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A dog's daily needs include physical exercise and mental enrichment. While most of us rely on walks and time spent outdoors to meet these needs, bad weather and unexpected circumstances require creative solutions at home. The good news is there are plenty of opportunities to keep boredom at bay with interactive dog toys. Even a high-energy dog in a small apartment can be kept busy with the right toys, tools, and know-how.
We enlisted three experts to come up with the best solutions for providing a dog with mental and physical stimulation indoors: Stacey Campbell, a professional dog trainer and co-owner of Golden Gate Dog Sports; Shura Kelly, a professional dog trainer and owner of Bark to Basics dog daycare; and Chrissy Joy, a celebrity dog trainer. To round out their advice, we also included picks from contributor Shoshi Parks, who is a professional dog trainer, and our own editors and reporters' favorites.
The best dog toys for indoor exercise
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An auto-trainer for building skills and keeping boredom at bay PetSafe Treat and Train Remote Control Dog Trainer This small but mighty machine spits out kibble or treats when you use settings on the device or a remote control. It's excellent for building confidence and training skills in a small space. A handy instruction manual also provides exercises for improving problem behaviors like jumping on guests and barking at the doorbell.
A flirt pole for zooming, tugging, and jumping Outward Hound Tail Teaser This flirt pole taps into a pup's natural instincts as they stalk, chase, jump, and capture the dangling toy. Best of all, this dog chase toy can be used in a relatively small space like a driveway, garage, or even indoors — ideally in a room with carpeted or nonslip floors.
A multipart food toy for snack-based challenges Fable Pets Armadillo This durable rubber puzzle toy is made for tossing, rolling, chewing, and treating. It has three interlocking sections that can be stuffed with food or treats. The sections can be connected for longer play and more advanced problem-solving. Or you can give your dog individual sections for shorter engagement.
A ball pit for retrieving surprises Click N' Play Plastic Balls Ball pits aren't just for humans. You can fill a sturdy storage box with these plastic balls. Then toss in some toys or treats and let your pup excavate the buried treasure.
A puzzle ball for investigating rowdy chipmunks and hidden treats Outward Hound Snuffle N' Treat Ball Stimulate your dog physically and mentally with this ball that has six plush chipmunks tucked inside. With a ribbed texture, the ball wobbles about as a dog works to pull the critters out of one of the six holes. For even larger rewards, hide some treats inside too.
A rolling food-dispensing toy with a mind of its own PetSafe Kibble Chase Roaming Treat Dropper We love rolling and wobbling food-dispensing toys that encourage a dog to manipulate their meal with their paw or nose. Petsafe's battery-operated Kibble Chase starts with this premise, then turbocharges it with a battery-operated barrel that rolls randomly, bumps off of walls and furniture, and drops kibble or treats as it goes
A snuffle mat for rooting out kibble and treats Paw5 Wooly Snuffle Mat When the outdoors is inhospitable — and even when it's not — Kelly uses food-foraging snuffle mats to provide her dogs with mental stimulation. I like snuffle mats, too, especially for dogs who lack the ability or motivation to get through a more complex puzzle toy.
Activity cones for playing sniff-and-seek or building an obstacle course Melissa & Doug Activity Cones One of our favorite games is sniff-and-seek, which involves setting out these cones in a random pattern and hiding treats under half of them for a dog to root out. Cones can also be used to teach various tricks and behaviors and for laying out the footprint of a fun racing course.
A sturdy knotted rope for games of tug Mammoth 3 Knot Rope Tug Playing with your dog is one of the most important things you can do at home, and Campbell says it's great for bonding. In addition to playing tug with this heavy-duty rope toy, you can use it to entice your dog to pounce and chase, which can help unlock the joy of play.
A toy for food-based enrichment and mental stimulation Kong Extreme One of the original food-dispensing puzzle toys, the Kong is a favorite for busting boredom. Kong toys can be packed with any kind of treat or kibble mixed with creamy peanut butter, cottage cheese, or wet dog food. For dogs who are new to this toy, use a larger size and pack it loosely.
