17 ways to make your dogs tail wag

Today is Make a Dogs Day Day so in honor of it, I am sharing 17 great ways to make your fur-kids tail wag with delight!

1. Play a fun game, like Hide + Seek. You can do it inside or outside if it's winter and wet and yucky outside. No matter where you play, dogs love to play, and engaging in games and hide & seek is an easy way to make your dog happy. To play hide and seek have your dog stay while you go find a hiding spot. Once situated call your dog and praise them when they find you.

2. Go for a Hike! Looking to give you and your dog a little more excitement? Take your dog to the local park or trail for a hike. It’s great physical exercise and a change of scenery that will give your dog plenty of extra mental stimulation. If your dog isn’t conditioned for hiking start with some shorter hikes and gradually increase your distance. And always remember to bring along plenty of freshwater for your dog.

3 Teach Your Dog Some Fun New Tricks! Training doesn’t have to stop after teaching your dog sit, stay & lay down, nor does it have to be boring. There are so many amazing and easy to teach tricks for your fur-kid and it really engages their brain and gives them some tail-wagging mental stimulation too!

4 Make Some Homemade Treats! Give your fur-kid an unexpected surprise by making some yummy homemade dog treats. It's always a bonus knowing exactly what is in the treats your feeding to your fur-kid and many are really easy to make! In fact, if you're looking for some recipes - check out some of my other blog posts like these on my blog HERE

5 Have Some Cuddle Time on the Couch! This one is probably the easiest on the list and also one of the most relaxing! The best part? Our fur-kids aren’t picky about what to watch so you don’t have to worry about fighting over the remote!

6 Play a Game of Fetch With Your Dog! It might sound too easy but even indulging in a quick game of fetch - indoors or outdoors is a lot of fun for your dog! Fetch is a simple way to have some extra fun with your dog, and as far as entertaining them goes it’s pretty simple; you toss a toy and let them do all the hard work.

7 Let Your Dog Sniff on Walks! Looking for a simple way to make your dog happy? Let them sniff on walks. Walks are about more than just physical exercise for our dogs; it’s the one time of day they get to go out and see what’s going on in the neighborhood. While we check Facebook and email, they sniff to check out what's going on in their world - so be sure to take your time and let them relax and simply indulge in a few extra long sniffs!

8 Switch Up Your Walking Routine! Walking the same exact route every day gets dull and not just for us! A great way to keep well motivated is by taking a different route every few days. You can walk in a different neighborhood, take your dog to the local park, or simply follow your dog and let them decide where to go. We have an amazing area full of great and fun areas to explore so get outdoors and explore together!

9 Rotate Your Dog’s Toys. Does your dog get bored with his toys? Not unlike small children, our fur-kids can get bored with the same old toys every single day. So why not try what my SIL does for my nephews? Box up some and rotate them when they seem bored with one group of toys! Believe me, once your dog hasn’t seen that squeaky hippo for a couple of weeks he’ll be super excited the next time it appears.

10 Make a Play Date for Your Dog! While this can be more difficult in these Covid-19 filled days, they can still be done safely outdoors and with masks on the humans. Do any of your friends, family, or neighbors have a dog that gets along well with yours? Perhaps have them over for a play in the yard or meet up at a local park or favorite dog-friendly spot!

11 Dog Massage! This one came right from Ozzy as she LOVES her morning "mooosages". We love a good massage because they relieve stress and are so relaxing, and the same can be true for our dogs. Giving your dog a massage can be relaxing for them, and it’s a great way to help them wind down at the end of the day. They’re also great for dogs with arthritis since stimulating muscles and tissue can improve circulation.

12 Use Treat Toys Like Stuffed Kongs. They’re such an easy way to entertain your dog, and they’re pretty low on the scale when it comes to the effort involved on my part (choosing the treats is the toughest part).

13 Make Some DIY Doy Toys for them to enjoy! Does your dog love new toys? Instead of going out to the store to buy some give your dog a nice little surprise by making some DIY dog toys of your own. Like us, our dogs love new things — and making a DIY dog toy is an easy way to make them happy.

14 Give them a job! Dogs LOVE to feel useful just like we do! You can make your dog happy by giving them their own little jobs to do throughout the day. Many of our dogs were bred to work alongside humans, so giving them a few chores to do can play into their natural willingness to work. (and it’s a great way to give them plenty of mental stimulation) Teach them to fetch your slippers, carry in the mail, or help you pick up sticks around the yard. Dogs love having things to do, and there’s plenty of little tasks you can teach them to do throughout the day.

15 Take Your Dog Out For a Treat! Did you know that some stores have a secret menu for dogs? If you want to take your dog out for a fun little adventure try taking them out for a nice treat. Starbucks offers Puppucinos, Sprinkles Cupcakes has special doggie cupcakes, and most pet store chains offer plenty of dog-friendly treats to choose from.

16 Give them compliments! Admit it, when someone tells you how good you look or how you nailed that presentation, it makes you feel awesome. Dogs also thrive on positivity and compliments, so be sure to let your pup know each and every time she’s doing something that makes you smile. It may just motivate them to do it again.

17 Leave your windows..open (when you can). Sadly, we can’t spend all day with our pets, cause we have work, grocery shopping and other adult responsibilities. But your dog has his responsibilities too, mainly to look, hear, and smell. Keeping the windows open (where it can be done safely) while you’re gone ensures that your pup can stay stimulated. Just make sure you have secure screens on your windows if your pup is more likely to hop out!

And there you have it, 17 fun ways to brighten up your furkids day and make their tails wag! What is your favorite way to make your furkids tails wag?