Some pups love the rain: digging, catching raindrops, and puddle jumping mud clad with tails wagging – the opportunities are endless. Other dogs on a rainy day are a bit more ‘sugar cube’ prone. Understandable. 

For those really rainy days (you could say, when it’s raining cats and dogs), you might not be in the mood for your daily jog. Your pup might be more inclined to stay in too, and that’s okay. 

The downside is your dog might have some extra energy to burn; you might need to come up with some new ideas to keep your buddy from resorting to chewing on your new shoes or barking through your Zoom meeting. We’re here to help.  

Here are seven activities to keep both you and your furry friend entertained on those rainy days. 

1. Buy Dog Bubbles

This ranks first on the list because it’s oh so adorable, especially when your pup discovers they can pop the bubbles themselves! There is a (surprisingly) wide variety of puppy bubbles to choose from and they come in lots of tasty flavours. Most dogs are cutely curious about bubbles, especially if they’ve never seen them before. You can show your furry friend that they do indeed pop, then have a ton of fun watching them jump around, pawing and biting at bubbles.

2. Play with Some Puzzle Toys

Some people would argue that intelligence is one of the most important characteristics of a dog. That coupled with cuteness, of course. A rainy day stuck in the house is the perfect opportunity to show your dog puzzle toys; it’s an entertaining activity for your pup, and it helps bolster brain development! (Added bonus: having a puzzle-solving puppy comes with bragging right at doggy daycare). For a list of the best dog puzzle toys out there, read Pep & Pup’s Top 10 Puzzle Toys for Bored Dogs.

3. Learn a New Trick

Being stuck inside with your dog on a rainy day is a great opportunity to teach your pup something new. Learning new tricks helps keep your puppy’s brains active and developing (who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?).

Nose-to-hand is a great one to practice for pups who have trouble on walks. Teach your dog to come press its nose to your hand, and you can use it when your dog refuses to walk later on. If they anchor in one spot during a walk, put your hand close to their nose, when they do the trick, you can reward them with a treat (without reinforcing the anchoring). Then, move a bit further away and do the same thing. This will quickly turn into a game and get them moving! If you’re looking for more fixes for dogs who won’t walk, read Pep & Pup’s My Dog Won’t Walk: 6 Reasons Why and How to Fix it.

4. Hide and Seek: Treat Addition

Get some high-quality treats or kibble to back you and your dog up on a rainy day and hide it in nooks and crannies around the house. This is another good activity to keep pup brains thinking and to eliminate boredom. Be sure to start simple to make sure your dog understands the game before it gets going. Tell your dog to sit, then hide a treat or toy somewhere obvious. Give them a cue to go find it. Once they’re encouraged and following along, you can be a bit more tricky and hide treats around the house.

5. Sniff Out a Puppy-Friendly Cafe

Vancouver is home to many welcoming dog-friendly cafes, the most popular of which are JJ Bean Coffee Roasters, Arbutus Coffee, Prototype Coffee, and many more. 

Just because you don’t want to hang out in the rain, doesn’t mean you have to stay in the house. Considering the large-scale dog ownership in Vancouver, many stores and restaurants invite fur buddies to join their humans on outings. Be sure to check online and confirm that they are puppy-friendly before you go.

6. Check out the Pet Treatery

You may know Granville Island as the never-not-busy, tourist-filled marketplace of Vancouver. Its unique shops and stunning views of the bay make it an all-time favourite for visitors and Vancouverites alike. Another Granville Island favourite is the Pet Treatery, a collection of original, tasty treats and specialities for pups, set up in a vintage train car from the area’s industrial history. Each puppy gets a free treat when they go, and you can buy something extra special for your furry best friend. 

7. Cuddle O’Clock!

If this list is starting to sound a little too activity focused for your rainy day at home, then it’s time to snuggle up to your buddy, get out a book, and enjoy a lazy rainy day with your dog. 

We hope these suggestions help you and your buddy enjoy some person-pet quality time together during a rainy day. 

Click here for more Pep & Pup-approved dog-friendly activities.