Enrichment & Boredom

Rainy day dog enrichment: indoor games for when the walk is a washout

Six indoor games, a muddy-paw drying routine and a frozen toy for when the walk is a washout.

By 6 min read
Dog licking a filled spiral lick bowl on a wooden floor indoors

It has been raining since Tuesday. The park is a bog, the lead is still damp from this morning, and your dog is staring at you from the hallway as if the weather were somehow your fault. Every British dog owner knows the feeling. When the walk is a washout, a few indoor games can save the day, and your sofa, without anyone needing to put their wellies back on.

On a rainy day, keep a short walk for toilet breaks and sniffing, then make up the rest indoors with brain games: hide and seek, find the toy, the cup game, the towel burrito and simple tricks that need no space. A muddy-paw drying routine by the door and a frozen toy afterwards turn the soggy bit into something your dog looks forward to.

If it is dark as well as wet, our guide to dark evenings indoor enrichment covers lick mats, scatter feeding and rotating the toy box. This one is all about games you can play together.

Should you still walk your dog in the rain?

For most dogs, yes, even if it is short. They still need toilet breaks, and a walk gives them smells and fresh air no indoor game can match. Make it a slow, sniffy one rather than a long slog, put a waterproof coat on a thin-coated dog who feels the cold, and wear something reflective when it is gloomy. If your dog is frightened of thunder, skip the walk during a storm and stick to the garden.

Indoor games for a rainy day

1. Hide and seek

Ask your dog to sit and wait, or have someone hold them, then go and hide behind a door or the shower curtain. Call their name once and wait. Make a big fuss when they find you. Start with easy hiding places and get sneakier as they get the idea.

2. Find the toy

Pick one favourite toy and give it a name. Play with it, say the name, then put it in plain sight a few steps away and ask your dog to find it. Over a few days, hide it in harder places: behind a cushion, under a towel, in another room. Some dogs eventually learn the names of several toys.

3. The cup game

Put three plastic cups upside down on the floor, hide a treat under one while your dog watches, then let them nose or paw the right cup. Start by not moving the cups at all. Once they have it, shuffle them slowly. It is surprisingly hard work for a dog, so a few rounds goes a long way.

4. The towel burrito

Lay an old towel flat, scatter a few small treats along it, then roll it up like a burrito. Your dog has to nose and paw it open to get to the treats. For a harder version, tie the rolled towel in a loose knot. Supervise, and take it away if your dog starts chewing the towel itself.

5. Tricks that need no space

A wet afternoon is perfect for short trick sessions in the living room. None of these need stairs, a garden or much floor space:

  • Touch: nose to your open palm
  • Spin: a slow circle following your hand
  • Paw: a gentle high five
  • Chin rest: chin on your hand or knee and hold it there, which is also handy at the vet
  • Go to bed: walk to their bed and lie down

6. Tug with rules

Tug is a brilliant energy burner in a small space, as long as it has rules. Your dog grabs the toy when you say so, lets go when you ask, and the game pauses if teeth touch skin. Play on carpet or a rug rather than slippery floors.

“Simply put he loves all his freezebones and we are amassing quite the collection. This is a great one with so many grooves it took him a good 40 minutes.”
Nikky J., verified buyer

How do you set up a muddy-paw drying station?

Rainy walks mean muddy dogs, and muddy dogs head straight for the cream carpet. A drying routine by the door makes coming home quicker, calmer and much cleaner.

Set it up

  • A doormat or old towel to stand on
  • A second towel, plus a shallow bowl of lukewarm water for really muddy paws

Teach a wait

  • Ask for a sit or stand on the mat as soon as you are through the door
  • Reward them for staying put

Dry, top to toe

  • Legs, belly and each paw in turn
  • Check between the toes for grit, thorns and mud balls

Finish with something good

  • A treat, or a frozen toy waiting on their bed
  • Your dog soon starts heading for the mat by themselves

Freezbone tip

Keep one filled toy in the freezer at all times on wet weeks. It turns the towel-down into the prelude to the best bit of the walk, and gives your dog something calm to do while you peel off your own soggy layers.

How long should indoor games last?

Short and often beats long and frantic. Five to ten minutes at a time is plenty for most games, with a rest in between. Mix a brain game, such as the cup game or find the toy, with something more physical, such as tug. Stop while your dog is still keen, so they look forward to the next round.

Signs your dog has had enough include losing interest, wandering off, getting nippy or overexcited, or flopping down. That is your cue for quiet time.

What does a good rainy day look like?

WhenWhat
MorningShort, sniffy walk in waterproofs, drying station, frozen toy
Late morningHide and seek or find the toy
LunchtimeA few rounds of the cup game
AfternoonTowel burrito, then a nap
TeatimeAnother quick walk if the rain eases
EveningFive minutes of tricks, a game of tug, then a quiet chew
“Layla loves this ! She spends a good 30 minutes with it in the afternoons when she doesn’t get her second walk of the day .”
Lisa D., verified buyer

What if it rains all week?

Sometimes the British weather settles in for the long haul. Keep the games varied so they do not go stale, and make a few frozen toys at once so you are not filling one every time your dog gets restless. Our guide to batch-freezing a week of enrichment does the lot in one go, and the Freezbone recipe videos have plenty of fills to try. Count any treats and fills as part of your dog's daily food, so a wet week does not add up to a tighter collar.

If you live in a flat and indoor days are the norm rather than the exception, our guide to keeping a dog busy in a flat has more ideas for small spaces. The rain will stop eventually. Probably.

Frequently asked questions

  • Keep a short, sniffy walk for toilet breaks, then play indoor games such as hide and seek, find the toy, the cup game and the towel burrito, with a few minutes of trick training and a frozen toy to finish.

  • Most dogs still need a walk and toilet breaks in the rain, even if it is shorter than usual. Use a waterproof coat for thin-coated dogs who feel the cold, and skip the walk during a thunderstorm if your dog is frightened.

  • Mix brain games, such as the cup game or finding a named toy, with short bursts of tug and trick training. Five to ten minutes at a time, with rests in between, works well for most dogs.

  • Set up a drying station by the door with a mat, towels and a shallow bowl of lukewarm water. Teach your dog to wait on the mat, dry their legs, belly and paws, and reward them afterwards.

  • Not completely. Indoor games are a great way to use up energy on wet days, but most dogs still need daily walks for toilet breaks, sniffing and fresh air.

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Written by Freezbone Team

We design freezable, refillable chew toys and test every fill and routine on our own dogs before we write about it. Freezbone LTD ships across the UK.

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