1. Create an Obstacle Course - Dogs LOVE obstacle courses. They love to work, they love to play, and they always love a challenge. Creating an obstacle course in your backyard is a simple, fun, and cheap way to exercise your dog and to put some fun in their lives. Some fun things to put in it: a child's play tunnel, child's play tent, child's plastic slide, hula hoops, traffic cones (legally obtained, I hope!), child's teeter totter... your imagination is the limit! However, please make sure that what you use is safe and correctly put together. Run through the obstacle course with them and you both will have a great time AND a great bonding experience. Don't have the room or the equipment? Go to the park! A playground with no kids and your dog on a leash is a wonderful place for your dog to play and explore. Just make sure that you leave only paw prints in that sand!
2. Get a Sand Box - Let's face it -- dogs are diggers! They love to dig up gardens, lawns, carpet... if their paws can scratch through it, they'll dig! Save yourself (and your dog) the frustration and give them a sand box that will allow them to dig, hide toys, and explore. You can get children's sand boxes from home and hardware stores, toy stores, and second hand from yard sales (or Craigslist, but be careful!) Keep it filled with sand and bury their favorite toys in it... they will spend hours uncovering and reburying them! For everyone's health make sure to keep the sand box clean and closed until it is time to play.
3. Play Hide and Seek - Indoors or outdoors, hide and seek is always fun! Use a Kong filled with treats or their favorite toy and hide it in a random area (don't forget where!) and let them search for it. They'll have a lot of fun searching and in the end there is always a surprise! Throw in even more of a challenge by using multiple treats and toys, or create some competition by having someone else hide them and see if you can find them before your dog -- end with a good chase!
4. Play Catch! - It's simple, fun, and cheap... and it works! Dogs love catching. They love running to catch, jumping, chasing, and keep away is the best! Actively dart around, wiggle your butt, add some twists and turns and both of you will have a great time and get some awesome exercise!
