5 rainy-day games for your dog

Has it been chucking it down all day? Then your dog really doesn’t have to be bored indoors. With these five games you can burn off energy without a single drop landing on the coat.

1. The treat hunt

Hide small treats around the room while your dog waits in another room. Start easy, at paw height, and make it gradually harder. Ten minutes of sniffing tires a dog out more than half an hour of running.

2. The cup game

Place three cups upside down on the floor and hide a reward under one. Shuffle the cups around and let your dog point out where the treat is. Good for the nose and for confidence.

3. Tug-of-war time

An old-fashioned game of tug works perfectly well indoors. Use a sturdy tug rope, let your dog win and lose, and stop in good time. Two short sessions a day are better than one long one.

4. The treat puzzle

Fill a treat puzzle or snuffle mat with part of the daily kibble. Your dog has to slide, turn and rummage to get to the food. Start at an easy level and build up gently.

5. Learning new tricks

A rainy day is the perfect time for a new command. Giving a paw, rolling over or tidying away toys: five minutes of practice at a time is enough. Reward every good attempt and stop on a high.

That way a rained-off day suddenly becomes the best day of the week. And when the sun comes out again? Then there are plenty of adventures waiting outside.