2. Let them lick
“Licking is actually calming and relaxing to dogs,” says Ellis, who suggests spreading peanut butter or yogurt on a licking mat. Chewy sells a brand called Lickimat that runs from $9 to $17. Other brands are available on Amazon for around the same price range. “We can stick them on the wall or on the floor and let our dogs lick and calm down.”
Instead of a licking mat, you can also use a Kong toy. Again, peanut butter and yogurt make great fillings, according to Ellis, who suggests freezing filled Kongs to make them last longer.
3. Play hide-and-seek
Dogs like walks not only because they exercise their legs, but also because they exercise their noses, according to Ellis, who suggests playing hide-and-seek with treats or kibble. “Hold your dog and put a treat a foot away so he can see you hiding it, then let him go get it,” instructs Ellis, who says you can gradually move treats farther away and in more creative hiding spots — on a table or bookcase, for example — to make the game more challenging, crating your pup while you hide treats if necessary. “When dogs get to use their innate desire to sniff, it really tires them out.”
Forage-friendly snuffle mats — made of looped material in which to conceal treats — are another option for dogs who like sniffing. “You can buy them online or make a simple one at home by using an old rag or towel and twisting it up with the treats hidden inside,” says Shaina Denny, cofounder and CEO of Dogdrop, a provider of on-demand dog day care. “It’s like a treasure hunt.” Chewy.com has the Pet Parents Snuffle Mat that runs from $16 to $30 depending on size.
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4. Trade out their toys
You can buy brain games for dogs online, including treat-dispensing toys and puzzles. Ellis, for example, likes the Orbee-Tuff Snoop ($12 on Amazon at current sale price — it usually runs $17), a translucent and squishy ball with a deep crevice in which to store treats. “It keeps them moving and keeps them thinking. They kind of forget about us while they’re busy figuring out how to get these delicious items out,” says Ellis, who also likes the iDig Stay, $100 on Amazon, which conceals treats inside canvas flaps that dogs can release by way of digging. “It’s my dog’s favorite toy in the world.”
You don’t have to spend big on fancy toys. Even cheap grocery-store toys can be a welcome distraction. “I like putting out a basket full of toys, but changing them out regularly so they’re always fresh and interesting,” Rhoads says.
5. Go fetch
Fetch is many a dog’s favorite game — and it can easily be played indoors with a tennis ball, according to Rhoads, who suggests playing in a long hallway or, even better, on a staircase. “Using your staircase to go up and down will get the heart rate up and get a nice, good respiration rate,” she says.
Pet owners who are less mobile might consider purchasing an iFetch fetching machine, which runs from $130 (smaller balls) to $230 (larger balls) on chewy.com and amazon.com. “It has an indoor function that throws the ball 10 feet. All you have to do is drop the tennis ball in,” explains Ellis, who says pet owners can even train dogs to drop the ball into the machine themselves. If that is outside your budget, there are other similar options such as the Elevon Automatic Dog Ball Launcher on Amazon for $60 or the PetPrime Automatic Dog Ball Thrower for $95 on Amazon. Of course the cheapest option is to throw it yourself (exercise for you too!), but after throwing the ball for the 1,475th time in one morning, you might be ready to spend the money.
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