--- title: "Mentally Stimulating Games While Walking Your Dog" id: "202792" type: "post" slug: "mentally-stimulating-games-while-walking-your-dog" published_at: "2020-06-29T17:35:21+00:00" modified_at: "2020-06-29T17:35:21+00:00" url: "https://houstonpetland.com/2020/06/29/mentally-stimulating-games-while-walking-your-dog/" markdown_url: "https://houstonpetland.com/2020/06/29/mentally-stimulating-games-while-walking-your-dog.md" excerpt: "Taking a walk is always fun, but here are some fun games to keep your dog physically enthusiastic as well as sharpening up their grey matter… “Treasure hunt.” Take along his favorite treats and as soon as he gets distracted..." taxonomy_category: - "Community" --- [Home](https://houstonpetland.com/) / [Blog](https://houstonpetland.com/blog/) / **Mentally Stimulating Games While Walking Your Dog** [Community](https://houstonpetland.com/category/petland/) # Mentally Stimulating Games While Walking Your Dog June 29, 2020 · 3 min read · [cosmick](https://houstonpetland.com/author/cosmick/) [Stay connected via Google News Follow Us For The Latest Pet Updates and Guides.](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=houstonpetland.com) Taking a walk is always fun, but here are some fun games to keep your dog physically enthusiastic as well as sharpening up their grey matter… **“Treasure hunt.”** Take along his favorite treats and as soon as he gets distracted from you, toss one and tell him to “find the treat.” You might have to guide him the first few times, but this game is learned easily and teaches him to stay focused on you. **“Pathfinder.”** If you’ve gotten in a rut taking the same walk every day, chances are Fido’s as bored as you are. Vary your route and make it challenging. Climb stairs, walk on curbs, jump over small barriers, or even splash through some water. Keep his attention by abruptly changing direction and he’ll soon be keeping his eye on you! **“Red light, green light.”** You played it as a kid. Now teach it to your dog! As you walk, stop suddenly and say “red light!” (or whatever word you want to be the command). Sometimes go as soon as he sits at your side, and sometimes wait for a bit. Keep him off balance, never knowing what you’ll do next, and you’ll sharpen his attention right up. **“Follow the leader.”**Do you have a dog that insists on being out in front? This game will teach him who the leader is. Each time he heads out in his own direction, immediately change directions so he has to turn to catch up with you. Keep moving, but keep him following *you.* Enjoying this read? You'll love our puppies. Adorable, vet-checked pups looking for their forever homes — available now. [Meet our puppies](https://houstonpetland.com/puppies-for-sale/) **“Come!”** While walking with your dog, suddenly reverse direction, running backward and calling his name. He’ll decide coming when called is a fun game, and it’s one of the most important things you can teach him. **“Push-ups.”**At varying intervals, stop your walk and quickly have your dog sit, down, and sit again. Then break into a run or give him a treat. Soon he’ll be watching you closely to see what you’re up to next. **“Dribbling.”** Take along a soccer-ball when you walk your dog. Push it with your feet and let him push it around, too. Just be careful you don’t step on the ball or on Fido, either! **“Flirt-pole.”** A flirt pole is a long pole with a lure at the end. You dangle and dance it in front of him as you walk. He’ll love trying to grab the lure and you are always in control due to the length of the pole. **“Parkour for dogs.”** This urban agility training is so much fun for both you and your dog, it will turn the way you walk your dog on its head. Parkour combines dog agility with your daily walk to make his world (and yours) exciting and stimulating. He’ll jump, climb, balance, crawl under, and go around obstacles you see every day one every street in town. For detailed information, check out the[International Dog Parkour Association website](https://www.dogparkour.org/) . [Stay connected via Google News Follow Us For The Latest Pet Updates and Guides.](https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=houstonpetland.com) Available Now## If you loved this, you'll *love our puppies* Meet the happy, healthy pups ready to join your family today — browse the whole litter below. 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Get ready because you’re not just taking home a bundle of furry joy.… March 27, 2025 ``` Petland Katy 434 Google reviews Write a review Posted on Google Genesis Gonzalez Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My husband and I went to Petland on Saturday to simply look at the puppies and we ended up falling in love with one so much that we brought her home with us. Jennifer made the process of taking her home super easy and smooth, she answered every question we asked and was very knowledgeable about everything! Posted on Google ume rubab Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. it was really nice their all the animal were so cute !! The puppy’s and kittens were adorable !!❤️ Posted on Google Leslie Rivera Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Went to Petland to just browse around and ended up falling in love with our Maltipoo, her fur color and the eyes captivated me. Anthony our counselor, was very informative and friendly. I would greatly recommend this pet store. Can’t wait to start this new journey with our puppy. Posted on Google 12.xndrik Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. recently adopted a cavapool and Christopher helped us out a lot. He was helpfull, respectful , and walked us through the whole process. It was an amazing experience 10/10. Posted on Google Chris M Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Best place to work PUPPIES!!!! Posted on Google MIGUEL MOLINA Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great time. I was looking around with my family and Chris helped us out found a new family member. Great place to greet and play with dogs. Posted on Google David Almanza Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We visited Petland today and had an incredible experience choosing our new furry family member — a miniature Goldendoodle! From the moment we walked in, Christopher made us feel welcome, informed, and supported throughout the entire process. He was extremely knowledgeable about the breed, answered all our questions with patience, and never made us feel rushed. You could genuinely tell he cared about both the pets and the people. His friendly attitude and professionalism made the whole experience smooth and enjoyable. We left Petland not just with a puppy, but with total confidence that we were prepared for this new journey — all thanks to Christopher. If you're thinking about getting a pet and want a helpful, knowledgeable guide, ask for Christopher. He made our day. Highly recommend - 10/10! Posted on Google Diana Perez Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Kalese and Chris were phenomenal and so attentive. They made me feel so welcome and so happy to be finally going home with our baby ```