Fun Dog Training Games to Keep Your Dog Engaged.

Are you having a ruff time engaging your doggo during training? 

It’s not always because you lack the right training skills, and definitely not because your pup is untrainable. In most cases, you’re just missing a key element in your training sessions — fun! 

After all, you know what they say, “All fetch and no play makes Fido a dull dog” (well, something close to that). Plus, gamifying your training sessions will improve your pooch’s participation and response and build a stronger bond between you two.

With that said, here are 8 fun dog training games you can try with your fur baby, whether at home or outdoors. Let the dog games begin!

1. Muffin Tin Puzzle

Best location: Indoors 

Best for: Mental stimulation and improved problem-solving skills

The Muffin Tin Puzzle game is a fun and easy DIY game you can create with two simple things. All you need is a muffin tin and some tennis balls or any type of small balls, as long as they cover the tin holes completely. 

How to Play:

• Hide treats in each tin hole and cover it with a tennis ball. This initial step will help your pup catch on to what the game is about.

• Hand the muffin tin over to your doggo and let them sniff out the treats.

• If they manage to get a treat under one of the balls, immediately reward them with praise so they know they’re doing the right thing. 

• Now increase the difficulty by hiding treats in lesser tin holes and see if your doggo can figure out where the treats are hidden.

Impawtant Note: What if your dog is more interested in playing with the balls instead of finding the treat? That’s okay! You can also try the cups game, which is a fun variation of this type of puzzle game. The “Which Hand?” game is also a great alternative, especially for younger puppies starting from 8 weeks old. 

2. Hide and Seek

Best location: Indoors or outdoors

Best for: Obedience and recall training

We all enjoyed this game growing up, and your doggo will love it too! It’s a great way to include the whole family, especially the kids, in recall training. However, it’s best to start indoors until your dog understands the game, especially if they haven’t fully mastered off-leash recall. You don’t want them running off, never to be seen again.

How to Play: 

• Ask your dog to sit and stay while you all go find somewhere to hide. You can also have someone in the family hold the dog while you go hide.

• Decide beforehand the order in which you will each call the dog, starting with you. That way, your pooch is not overwhelmed.

• Once everyone is at their hiding spot, start calling your dog to you.

• When your doggo finds you, reward them with lots of praise and treats or your dog’s favorite toy. 

• You can have the next family member call out to the dog in the agreed order and repeat the same steps until everyone has been found.

To keep your dog interested, make it easier for them to find you. At first, you can be the only one hiding, then gradually add more family members as your pooch gets used to the game. Also, pick easy hiding spots at first, then gradually increase the difficulty of the game by finding harder places to hide. 

For younger pups, an easier alternative to this game is the Ping-Pong game. It is also great for teaching your dog the “come” command if you haven’t yet.

3. Red Light Green Light

Best location: Outdoors
Best for: Obedience and leash training

Are you a Squid Game fan or probably played this game as a child? Then you’ll have a great time playing it with your furry friend. This fun game is a great way to teach dogs loose leash walking. It’s especially the best option for you if your dog is easily stimulated by every smell, noise, or object in sight when you’re at the park or during your walks.

To play the game, you need one other person to help and enough space. We recommend starting out in your yard before taking this game to the park, to remove all distractions. If you don’t have a yard, your living room can work too. You might have to move some furniture around to create enough room.

How to Play:

• Have the other person stand a distance away from you and your dog, who should be on a leash.

• When the person’s back is turned to you, that means a green light, so you give your dog the command to start walking and rapidly advance toward the person.

• When the person turns around to face you, that means a red light, so you immediately give your dog the command to sit and stay.

• Reward your dog each time they successfully sit and stay or walk upon command.  

The fun is in keeping you and your dog guessing by having the other person turn around randomly. It’s a great way to also teach your dog self-control and obedience in any situation.

You can also discourage pulling and teach your dog loose leash walking faster with a simpler variation of this game. During your walks, a tight leash would mean a red light, so you stop walking and reward your dog if they stop pulling and come back to you. A loose leash would mean a green light, so you can keep walking.  

4. Follow Me 

Best location: Outdoors

Best for: Leash training

This is another great way to help your dog learn to walk on a loose leash. The goal is to teach your pooch to walk beside you and follow you no matter where you go. This will help keep their attention on you even in highly stimulating environments like parks or busy roads. To play, you’ll need a good leash and collar or harness. 

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How to Play:

• Start by walking in any direction.

