14 Great Ways to Exercise Your Dog Indoors This Winter

When the weather outside is frightful — or maybe just too wet, snowy or cold — it might be a challenge to leash up your dog and go out for a walk. But your favorite canine still needs physical and mental stimulation. Regular exercise helps prevent your dog from being bored and anxious and helps reduce destructive behaviors that may occur when your dog has extra energy to burn.¹

Try these fun ways to exercise your dog indoors, burn energy and offer mental stimulation during the colder months.

1. Hide and Seek

Think about what your dog is most motivated by — treats, toys or a person — and play hide and seek with those things. Hide the item of choice in another room, under a table or behind a couch.¹

2. Fetch

A long hallway or spacious basement is ideal for playing fetch indoors, but a smaller room can also work, depending on the size of your pup. Some dogs really enjoy chasing an extra bouncy ball as it bounces off the ground or off the walls, even in a smaller space.¹

3. Doggie Daycare

Doggie daycare is a great option for dogs who enjoy being around other dogs. A good doggie daycare facility offers a safe environment for your pup to run around, plus the opportunity to play and socialize with other dogs and humans.²

4. Stair Climbing

Whether you have a set of stairs in your home or have access to stairs somewhere else, this can be a fantastic way to wear out your dog — and yourself! — on a cold day. Just be sure not to push your dog too hard. And keep in mind that this might not be the best activity for dogs with short legs or a long back, like dachshunds or corgis.³

5. Doggie Treadmill

Yes, they make treadmills specifically for dogs, offering a great way to get your dog their daily exercise when you can’t walk outside. These treadmills are smaller than the human versions and often have bars or nylon barriers along the sides for safety. Be sure to take it easy, and use positive reinforcement to get your dog used to walking on the treadmill.³

6. Obstacle Course

This is a fun one to get creative with! Set up an obstacle course in your living room with boxes, hoops, broom handles and ottomans or couches to give your dog an interesting new landscape to navigate. It may also be worth looking for a local agility club near you with an indoor space that you could use.³

7. Swimming

Swimming is a popular summer activity, but just as people move indoors in the winter, there are indoor pools for pups, too. If you can’t find a public dog pool, some canine physical therapy practices may offer open or reserved swims in their pools.³

8. Practice Commands or Learn New Tricks

Use winter as an opportunity to reinforce your pup’s basic training cues or to teach your dog a few new tricks. Once they master the basics like sit, stay and come, you could teach your dog to shake, touch (touch their nose to your hand or another object on cue), balance a treat on their nose or drop it and leave it.

9. Tug

Lots of dogs love to play tug with their humans, and it helps your dog let out some excess energy while tapping into their natural instincts. It also helps build your bond and establish a positive relationship with your dog (and yes, it's not only OK to let them win sometimes, it's encouraged).⁴

From the basic rope toy to more complex rubber toys with handles, balls or other features for dogs to grab onto, there are plenty of tug toy options for dogs of all sizes on the market.

10. Puzzle Toys

Puzzle toys can offer extra mental stimulation by making it more difficult for your dog to get to the food or treats placed in the puzzle.¹ This can be a specially made puzzle toy, a toy filled with peanut butter and then frozen, or something like a snuffle mat, which is a bunch of strips of fabric in a mat that your dog has to sniff and nuzzle around to get to the treats at the bottom.

11. Flirt Pole

A flirt pole is a pole with a string or cord and a lure or toy at the end. It almost looks like a fishing pole for your pup. You can buy premade ones in the store or make your own. You then flick it around for your dog to chase (and practice sitting before you play or dropping it once they catch the toy).⁵

A few tips when exercising your dog with a flirt pole:⁵

• Make sure you have enough space (or a smaller pole) so that your dog won't run into things like furniture.
• Avoid jerking or yanking when your dog has the toy in their mouth so that you don't injure their neck.
• Stop playing when your dog still has some energy and is still excited — this keeps a positive association with the toy.
• And be sure to give your dog breaks so they aren't getting overfatigued.

12. Run Up and Down the Hallway

If you have the space, a game of chase or simply running up and down the hallway can wear your pup out (and be a good workout for humans or stir-crazy children, as well).

13. Play Dates

If your dog is social and enjoys the company of other four-legged canines, a play date can be another wonderful indoor activity, depending on the size of your home — and the size of the dogs.

A carefully supervised play date can be a great way to help your winter puppy gain socialization and become better adjusted for when the weather warms up. When choosing who to invite over, consider whether your dog and the other dog have had their vaccinations, and ensure neither dog is showing any signs of illness. Give them space, monitor toys carefully for any guarding or aggression and give them regular water breaks, especially if they are getting too rowdy.⁶

14. Scavenger Hunt

For dogs, a scavenger hunt can be a game of finding treats, toys or other favorite items. Hide treats in things that your dog can easily sniff around and get into, like paper towels, newspaper, plastic cups, boxes or a snuffle mat. Hide these all around the house, starting with one right in front of your pup. Tell them to "Go!" and then they are free to find the hidden items. You will likely have to help your pup look for the other hidden treasures, at least at first, but bring your excitement and happy voice, and they'll be just as into it as you are.

CareCredit Credit Card Financing for Dogs

Taking good care of your pet's well-being from nose to tail is essential. Make sure to stay up to date on their regular checkups at the vet to help keep your pet happy and healthy for a lifetime of love. You can use your CareCredit credit card for pet care throughout the year for routine veterinary services as well as emergencies and surgeries.* Use our Acceptance Locator to find a veterinarian near you that accepts CareCredit.

CareCredit is there for you and your pet every step of the way; continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U blog for more great articles, podcasts and videos.

In addition to pet care, you can also use your CareCredit credit card for dentistry, cosmetic, vision, hearing, health systems, dermatology, pharmacy purchases, spa treatments and so much more within the CareCredit network. How will you invest in your health and wellness next?

Author Bio

Abbie Mood is a freelance writer with more than 15 years of experience. She has worked with clients of all sizes to create compelling content, and she has written for the American Kennel Club, Marriott Bonvoy, Women’s Health Online, Headspace and more.