How real pet parents keep their dogs entertained

Neighborhood walks and puzzle toys and fetch, oh my! We asked the Juniper community for their dogs' favorite activities. Here's what dedicated pup parents like you had to say.

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Long, sniffy walks (aka sniffaris or decompression walks)

Rachel Terrell, dog mom to Solar Plexus, says her dog loves walks. "He sniffs everything in the neighborhood!" Turns out sniffing is the primary way our dogs gather information about their surroundings. They “see” through smell—so the more they your pup can investigate interesting scents, the better they'll understand the world around them. If you're wondering when you should and maybe shouldn't let your dog sniff on a walk, check out this article for all the nuance.

Long walks are one of Juniper founder Allison's favorite things to share with her dog, Addie, too. (We actually developed The Juniper Podcast with the goal of being the perfect length to listen to while out with your pup.)

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Hide and seek (inside or outside)

"While at home, my dog's favorite game to play is hide and seek," writes Tori Houben, dog mom to Tilly (@tillythemaligator). "We practice sit, stay, touch, and come all in one go."

Here's how she does it:

1. Direct your pup to sit/stay/down somewhere. (If they don't have a solid stay or wait cue yet, you can have someone else hold them back for you.)
2. Run to hide. Keep your hiding spots easy at first!
3. Call your dog. You can use multiple different cues for this depending on your training history (come, touch, etc) or can simply encourage your pup by making cooing noises or clapping.
4. Once they find you, toss a treat across the room to keep it extra fun!

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Agility (in classes or on your own)

Kristena Westerfeld, dog mom to Roxxie (@roxxie_the_rottie), loves running agility courses with her pup. So do Kaitlin (dog mom to Chloe, @sheltie.chloe) and Lina (dog mom to Peach & Dobbie, @peachburritos)—and even Allison, who recently started taking agility classes with Addie!

But agility can be more than formal training and competition environments. Many pet parents love building their dogs' physical confidence out in the "real" world by having them jump over rocks, fallen trees, and other natural barriers on hikes and walks. You can also have fun with indoor obstacle courses when the weather gets rough.

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Meal enrichment (lick mats, snuffle mats, food puzzles)

"My favorite way to keep my dog entertained is using a lick mat with peanut butter (his favorite) for him to have a yummy snack while also engaging in playful enrichment," writes Michelle Baeza, pet parent to Buddy (@itsbuddybuddy). Kristen, dog mom of Taz (@lifewithtazzy) agrees: "Meal enrichment time like snuffle mats and puzzles" tops her list of go-to activities. Kaylin, parent of Tui (@tuitheblackgsd), recommends freezing toys like Kongs and Toppls for an increased challenge.

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Beach and water adventures

We talked to a lot of water lovers. "Pru loves to look for fish in the shallow end of any body of water," writes Kelsey, guardian of Pru (@life.with.pru). "She’s only caught one and I think she prefers trying to stomp on them than catch them, but it keeps her entertained for hours."

Kosmo's (@kosmotheweimaraner) dog mom Gissou often takes him to a lake to swim. Maya (@maya.thebluestaffy) loves walking on the beach with pet parent Asako—and Kari says her dog, Cookie (@cookietheween) shares the same passion.

I'm with them. My own pup Scout doesn't like to actually get wet, but watching sunrise at the beach is one of our all-time favorite ways to spend a morning. She gets mental stimulation from the commotion around her—shorebirds running, people passing, fresh smells—and physical exercise when we share a round of tug in the sand. Plus wading in the water has been great for her confidence over time.

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Need more inspiration?

Check out our free 101 Enrichment Ideas guide for more activities to try with your own pup—customized to their unique personality.