Some dogs come back from an hour's walk and look at you as if to say, right, what's next? If you've got a young, working-breed or simply bouncy dog, you'll know the feeling. And on the days when work, weather or life gets in the way of a long walk, that energy has to go somewhere.
The good news: a tired dog isn't only about miles. Using their nose and brain can be just as satisfying as running, and mixing the two is usually best. Here are ten ideas we like.
1. Swap one walk for a sniff walk
Let your dog set the pace and sniff for as long as they want. A slow, nose-down walk on a long line can settle a dog surprisingly well, because sniffing is hard mental work.
2. Scatter feed instead of using a bowl
Throw a portion of their dry food across the lawn (or a towel indoors) and let them hunt it out. It turns two minutes of eating into ten minutes of searching.
3. Play "find it"
Ask your dog to wait, hide a treat or toy somewhere easy, then say "find it". Make the hiding places harder as they get the idea. Behind doors, under cushions and in cardboard boxes all work.
4. Do five minutes of training
Short training sessions are tiring in a good way. Practise sit, down, stay and recall, or teach something new like a spin or a paw. Keep it short, keep it fun and stop while they're still keen.
5. Turn treats into a chase
A treat launcher lets you reward your dog and get them moving at the same time: press the button, the treat flies, and your dog gets a burst of chasing and sniffing before the next one. It's handy in the garden for practising a recall too. Use small, soft treats and count them as part of the day's food.
6. Make fetch structured, not endless
Fetch is great fun, but non-stop throwing can wind some dogs up rather than tire them out. Try short rounds with a "drop", "wait" and "go" before each throw, then finish with something calm. A soft flying saucer is easy to carry in a pocket and gentler on mouths than a hard disc.
7. Let a ball launcher take a turn
For dogs who genuinely love to fetch, an automatic ball launcher can take the strain off your arm in the garden. Start on the shortest distance, supervise every session and keep sessions short, the same as you would if you were throwing.
8. Build a cardboard box challenge
Put a few treats in a cardboard box filled with scrunched-up paper and let your dog rummage. Take out anything they try to eat rather than tear.
9. Try a new route or a new surface
New smells and sights are tiring. Even a short walk somewhere different, or over sand, grass and gravel, gives their brain more to process than the usual loop.
10. Practise doing nothing
It sounds odd, but teaching a dog to settle on a bed while you have a cup of tea is one of the most useful things you can do with a high-energy dog. Reward calm, and build up the time slowly.
A quick word on safety
Every dog is different. Puppies, older dogs and dogs with joint problems may need gentler, lower-impact games, so check with your vet if you're unsure. Always supervise play with toys, pick toys that are the right size for your dog, and take away anything that gets damaged.
Looking for more ideas? Browse our toys and play kit, or email hello@thezoomieco.co.uk with the game your dog loves most.