• When your dog catches up to you, immediately reward them with a treat. 

• If they start walking ahead of you, gently take a 180-degree turn and walk in the opposite direction. 

• Wait for your dog to catch up to you again and give them another treat.
  Repeat this by turning around each time your dog starts to walk ahead of you.

To limit distractions at first, start playing this game in a quiet environment, like in the house or your yard. Once your fur baby understands the game, you can increase the challenge by going to busier places. 

5. Hand Zen

Best location: Indoors or outdoors

Best for: Impulse control training

This is a great exercise to try if your dog jumps on people when they’re holding something, or if your dog struggles to stay still when they see food. The game aims to teach your dog to wait for what they want to be given to them instead of snatching it. 

How to Play:

• Put a handful of dog treats in the palm of one hand and hold it about 12 inches from your dog’s nose. 

• As soon as your dog moves towards the treats, close your hand into a fist.

• Wait for your pooch to settle then slowly try opening your fist full of treats again.

• Repeat this until you’re able to open your fist fully without your doggy trying to snatch the treats.

• Immediately reward them with a treat from your open palm using your other free hand. 

• Be careful to close up your fist as soon as your pooch tries to reach for more treats.

• Repeat these steps until your dog completely stops reaching for the treats and patiently waits for you to feed them. 

You can try this exercise standing, sitting, lying down, in different parts of the house, and outside. It will help your dog practice impulse control in any situation. 

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6. Wild Sits

Best location: Indoors

Best for: Obedience training

Most dogs get excited at the smallest of things, and that’s perfectly normal. But if you want your dog to learn how to sit and settle on cue regardless of what’s happening around them, this is a fun way to do it.

How to Play:

• Have your dog on a leash.

• Do something to get your dog excited. You can jump up and down, clap your hand, or round in circles around them. 

• As soon as they are excited, give them the command to sit.

• Wait until they manage to sit and immediately reward them with praise and a treat. 

• Repeat the same steps, increasing the wildness of your movement and randomness of delivering the ‘sit’ command. 

This game is perfect for curbing bad dog behavior, especially in hyperactive dogs. But try to avoid your dog getting too worked up in the beginning. Start with slow movements like walking back and forth in front of them and gradually increase the craziness of your movements. 

7. Obstacle Course

Best location: Outdoors

Best for: Agility training and mental stimulation

Obstacle courses are always a fun choice, especially for high-energy dogs. It’s the best way to tire your dog out both mentally and physically. The best part is you don’t have to buy an agility set. You can DIY different variations of obstacle courses using stuff in your house like chairs, a broom, a bucket, and so on.

How to Play:

• Set up your obstacles. Start with smaller or simpler obstacles and gradually build difficulty from there.

• With your dog on a leash, lead them over the obstacles using the appropriate cue for what you want them to do. Only use a single command for each activity. 

• Use some high-value treats at first to help motivate your dog to get over the obstacles.

• Immediately reward them as soon as they successfully get over the obstacles.
  Repeat until your doggo can get over the obstacle without your help and treat motivators.
  

The beauty of obstacle courses is they can be tweaked to be suitable for any age, from puppies to older dogs. Be creative and tailor it to your dog’s abilities. Also, practicing the appropriate cues like, jump, weave, etc., beforehand, will help your doggo catch on a lot faster.  

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8. Fetch and wait

Best location: Outdoors

Best for: Exercise and obedience training

Dogs love to play fetch. It’s a great exercise and a fun way to learn retrieval. In this twist of the game, your doggo also learns how to practice impulse controls and obey commands. 

How to Play:

• Have your dog on a leash by your side. 

• Holding the leash in one hand, give the command “wait” and throw their favorite toy or fetching object a distance away. Start with about a foot away. 

• If your dog fusses and tries to move towards the toy or object immediately, give them time to settle before releasing them. 

• Once settled or if your dog waits one second before going after the toy, give the command “Get it”, release them, and encourage them to fetch. 

• Reward them as soon as they bring the toy or object back.

As your pooch gets better at waiting for your command, you can increase the number of seconds they have to wait before you release them to go fetch. You can also gradually throw the object or toy further and further away.

Make Training More Enjoyable!

Dog training shouldn’t be a boring series of repeated commands. You can make your training sessions more enjoyable by incorporating fun games for both you and your fur baby. 

Remember, the whole point is for your pooch to stay engaged and entertained, so ensure you consider your dog’s age, health, energy level, personality, and preference. But most importantly — have fun!

Happy playing!