a blast for both humans and dogs alike! The way they float through the air is enticing for many dogs to chase down and try to pop. And who doesn’t like blowing bubbles?! Just make sure you get a non-toxic bubble solution to keep your dog safe.
Tubes for Cats
We didn’t forget those little fuzzballs! This game is rather simple. Start saving up some empty toilet paper rolls, an empty tissue box, some glue, and find some ribbon or string as well. Attach the ribbon or string to the back of the box (for tying to furniture to keep it steady, and glue all the tubes side by side in the box… and WAHLAH! Cat Tube. Throw some treats in a few tubes, and your cat must figure out how to get them out by using their nose, eyes and paws. They’ll be able to see and smell the treats, but will have figure out which tube to stick their paw into to pull out their prize. Loaded the toy up with a handful of dry nuggets and watch the fun begin!
Check out these blogs for even more ideas to bust that boredom!
www.puppyleaks.com
www.petdiys.com/diy-cat-foraging-burrow/