11 Indoor Activities for Dogs on Rainy Days

When heavy rain shortens a walk, the best indoor plan is not one exhausting game. Use several short activities that let your dog sniff, think, practise familiar skills and settle between sessions. You can do most of them with dry food, household items and a clear patch of floor.

These 11 rainy-day activities range from easy scent games to food puzzles and controlled movement. Choose activities that suit your dog's age, health, confidence and home. Indoor games add useful variety, but they do not automatically replace outdoor exercise, toileting or the chance to explore outside when conditions are safe.

Before you start: make the room safe

Clear breakable objects, cables and anything your dog could knock over. Avoid fast turns on laminate, tile or another slippery floor; use a rug or mat for grip. Keep games away from stairs, and do not ask a dog to jump over furniture.

Measure any kibble or treats before the first game so you know how much food is being used. Food rewards still count towards the day's total. Supervise toys and homemade activities, especially if your dog tears fabric, cardboard or plastic.

1. Play an easy “find it” game

Ask your dog to wait in another room or have someone hold them. Place a few pieces of familiar dry food in obvious locations around one room, then release your dog and say your usual search cue. The first round should be simple: place food beside a chair leg, near a doorway or on the edge of a rug rather than inside inaccessible spaces.

Once your dog understands the game, hide pieces behind safe objects or across two rooms. Never place food near cleaning products, electrical equipment or anything you do not want your dog investigating later.

2. Turn breakfast into a snuffle search

A snuffle mat lets you create a scent-search game without hiding food around the house. Start with kibble visible on top, then tuck pieces deeper into the folds after your dog learns the activity. Our full snuffle mat guide explains the beginner setup, suitable foods, cleaning and supervision.

The Pawwish Dog Snuffle and Foraging Mat measures 50 × 50 cm and can be machine washed cold. It should be picked up after the food is found because a snuffle mat is not a chew toy.

3. Use a compartment puzzle

Food puzzles ask a dog to move covers, flaps or sliders to reach a reward. Put food in only one or two easy compartments at first. Let your dog investigate, and make the next attempt easier if they paw frantically, bite the puzzle or walk away.

The Dog Enrichment Puzzle Toy uses sliding covers, flaps and spinners. It measures 32 × 22 cm and is suitable for small pieces of dry food. Supervise use and remove it if your dog tries to chew the plastic rather than operate the puzzle.

4. Roll food across the floor

A dispensing ball creates movement without encouraging uncontrolled running through the house. Fill it with a small measured portion of dry food, place it on a non-slip surface and show your dog that rolling it releases pieces.

Block access under sofas before starting so the ball does not disappear halfway through the activity. Use a smaller area for beginners and check that the toy is too large to swallow. The Pawwish Dog Sniff Ball Puzzle Toy has a 10 cm diameter and is intended for dogs over four months.

5. Run a five-minute training session

Rainy days are useful for practising skills that need little space. Pick one or two familiar behaviours, such as hand target, go to bed, wait, leave, chin rest or standing calmly for a harness. Reward accuracy and stop while your dog still wants to participate.

The Kennel Club's indoor game ideas also include building short routines from behaviours a dog already knows. Keep floors secure and avoid repetitive jumping or tight, fast turns.

6. Play hide-and-seek with a person

One person stays with the dog while another hides somewhere easy. Call the dog once, then reward them when they find the hidden person. Make each hiding place slightly harder only after the dog is succeeding.

For a one-person version, ask your dog to wait while you step behind a door, then call them. Keep the atmosphere relaxed; the game should not involve frightening the dog, shutting them into a confined space or encouraging them to race on stairs.

7. Make a supervised cardboard search box

Place several empty cardboard tubes or loosely crumpled sheets of plain packing paper inside a shallow box. Scatter a measured portion of kibble between them and let your dog search. The National Animal Welfare Trust includes similar low-cost food-search ideas in its enrichment guidance.

Use clean, plain materials without staples, tape, labels or plastic film. Watch the entire activity and stop if your dog eats cardboard or paper instead of searching around it. This game is not suitable for every dog.

8. Use a textured feeding activity

If your dog normally finishes dry food quickly, move part of the measured meal onto a textured feeder. Begin with food placed where it is easy to reach, then spread it across more sections as your dog learns.

The Dog Enrichment Feeding Toy measures 28 × 28 cm and has a non-slip base. It is designed for food use and should be hand washed after the session. For dogs that rush meals, also read our guide to practical ways to slow mealtimes.

9. Practise settling on a mat

Indoor enrichment does not always need to create more excitement. Put a familiar bed or mat in a quiet area. Reward your dog for looking at it, stepping onto it and eventually choosing to lie down. Deliver rewards calmly between their paws rather than throwing them away from the mat.

Work in small steps and release your dog before they become restless. This is training, not a test of how long they can remain still. A useful rainy-day routine alternates active searching with calm rest.

10. Play controlled tug

If your dog already enjoys tug and releases toys reliably, play on a grippy surface with enough space around you. Keep the toy low, use side-to-side movements instead of lifting the dog, and pause regularly. Stop if teeth contact skin, the dog becomes overexcited or the toy starts to split.

Tug is not suitable in every home or for every dog's physical condition. Choose a quieter scent or training game when space is limited.

11. Build a slow indoor route

Create a simple route using safe, stable objects on the floor: walk around a chair, step onto a mat, pause beside a box and finish at a bed. Guide your dog slowly with a food lure or familiar cues. The goal is controlled movement and attention, not speed.

Do not create jumps, narrow gaps or unstable obstacles. Puppies, older dogs and dogs with pain or mobility restrictions need activities selected with professional advice.

A simple rainy-day schedule

You do not need to run all 11 activities. A manageable day could look like this:

• Morning: serve part of breakfast in a snuffle mat or textured feeder.
• Midday: practise one familiar skill, followed by rest.
• Afternoon: play find it, hide-and-seek or use a beginner puzzle.
• Evening: choose a calm search, gentle play or settle-on-a-mat session.

Watch your dog's behaviour and stop before they become frustrated or overexcited. Some dogs prefer several very short sessions; others may solve one food puzzle and then sleep.

Should you still walk a dog when it rains?

Rain alone does not mean every walk must be cancelled. Many dogs are comfortable going outside in wet weather, while others dislike heavy rain. Consider temperature, wind, visibility, flooding, thunder, your dog's health and the safety of local paths. Dogs still need suitable toilet opportunities.

Do not walk in dangerous weather or force a frightened dog outside. If reduced exercise continues because of illness, injury, severe weather or a sudden change in your dog's willingness to walk, ask your vet for advice appropriate to that dog.

Which indoor activity should you choose?

• For a beginner: visible “find it” pieces or food scattered on top of a snuffle mat.
• For a confident problem-solver: a compartment puzzle introduced one section at a time.
• For a dog that likes movement: a dispensing ball on a grippy, enclosed floor area.
• For quick eaters: part of a measured meal in a textured feeder.
• For dogs that need calm practice: short training and settle-on-a-mat work.

Plan the next indoor day

Browse our tested dog enrichment toys, use the free dog enrichment planner, or compare more options in our guide to dog enrichment toys and how to use them.