Let’s Find Out What Are The Interactive Games For Dogs

The most developed organ in dogs is the sense of smell. You can use their natural tendency to search and find items to  create fun games for both you and your pets. Interactive dog toys are very enjoyable and beneficial. In pet stores you can find various types, especially puzzles. They are usually expensive, and it can be difficult to get your dog to use them for the first time. If the animal fails to win, it may get annoyed.

At home, you can easily make free interactive games by recycling items you already have. In this article we will give you some ideas to create them,  but even with the imagination you can do it.

Interactive games for dogs

An interactive game is an object that the dog must move in a certain way to get a reward. Only by finding out how to use it will he get a reward. For this,  the animal will have to use the sense of smell, intelligence and some parts of the body  to succeed.

Source: CleverPet Facebook

Smell is very important for a dog. Using it relaxes,  helps to rest better, is great for relieving stress and, when your 4-legged friend understands how the game works and gets the reward, his self-esteem will increase because he will be happier.

How do you use an interactive game?

To create an interactive game, you need to consider four factors:

1. May the dog be able to overcome the challenge. What we want is for him to solve the problem, so you have to give him some easy proofs. If the animal is unable to find out how to earn a reward, you need to lower the level and start over, but at an easier level.
2. Don’t get bored. When it starts to overcome the obstacles, you have to  increase the difficulty little by little. Interactive dog toys have to be especially interesting.
3. That it is suitable for the size of the dog. You cannot make the same game for both a Chihuahua and a German Shepherd. The animal has to have fun, and if it can’t solve the game, it won’t be able to.
4. Be sure. Do not use toxic or dangerous materials  in case the dog eats it by mistake. And also make sure it doesn’t have any sharp edges.

Interactive games must always be used with your supervision,  and must not last more than 10 minutes per day. More time could cause stress or frustration. Once you understand all this, choose the rewards your furry friend appreciates the most, and you can start creating them yourself.

Homemade interactive games

We offer you 5 games of various levels that you can create with recycled materials.

• Searching. It is the basic and easiest game you can start with. Searching consists  of spreading treats on the floor and letting the dog find them,  without giving him any kind of command. The animal will activate its sense of smell, discovering for itself when the rewards are over. Once the dog understands how the game works, you can move on to the next level.

• A prize inside the newspaper. Wrap a prize with newspaper. This type of paper is better, is more tactile than a magazine, and is less dangerous if your dog eats it along with the treat. Remember to make the game very easy in the beginning, the newspaper balls must be long and contain a lot of rewards. As your furry friend learns to unpack them, you can reduce the amount of prizes and squeeze the paper balls more tightly.

Interactive dog toys created with recycled materials

• Put a prize inside a box. For us, a box is not an obstacle, but getting inside it could be a great challenge for a dog. Hide a treat inside a box and let your dog rush to retrieve it  or put himself in it. If it’s too hard for him, you can turn it around and let him figure out for himself how to flip it.

• A prize inside the bottle. You need a clean, empty plastic bottle. Cut it in several places to make holes, and put various prizes in it. The dog will get them by spinning or flipping it. Remember that games must be safe: make sure you don’t leave any sharp parts when you pierce it and remove the plastic ring from the cap.
• Hanging bottles. With this game, your dog will have to learn how  to overturn the bottles to drop the food you put in them. You need 3 empty plastic bottles and a structure in which to hang them using a stick to pass from one side to the other of the containers in question. Let the dog find out how to knock them over so that the treat falls directly into their mouth.

Interactive dog toys are healthy and have many benefits. If you adapt them to their abilities, you will offer them challenges that will keep them entertained and entertain them. In addition, they will improve their mood and strengthen your bond.