Too cold out. Indoor game ideas?

[SarahLynn123]

I checked the weather network for next week and next wednesday -41 here in Calgary. Brrrrrrrrr. Its far to cold to take Belle for a walk proably most days next week. -30 is my limit. She doesnt play fetch. She hates sharing and if we throw the ball for her she will collect all her toys, put them in her crate and lay on them so we cant get them. We have tried the 2 ball deal with no luck and the treat also with no luck. So Im wondering if anyone has any games we can try to play to get her active.
Thanks

[jbark2004]

I don't know if you have kids, but there are none in our household so I just get down on the floor and play with my parents dog like a would a kid. I lay on my back and turn to my side opposite the dog. She'll try and try until she jumps/climbs over me to my other side so she can see my face. Then when she succeeds I turn to the other side. And so on and so forth. It's a game that takes little effort from me and she has yet to tire of it. It will keep her happy for as long as I keep it up. Of course she's a small dog (Pom) so I don't get hurt and the climb over me is slightly challenging for her and gives her plenty of excersize. If you can't get on the floor try having her chase a toy around a chair. Sit down on a chair with space on all sides and pass her favorite toy around the chair from hand to hand without letting him/her get it.

[Sneaky2006]

Have you tried a laser pointer? Our pup loves it and tires him out pretty quickly now... just steer clear of furniture
It hasn't been that cold here but cold enough to make me wanna stay in and it's been raining and or freezing rain lately and I don't see it letting up anytime soon. Good luck!

[SarahLynn123]

I will give these a try, hopefully she will have some fun. She great with playing by herself and throwing her toys around, but the second a person comes around and trys to play with her she backs away and lays in her crate or she will stare at me with this confused look on her face. Laser pointer sounds like it could be a 2 in 1 deal, keeping both the dog and cat occupied!
Thanks for the suggestions!

[Sneaky2006]

Oh I didn't know you had a cat! We have 4 cats but when the dog is chasing the laser, the cats stand back and watch... but their necks get good exercise!

[SarahLynn123]

Its quite funny at home, when the cat is chasing his string the dog just watchs, but we have an electronic control mouse that the cat just loves and 2 laps around the kitchen, and Belle(the dog) will barge in take the mouse and in the crate they go!

[doggy lover]

Try hide and seek, hide toys, treats, the kids if you have some ( you might not want them to come out from hiding though) and ask your dog to find them. My last dog loved finding the kids and they always had a treat to give him when he did, Tucker is good at this game too.

[SarahLynn123]

No kids here! But I was trying that last night with treats when I was home alone. She just learned to sit and stay and is very good as long as she can see me. So shes a peeker! Perhaps this will be a great way to combine sit/stay with hide and seek!

[Carina]

I second the hide & seek game!
I know there's sites with fun dog tricks, maybe you could find a good one. I've been doing silly stuff like teaching one of my dogs to heel backwards and go back & forth through my legs.

[Gazoo]

Originally Posted by Sneaky2006

Have you tried a laser pointer? Our pup loves it and tires him out pretty quickly now... just steer clear of furniture
It hasn't been that cold here but cold enough to make me wanna stay in and it's been raining and or freezing rain lately and I don't see it letting up anytime soon. Good luck!

I have read somewhere, on a newsgroup I believe, that laser pointers can be a problem with some dogs because they generalize the flashing light of the laser to other light flashes and this can make them kinda crazy and excitable.