Introduction to Outdoor Games for Dogs
Some dogs love the outdoors and will spend as much time as possible frolicking in the grass and charging down the beach. Outdoor activities give your dog a chance to socialize while taking in the sights and smells they miss when they’re cooped up indoors. It also gives much greater scope for intensive exercise, training, leash work, and bonding between the two of you.
The Importance of Outdoor Games
But, unless you can come up with fun games to play, the excitement can soon wear off for both of you. Outdoor games are essential for dogs as they provide physical and mental stimulation, helping to reduce stress and anxiety. They also help strengthen the bond between you and your dog, which is vital for a healthy and happy relationship.
Top 13 Outdoor Games for Dogs
Below are 13 outdoor games for dogs to play, including some you can set up at home and some that you will need to find a local group or organization to enable you to partake in the fun.
1. Fetch
Fetch is a classic outdoor game beloved by dogs and owners of all types. It will mean training some dogs to bring the ball or toy back before it can be thrown again, but some breeds, especially retriever breeds, will fetch the ball and bring it back instinctively.
2. Chase
Chase is essentially half a game of fetch, but it means you, as the thrower, don’t have to be stationary. If you walk your dog off-leash, where permitted, you can throw a ball, toy, or frisbee, and have your dog chase it.
3. Swim
While some dogs will do everything in their power to get away from water, others love nothing more than running and leaping in the nearest deep puddle. If you live near a beach, walk by the water’s edge and let your dog run in.
4. Agility
You can take your dog to agility classes or set up your own dog agility course at home. You need small jumps, tunnels, and slalom poles to set up a small course.
5. Hide and Seek
If you have a lot of space, and your dog has a good stay command, you can try playing hide and seek, although it will go better with two people: one to hold the dog and the other to hide.
6. Flyball
Flyball is an event that combines running, hurdling, and fetching. Teams of dogs line up, and run down a course, jumping over a series of hurdles.
7. Canicross
Canicross was originally developed as a means of keeping mushing dogs in shape during the off-season, but it has become popular in its own right within the U.S. and UK.
8. Disc Dog
Disc dog is a series of events for dogs and their handlers using frisbees or throwing discs. Events include distance catching and freestyle catching, which is essentially a choreographed throwing and catching routine.
9. Lure Coursing
Lure coursing is a form of dog racing typically reserved for sighthound breeds. In the race, a mechanical lure is pulled around a track and the dogs chase to try and catch it or cross the finish line first.
10. Nose Work
While lure coursing plays to a dog’s incredible sense of sight, nose work events are for dogs with strong senses of smell. Sniffer dogs and rescue dogs rely on their ability to be able to detect smells from considerable distances, and nose work events challenge these senses.
11. Dock Diving
Dock diving is an event where dogs are judged for the distance or height they jump off a dock into water. Not all dogs will take to dock diving because it means the dog needs to enjoy being in the water and they need to be willing to jump into the water without being able to investigate it first.
12. Bikejoring
Bikejoring is another pulling activity that involves both the dog and its handler. In this case, the dog pulls its owner who is riding on a bike behind.
13. Herding
Sheepdog trials are the most common form of herding events, although you can also find duck herding, which is especially suited to smaller dogs and handlers without access to herds of sheep.
Conclusion
There are lots of ways you can enjoy the outdoors with your dog. Taking them on long walks and hikes is good exercise and an opportunity for socialization, but it won’t provide the intensive exercise that some breeds need. Outdoor sports and events like the 13 listed above do provide more exercise, stimulate the brain, and help strengthen the bond between you and your dog. By incorporating these games into your routine, you can help keep your dog happy, healthy, and engaged.