A plush puzzle toy for problem-solving Outward Hound Hide-a-Squirrel Dogs who gravitate toward softer toys will delight in retrieving the squeaky squirrels hidden inside a plush log. Unlike many rolling and bobbing puzzle toys, this is a quieter toy (aside from the squeaky squirrels). It's gentle on hardwood floors too.
A ball within a ball to keep them guessing Jolly Pets Teaser Ball Dogs who love to chase balls will be surprised by this one's unpredictable rolling pattern. The toy's ball-within-a-ball design makes it move erratically, keeping pups on their toes. For added enrichment, smear peanut butter or another sticky treat across the interior ball.
A wobbly food-dispensing toy that gets them moving Kong Wobbler Joy recommends the Kong Wobbler, which takes food-based play to the next level. A dog can nudge this toy with their snout and paw at it to release treats or kibble from a hole in the side. One of our editor's dogs happily eats his entire meals from the Wobbler.
A food-dispensing toy for treating and fetching West Paw Zogoflex Toppl The Zogoflex is a uniquely shaped vessel for tasty treats. The durable toy wobbles and rolls as dogs seek out the food inside. Made of soft, bouncy plastic composite, it's also an excellent toy for indoor fetch.
A toy with layers of fun BarkBox Consuela Comes Out This rip-and-reveal toy is ripe for problem-solving and destruction. Dogs who dissect their toys will find a few surprises inside, while leaving no messy fluff in their wake. The three-layered toy's cute cactus exterior conceals a fabric wrapped rubber squeaky ball inside.
A puzzle toy for pawing and nuzzling Trixie Turn Around Strategy Game Engage small dogs with a food puzzle toy just their size. This game features small tubes that rotate around a plastic rod. Fill the tubes with treats and let your pup use their nose and paws to release their rewards through small holes at the end of each tube.
A tug-friendly plush for interactive play Zippy Paws Skinny Peltz If your dog is more motivated by plushies than rope toys, we recommend this pack of three long-tailed critters for playing tug. The stuffing-free toys won't leave a mess of fuzz, and their internal squeakers will keep dogs interested.
A remote control car for fast and furious games of chase SGILE Remote Control Car Chasing remote control cars is a favorite activity of Kelly's pack. While this car isn't specifically a dog toy for chasing, it's an exciting toy to use with supervision.
FAQs
How can I exercise my dog indoors?
When it comes to stimulating indoor exercise for dogs, Kelly says that creativity is key. But learning what type of toys your pup enjoys may take a while. They might favor chew balls, ropes to tug, or something to chase. The important thing is to find one of the best dog toys that will excite your pup.
How do I keep my dog active while working from home?
One of Joy's favorite ways to keep her pups busy during the day is by using one of the best dog puzzle toys. These toys encourage mental stimulation and problem-solving, which is a great way to engage a dog.
Supervision is important for any type of play, but Joy says it's especially vital with puzzle toys made of hard plastic. Heavy chewers may be able to break off bits of plastic and ingest them, so be sure to keep an eye on them during this activity.
Do dogs get bored sitting around all day?
Yes. Exercise and mental stimulation are essential for your dog's well-being and their relationship with you. "Play is great for relationship building and creating motivation, [but] play takes practice," says Campbell.
Both Campbell and Joy say that trial and error will likely be involved when you teach your dog how to play with you. Because dogs don't know how to inherently play with their humans, teaching them to do so using the best dog training treats and positive reinforcement methods can help alleviate boredom.
What toy do dogs love the most?
Dog toys are not one-size-fits-all, but most pups enjoy food-based toys. Treat-dispensing puzzle toys can often keep pups entertained longer than regular plushies or chews.
But Joy says to be careful when filling food-based toys with treats. "Don't just fill all of these with treats because, with that, we get issues of obesity and caloric overload," she says. Instead, Joy recommends switching up food-based activities by hiding a portion of a dog's meals inside rather than just high-calorie snacks.
What is the best dog toy for dogs that chew everything?
The best dog toys for aggressive chewers are made of durable, long-lasting materials like natural rubber. We also recommend purchasing toys that are difficult to break into smaller pieces, which pose many hazards to your dog's safety. Our experts generally like toys that are tough but not so tough that you can't indent them with your fingernail.
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