Enrichment & Boredom

Short Winter Days: 10 Indoor Enrichment Ideas That Tire Your Dog Out

Dark afternoons, rain and snow: ten indoor games and a simple daily plan to keep your dog happily tired.

By 6 min read
Labrador indoors on a rug, licking a navy Freezbone toy

In winter, much of northern Europe goes dark by mid-afternoon. In Dublin, Hamburg, Copenhagen or Helsinki, the morning walk often happens in the dark and the evening walk does too. Add Atlantic rain, sleet, snow and icy pavements, and walks get shorter while your dog's energy stays the same. The result is a dog who chews the skirting boards, barks at nothing or races round the living room at 20:00. The good news is that you can tire your dog out indoors, with very little space and no special equipment.

On short winter days, use the daylight for your dog's main walk, then add indoor enrichment: sniffing games, food puzzles, short training sessions, tug and frozen lick toys. Mental work like sniffing, licking and learning is tiring for dogs, so a few short sessions spread across the day help a restless dog settle, even when the weather keeps walks short.

Why do dogs get restless in winter?

Shorter, wetter walks mean less exercise and fewer new smells, and that energy has to go somewhere. Dogs explore the world through their noses. A brisk ten-minute loop in the rain gives them far less to process than a slow summer walk through the park. Common signs of a bored dog include chewing things they shouldn't, barking, nudging you for attention, evening zoomies and following you from room to room.

How do I make the most of winter daylight?

Move the main walk to the brightest part of the day whenever you can, usually around midday. If you work from home, a lunchtime walk is a good habit to build. Our guide to working from home with a dog has ideas for planning the day around it.

  • Be visible in the dark. Use a reflective harness or a light-up collar for your dog, and wear something bright yourself.
  • Let your dog sniff. A slow walk full of sniffing is more satisfying than a fast march. See our guide to sniff walks for city dogs.
  • Think about a coat. Small, short-coated, young and older dogs often feel the cold more.
  • Care for paws. Snow, ice and road salt can be hard on paws. Rinse and dry them after each walk. Our guide to winter paw care explains more.

What are the best indoor enrichment games for dogs?

The best indoor games use your dog's nose, brain and mouth, and none of them need much space.

  1. Find it. Scatter a handful of kibble across a rug, or hide treats around one room while your dog waits. Say "find it" and let them search.
  2. Snuffle towel. Lay a towel flat, sprinkle kibble over it, roll it up and tie a loose knot. Your dog sniffs and nudges the food out.
  3. Box search. Put a few treats in a cardboard box with scrunched-up paper. Remove any tape or staples first and stay nearby, so the box gets searched rather than eaten.
  4. Muffin tin puzzle. Put treats in a muffin tin and cover each hole with a ball. Your dog has to lift each ball to find the reward.
  5. Hide and seek. One person holds your dog while another hides, then calls them. Start with easy hiding places.
  6. A new trick. Teach something fresh in five-minute sessions, such as spin, touch your hand or go to bed.
  7. Tug with rules. Play tug, then ask for a "drop" and a sit before you start again. It is exercise and self-control in one.
  8. Name the toys. Teach your dog the names of two toys, then ask them to bring one. Add more names over the winter.
  9. Breakfast in a frozen toy. Serve part of a meal in a filled, frozen toy instead of a bowl.
  10. Hallway fetch. Roll a soft toy down a hallway with a rug or runner on the floor, so your dog does not slip.

What does a good winter day look like for a dog?

A good winter day mixes one daylight walk with several short spells of brain work and plenty of rest.

Time of dayWhat to do
Morning, often still darkShort toilet walk, then breakfast served in a frozen toy
Midday, best lightThe main walk, with lots of time to sniff
Afternoon, getting darkFive minutes of training and a find-it game
EveningTug or hide and seek, then a frozen chew to wind down
Before bedA calm last toilet break
“I have 3 different Freezbowls for my pup and this one keeps her occupied the longest. She and I both love it!”
Tamra K., verified buyer

How do frozen toys help on winter days?

A frozen, filled toy turns a few minutes of eating into a long, calm activity your dog can enjoy on the sofa while it pours outside. Licking and chewing are settling for many dogs, and the frozen filling slows them down. The FreezWheel has several compartments, so your dog has to work round the toy to clear each one, and it can hold liquids and solid treats.

Freezbone tip

Prepare a batch of toys on Sunday and keep them in the freezer, ready for the week. Rotate different shapes so each one feels new. Use part of your dog's daily kibble and reduce their bowl portion to match, so winter enrichment does not add extra weight. Our guide to frozen treats made from kibble shows how, and our Freezbone recipe videos have more ideas.

If you want a rotation ready to go, the Best Seller Bundle brings together three different shapes: a large Freezball, a large FreezSwirl and a large FreezJumbo. Each one offers a different challenge, so your dog does not get bored of the same toy every day.

“Layla loves this ! She spends a good 30 minutes with it in the afternoons when she doesn’t get her second walk of the day .”
Lisa D., verified buyer

How much indoor enrichment does a dog need in winter?

It depends on your dog's age, breed and energy. Young, working and herding breeds usually need more brain work, while puppies do best with very short sessions. Older dogs still enjoy gentle games. Our guide to enrichment for senior dogs has ideas for them. Stop each game while your dog is still enjoying it, and remember that dogs also need plenty of undisturbed sleep.

Good winter habits

  • Main walk in daylight
  • Short training sessions
  • Sniffing games on a rug
  • Frozen toys from the daily food allowance
  • Paws rinsed and dried after walks

Best avoided

  • Rough play on slippery floors
  • Jumping on and off furniture
  • Leaving your dog alone with cardboard or paper
  • Cooked bones and chocolate as treats
  • Extra treats on top of full meals

Will my dog cope with the long dark months?

Yes, with a little planning. A daylight walk, a few short games and a frozen toy in the evening add up to a dog who is content to snooze while the rain hammers on the window. And when the days stretch out again in spring, you will both have a few new tricks to show off in the park.

Frequently asked questions

  • Indoor games are a great addition, but they do not replace walks completely. Dogs still need time outside to move, sniff and go to the toilet. On days with storms or ice, a shorter walk plus extra indoor enrichment is a sensible balance.

  • It depends on the dog. Small, thin-coated, very young and older dogs often feel the cold and may be more comfortable in a well-fitted coat. Thick-coated breeds usually manage without one. Watch for shivering, lifting paws or slowing down as signs your dog is cold.

  • Keep sessions short, around five minutes, and stop while your dog is still keen. Two or three short sessions spread across the day work better than one long one. End each session with something easy your dog already knows, so it finishes on a success.

  • Short walks on salted or gritted pavements are usually fine, but road salt can irritate paws. Rinse your dog's paws with lukewarm water after the walk and dry them well, including between the toes. Stop your dog from licking salt off their paws or the ground.

  • Part of your dog's normal kibble soaked in water or plain, unsalted broth is a simple winter favourite. Plain natural yoghurt, mashed banana or plain cooked pumpkin also freeze well. Avoid onion, garlic, chocolate, grapes, raisins and anything sweetened with xylitol.

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Written by Freezbone Team

We design freezable, refillable natural-rubber chew toys and test every fill and routine on our own dogs before we write about it. Freezbone Limited ships across the European Union from Ireland.

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