5 Fun and Easy Games to Make Your Daily Dog Walks More Exciting

When you first get a dog, daily dog walks are something you look forward to, but they can become another dull, obligatory task over time. Why not add some excitement to your regular walking routine with some fun games? We’ve selected 5 fun and easy games to make your daily dog walks more exciting.

What you’ll need: 

• Your dog

• Leash (optional)
  

Make this schoolyard classic into a canine-friendly version on your daily dog walk. State something you see that interests your dog, and when your dog acknowledges it, reward them. For instance: "I spy a squirrel, I spy a hot dog cart, I spy a bird." When your dog looks at the spoken object, give them a treat — or, ya know, a hot dog from the cart. That’s okay too.

What you’ll need:

• Mini traffic cones

• Treats

• Natural supplies like sticks and logs

• PVC pipes

• Collapsible plastic tunnels  (optional)

Obstacle courses are so much fun for dogs and humans, especially if you have little ones who like to join in. Pick a sidewalk or trail with minimal foot traffic and set up your course. Use your natural surroundings and some human-made materials to create an obstacle course. 

Space out cones in a line to mimic weave poles, position a branch for jumping, and turn a fallen log into a balance beam — the “pawssibilities” are endless! You can even make collapsible PVC “jumps” and plastic tunnels that are lightweight and easy to move from place to place.

What you’ll need:

• Your dog

• A leash
  

You may not have heard of this sport, but there’s a whole organization of pet parents who are dedicated to it! Doggy parkour is like an obstacle course, but practitioners only use things they find in urban environments. Benches, stair rails, small columns, or upright logs are just a few things doggy parkour-ers use. There’s no limit to what you can use for parkour. If your dog likes to climb trees, that’s parkour!

Parkour offers mental and physical stimulation, builds muscles, and burns calories. The best part of all is parkour is totally free to get into and is only limited by your imagination!

What you’ll need: 

• A leash

• Treats

The stoplight game is the same one you enjoyed as a child, just with your dog instead! Simply start off walking as usual and say, ”Red light,” which is you and your dog’s cue to stop. Over time you can introduce a “yellow light” command, meaning they need to walk slower. You may need to demonstrate this game to your dog a few times before they get it. This fun, mentally stimulating exercise works on impulse control and makes commands fun for your dog.

What you’ll need:

• Lots of treats

Hide and Sniff is sort of like our scavenger hunt game, except you only use treats, and your dog watches while you hide them. This game is excellent for pet parents that are short on time but still want to do something exciting with their dog.

Food-motivated dogs adore this game, and it’s a great introduction to scent work. Find an area with a lot of grass or leaves. Throw some treats down, making sure the natural ground cover obscures them. And voila! A few treats and some grass just turned into a snuffle mat puzzle.

We hope these exercises will bring excitement back to your daily dog walks. Want more fun things to do with your dog? Check out these fun activities for dogs!