How to Exercise Your Dog at Home (When Walks Aren’t the Best Option)

Sometimes, the kindest thing you can do for your dog, especially if they’re reactive, nervous, sore, or just mentally wiped out, is not go for a walk.

Yep, I said it. Skipping the walk doesn’t make you lazy. It makes you thoughtful, strategic and sensible!

But that doesn’t mean your dog has to turn into a furry landmine of pent-up energy. You can still meet their exercise needs... gently, safely, and right in your home or garden.

Let’s look at ways to help your dog move their body, use their brain, and feel fulfilled without setting paw on the pavement.

🌤 Before You Start: Read the Room (and the Dog)

The right activity depends on how your dog feels today.

Dog’s Mood Try These Activities

Overexcited / Wired:

Slow sniffing, calm tug, find-it games

Bored / Flat:

Hide-and-seek, flirt pole, toy hunts

Nervous / Shut down:

Confidence parkour, easy trick games, mooching

Physically tired:

Slow target training, stretching, scent exploration

You don’t need to tick every box. One or two gentle, focused activities are often enough.

🧠 Why Enrichment Matters for Exercise

Exercise isn’t just about burning energy, it’s about using it wisely.

Physical play helps release tension safely and keeps joints supple.

Controlled movement (like slow parkour or targeting) improves coordination and confidence.

Search and chase games give dogs natural outlets for hunting and herding instincts, without chaos.

Done well, these games help sensitive or reactive dogs feel calmer, not more wound up.

🐾 Hide and Seek (with You or a Toy)

Classic, simple, and endlessly fun. Ask your dog to wait (or have someone hold them), go hide, and call them once.

If they’re not ready for full “find me” mode, start easy: hide their favourite toy behind a cushion or under a towel.

When they find you (or it), party time!

Why it works: It’s gentle cardio and great for focus, problem-solving, and building confidence.

🦴 Flirt Pole Fun — Controlled Chase

A flirt pole (basically a big cat toy for dogs) lets your dog enjoy a safe, controlled chase in your garden.

Keep sessions short, 30 seconds on, 1–2 minutes off, and make sure your dog gets to catch the toy often. The satisfaction of success helps regulate arousal.

Pro tip: End each round with a calm chew, sniff, or “settle” cue to help your dog come back down.

🎯 Target Training & Mini Parkour

Great for small spaces!

Teach your dog to touch your hand or a target with their nose or paw, then use that skill to guide gentle movement:

Step onto a cushion or box

Walk over a towel “bridge”

Spin, back up, or weave between furniture

It’s sneaky exercise that builds balance, core strength, and confidence.

Why it’s brilliant: It strengthens body awareness, essential for dogs who are physically or emotionally tense.

🎾 Toy Search & Retrieval Games

Hide your dog’s toy somewhere nearby and encourage them to find it.

Start with it in sight, then make it trickie: behind the sofa, under a blanket, or outdoors behind a flowerpot.

If your dog knows toy names, ask them to find “ball” or “rope.” If not, you can teach it, one toy at a time.

This taps into their natural seeking system and can be a beautiful focus builder.

🧺 “Laundry Helper” Carry Game

Give your dog a soft item (toy, sock, towel) to carry from one place to another.

You can build on it: “Take it to bed,” “Put it in the basket,” or even “Find Mum!”

Dogs love having a purpose. It’s gentle movement that also boosts confidence and cooperation.

🪜 Balance & Body Awareness

Physical enrichment doesn’t have to mean running around.

You can build strength and coordination indoors:

Step up and down from a cushion or low stool

Walk slowly across a line of folded towels

Stand with front paws on one item, back paws on another

These tiny movements work stabilising muscles - great for dogs needing low-impact exercise or recovering from overwhelm.

🌧 The “Weather Watchers Club”

If your dog finds walks stressful, observation from a safe space can still count as exercise -mentally, emotionally, and even physically (you’ll see those micro tail wags and head tilts).

Sit near a window or open door together. Let them watch birds, listen to rain, or sniff the breeze. Narrate softly:

> “That’s the postman. He’s walking away now. All done.”

This gentle desensitisation can do more for reactivity than a dozen stressful walks.

🧘‍♀️ Calm Tug

Tug isn’t just a wild game - it can be a mindful, controlled form of exercise.

Keep your movements small and even, add pauses for “thank you” swaps, and reward calm re-engagement.

It strengthens muscles, reinforces communication, and provides safe physical outlet.

Bonus: For dogs who find touch overwhelming, tug can build connection without direct physical contact.

🪵 DIY Obstacle Course

Cushions, chairs, broom handles, towels - your home is secretly an agility course.

Create routes your dog can step through, crawl under, or weave around.

Encourage slow movement, exploration, and thinking, rather than racing.

This gives physical exercise and confidence, all in one.

⚖️ Balancing Exercise and Rest

Here’s the bit many people skip: more exercise isn’t always better.

Sensitive or reactive dogs often need structured movement followed by structured rest.

Think:

5–10 minutes of focused play

Then 30–60 minutes of calm recovery (chewing, licking, napping, or quiet sniffing)

You’ll get better results and fewer meltdowns by cycling between activity and stillness.

🧩 How Exercise Shapes Behaviour

A quick science-y note (in plain English):

Chase and fetch release adrenaline - great in small doses, but too much can tip dogs into over-arousal.

Problem-solving games release dopamine, which boosts focus and confidence.

Sniffing and foraging activate the parasympathetic nervous system - that’s the “rest and digest” mode we all need more of.

So the goal isn’t to wear them out. It’s to balance those brain chemicals.

🕯 Rest & Recovery Activities

After exercise, help your dog wind down with:

A lick mat or stuffed Kong

Slow breathing or massage beside you

Soft music (try “Through a Dog’s Ear” on Spotify)

A cosy den or covered crate

Rest is where learning, recovery, and emotional regulation happen.

💬 When to Seek Help

If your dog seems constantly restless, anxious, or struggles to relax even with enrichment, that can be a sign of pain, stress, or unmet needs.

You don’t have to figure it out alone.

A behaviour professional (hi, that’s me 👋) can help you untangle what’s going on and create a plan that truly fits your dog’s emotional and physical health.

✨ Final Thought

Exercise doesn’t have to mean a lead, a field, or a long trek.

Sometimes the best kind of movement happens right at home, playful, gentle, connected.

Whether it’s a few rounds of hide-and-seek, a quiet flirt pole session, or slow parkour between the sofa legs, you’re giving your dog what they really need:

Safety, satisfaction, and shared joy.

If you or your dog are struggling today (we’ve all been there), remember: you can always start small.