Bored Dog? Try These 3 Easy DIY Enrichment Games!

Hey there, dog parents! 🐾

If your pup is getting into mischief, staring at you with those “I'm sooo bored” eyes, or just needs a little mental boost, enrichment games are where it’s at. These super simple DIY activities are designed to engage your dog’s natural instincts—sniffing, solving, shredding, and foraging—while keeping them happy, stimulated, and tired in the best way possible.

The best part? You don’t need any fancy gear. You’ve probably got everything you need lying around your house already!

Here are 3 easy DIY enrichment games you can set up in just a few minutes. Let’s play!

🎯 1. Muffin Tin Puzzle

Supplies Needed:

• Muffin tin (any size)

• Small treats or kibble

• Tennis balls, wadded paper balls, or small dog-safe toys

How to Play:

1. Place a few treats in each muffin cup.

2. Cover each cup with a tennis ball or toy.

3. Set it down and let your dog figure out how to remove the covers to get to the goodies underneath.

Make It Trickier: Put treats in only some of the cups so your dog has to sniff them out. Hello, nose work!

🧻 2. Towel Wrap Treats Game

Supplies Needed:

• 1 towel (a small bath or hand towel works great)

• A handful of small treats or kibble

How to Play:

1. Lay the towel flat on the floor.

2. Sprinkle treats along the length of the towel.

3. Roll it up like a burrito.

4. For extra fun, tie it in a loose knot!

Your pup will sniff, paw, and unroll their way to treat-town.

🥤 3. Stacked Paper Cups Game

Supplies Needed:

• 4–6 paper cups (or compostable cups—whatever’s dog-safe)

• Small treats

How to Play:

1. Place a treat in the first cup.

2. Nest a second cup on top of it.

3. Add another treat, then another cup.

4. Repeat until you have a stack of cups with treats hidden in between each layer.

Hand the stack to your pup and let them figure out how to pull it apart to get to the treats. This one’s a brain teaser and a puzzle all in one!

🛑 Safety First!

These games are meant to be supervised. Always keep an eye on your dog while they play—especially if they’re new to enrichment activities or prone to chewing. Make sure they don’t eat any part of the toy, cup, towel, or muffin tin (yep, some dogs will try!). When in doubt, help them out and remove anything that could turn into a snack.

Why Bother With Enrichment?

Because a bored dog is a mischievous dog. 🐶 Enrichment helps reduce stress, improve behavior, build confidence, and strengthen your bond with your pup. It turns mealtime into playtime, exercise into brain work, and every day into an opportunity to have fun together.

Give one (or all!) of these games a try and let us know how your pup likes them. Bonus points if you tag us in a video—we love seeing those tail-wagging wins!

🐾