Most of us like to spend time lying on the couch and looking at the TV or laptop, but German Shepherds prefer walks, games, and nature. I have compiled a list of fun games and activities for your German shepherds. If interested, please continue reading.
Activities are critical to keeping GSDs healthy and happy. They require a lot of attention, play, and exercise, or they become restless, anxious, and even destructive.
Fun Activities That You Can Do with Your German Shepherds at Home
It’s summertime, and the sun is hot. If you are not on vacation and still want to do something fun with your German Shepherds, you can try these fun activities at home.
There are some fun indoor games that you can play with your German shepherds in summer. It is crucial that you spend just as much time with your dog during hot weather as you would any other time of year. You don’t need to go outside for these (if you don’t want to).
Play Hide and Seek With Your GSD
This game encourages your GSDs to use their sense of smell to find you. Grab your dog’s favorite toy or a few treats and hide while the dog doesn’t see it. Then call your GSD and let them find you. Praise your dog with one of the treats or toys.
Use the “Stay!” command to stop your GSDs from following you while you hide. If your dog isn’t already familiar with this command, this is a great game to introduce it to them.
Choose easy-to-find hiding places at first, to accustom the dog then gradually hide in more difficult places. Once your dog is proficient, you can completely hide from view, forcing the dogs to use their sense of smell to find you.
Find a few places in your room where you can hide. Change your hiding place every time your GSD finds you. This is more than enough for your pet! If you have nowhere to hide, this is not a reason to abandon the game. You can always hide behind a curtain or use a bedsheet.
Let Them Earn Their Treats
- Take your old boots or a rolled-up towel and stuff a treat inside. Watch your GSD try to get the treat. Make sure that you use a towel, not a handkerchief so that they don’t swallow it accidentally. If you don’t want to waste a towel, you can always order puzzle toys for your dogs.
- In front of the dog, open the drawer, put a treat in it, and close it again, leaving a small gap. Let the dog get the treat.
- Be careful with this one. Tie a large treat to a cord or rope and tuck it further under the cabinet so that only the rope’s end is within the dog’s reach. The dog must not swallow the cord! Ensure that the dog is rewarded only for pulling the treat by the rope.
- Take a bowl of water and put a non-sinkable lid with a treat or a toy in the water. Tell the dog to get the treat.
- Layout a path of treats in the apartment and let the dog walk along with it. This will help them develop a tracking sense.
Homemade Obstacle Course
- Use stable stools so that they don’t get themselves tangled in it. Arrange the stools one after the other and cover the top with a blanket to make a tunnel. Use the treat to force the dog to go through it.
- Hang a towel in the lower parts of the door and your homemade obstacle course is ready. Call your GSD and watch him as he passes the obstacle.
- Teach your dog to jump rope. Give one end of the jump ropes to a friend and keep the other. You can also do it yourself by tying one end of the rope to something else. Using the “Jump!” command, make the dog jump at precisely the right time. Be careful not to hit the dog!
Got No Time to Play? Here’s What You Can Do for Your GSDs
Get them an empty cardboard box and leave them with it. Observe what they decide to do with it. They burn their excess energy, which otherwise would have become a destructive behavior. Even if your GSD destroys it, it’s a win-win situation.
Or you can always get them stand-alone dog toys that they can play with on their own. There are plenty of them available online or in your local pet stores. The ones that I recommend are the Kong Chewing Toys.
Fun Games and Outdoor Activities for German Shepherds
It is important for your GSD to go outside so that they can breathe fresh air, beat their boredom, and enjoy nature. And they also get a chance to spread their legs.
Play Treat Hunting Games
- German Shepherds have a knack for digging the ground. Bury the food or toy deep in the ground or under leaves and have your dog reach for it. Don’t bury it so deep that he might hurt his paws while digging.
- Hang a rope on a branch and stick a treat to the end of the rope (be careful, the dog should never swallow the rope). The exercise can be more complicated if the rope swings. At the same time, be sure to monitor the dog’s safety.
- Leave the trail of the smell of treats on the ground and let your GSD find it. They have a strong sense of smell, and this activity will help them learn to track.
Go Swimming
Although they can swim instinctively and start themselves, they would begin to panic if they didn’t feel the ground under their feet. You can introduce them to water slowly.
The more you take them to pools, the more they will learn to enjoy the water. In the end, they will be comfortable and start enjoying themselves.
Keep in mind that all dogs are different, and your GSD might not be able to swim instinctively. Always keep them on a retractable leash and start with shallow water. Try to stay close to them as well.
If your GSDs already know how to swim, nothing could be better than swimming in cold water in hot summer. Combine it with a few tricks, toys, or games, and it’s a perfect activity.
Mind The Safety — GSDs are energetic and enthusiastic, and they might swim far away and exhaust themselves in the middle of the water. This can be dangerous. If you are swimming in a lake, river, or any large water body, make sure to put on a life jacket on your GSD.
Dog Frisbee
Dog Frisbee is a popular pastime in the USA. It owes its appearance to a dog named Ashley, who in 1974 demonstrated to the public his ability to catch a disc. Although, he did this during a break in a baseball game, for which his owner was arrested.
However, the audience was delighted, including Irv Lander, a businessman who pays attention to animal health issues. Irv posted bail for Ashley’s owner, familiarizing himself with his teaching methods. The first dog frisbee competition appeared a year later – the Lander Cup.
Catching a frisbee or a disc is an excellent workout for all muscle groups, attention, and coordination. High-quality shells additionally contribute to gum massage.
Before you start playing Frisbee with the dog, you need to draw his attention to the disc. Dog experts recommend a clever trick – to temporarily replace the Frisbee with a food bowl. This forms a positive attitude towards the disc in the pet.
Play Fetch
Everyone knows the classic game “Fetch”. Dogs love to run after balls thrown over long distances. To make the game more difficult for your four-legged friend, train him not only to catch the ball but also to bring it back to you.
The ball is a great assistant in teaching the “Sit!” command. Just lift it high above your head, and the pet will sit down in order not to lose sight of the object. Praise your dog each time he completes a command.
Dog balls are made from durable material that is resistant to frost and heat. For games at night, you can choose a ball model with luminous elements.
Conclusion
Just because it’s summertime and hot outside, you can’t just laze around. GSDs are a breed of active dogs, and they do need to burn their energy. True, the heat can’t be good for them but leaving them to do nothing isn’t good either.
They will get bored and develop destructive habits. The activities listed in this article are safe, and you don’t need much to prepare.
Go try them out and let us know if your GSD enjoys it.