5 Easy Enrichment Games You Can Play With Your Dog at Home

Here is something I tell nearly every family I work with: a tired dog is not only a dog who has run a lot of miles. A dog who has had to *think* is just as content, and often calmer, than one who has only burned physical energy. Mental work fatigues a dog in a way that surprises people the first time they see it. Ten minutes of real problem-solving can settle a dog for the rest of the evening.

That matters here more than you might expect. In Westchester and Fairfield County we get plenty of days when a full outdoor session is hard to pull off, whether it is rain, a July afternoon too hot for pavement, or a long workday. On those days, enrichment games keep dogs engaged and satisfied indoors, and it is part of how our team keeps dogs happy on walks and day visits too.

Below are five games I come back to again and again. None of them require special equipment, and all of them are genuinely doable this evening. Read the safety note at the end before you start.

Sniffing is one of the most mentally demanding things a dog does, and that focus is deeply satisfying to them. A snuffle hunt turns your living room floor or backyard into a search zone.

Try it tonight:

1. Measure out a small handful of your dog’s kibble or a few low-calorie treats.
2. Roll out a bath towel and scatter the pieces across it, then loosely fold and crumple the towel so the food tucks into the folds. (No towel? Scatter directly in the grass outside.)
3. Let your dog watch you place a few pieces so they understand the game.
4. Give a release word like “find it” and let them nose through the folds at their own pace.
5. When they finish, shake out the towel and reset for a second round if they are still keen. Start easy and make it harder over a few sessions. A dog who masters the towel can graduate to a store-bought snuffle mat.

This one uses a regular metal muffin tin and a handful of tennis balls, and it delivers a surprising amount of problem-solving.

Try it tonight:

1. Drop a treat or a few pieces of kibble into some of the muffin cups. Leave a few cups empty so your dog has to check each one.
2. Place a tennis ball on top of every cup, covering the treats.
3. Set the tin on the floor and encourage your dog to investigate.
4. Let them nudge, paw, and lift the balls off to reveal what is underneath.
5. Refill and rearrange which cups are baited so the pattern changes each time. Use size-appropriate balls. For a small dog, smaller balls work better; for a big dog, make sure the balls are too large to swallow.

Dogs are far better at learning words than most people realize. Teaching your dog the name of a specific toy, then sending them to retrieve it, is one of the most impressive and rewarding games you can build at home.

Try it tonight:

1. Pick one toy and give it a clear, simple name, like “bunny.”
2. Hold it out, say the name, and reward your dog every time they touch or take it. Repeat over a few short sessions across a few days.
3. Once the name sticks, place the toy a short distance away and say “find bunny.”
4. When they bring it back, celebrate. Then add a second named toy and ask them to choose the correct one.
5. As a variation, have a family member hide in another room and send your dog to “find” them by name.

This game builds vocabulary and gives your dog a real sense of accomplishment. Go slow and keep it positive.

This is the simplest game on the list and perfect for a quiet moment on the couch. It sharpens your dog’s scent discrimination and focus.

Try it tonight:

1. Show your dog a treat, then put both hands behind your back.
2. Close the treat inside one fist and bring both closed hands forward.
3. Ask “which hand?” and let your dog sniff and choose by nosing or pawing a hand.
4. If they pick the correct one, open it and let them have the treat. If they pick the empty one, calmly show both hands and try again.
5. Play five or six rounds, switching which hand holds the treat.

It takes two minutes and it is a lovely way to end the day together.

If your dog enjoys a bit of controlled destruction, this channels that energy into a fun, mentally engaging session and saves your shoes in the process.

Try it tonight:

1. Grab a clean cardboard box and remove any tape, staples, or labels.
2. Crumple a few sheets of plain paper and toss them in.
3. Scatter a small number of treats among the crumpled paper.
4. Set the box down and let your dog dig, sniff, and shred their way to the rewards.
5. When they are done, clean up any paper right away so nothing gets swallowed.

I call this “search and shred.” It is messy in the best way, and it gives dogs a satisfying outlet indoors.

A quick safety note. Supervise every game from start to finish. Use size-appropriate items so nothing becomes a choking hazard, and remove any piece of towel, paper, or ball your dog might try to swallow. Skip cardboard sessions with dogs who tend to eat what they shred. And remember to count treats toward your dog’s daily calories.

These five games work for almost any dog, so rotate through them and pay attention to which one lights your dog up the most. If you would like a hand keeping your dog mentally engaged during the workday, that is a big part of what we do. Across Thumping Tails we have served more than 550 families since 2018, we hold a 4.9-star rating on Google from over 80 reviews, and we are recommended by local veterinarians. You can read more on my about page.

Michael Ferraro

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