13 Fun Games to Play With Your Poodle

Poodles are fun-loving and intelligent animals. Playing games with your pup is one of the best ways to maintain your Poodle’s health. Games also strengthen the bond between you and your Poodle.

You may be looking for new ideas for games to play with your Poodle. There are tons of them out there! Poodles are the second most intelligent dog breed.

Fun games for your Poodle can keep them happy and healthy.

Keeping them entertained is sometimes a challenge, but you can make that challenge fun for you and your Poodle! Poodles can get bored, and they love games and activities that get them thinking. Read on for ideas on keeping your Poodle busy and fun games to play with them for hours of entertainment.

How Do You Entertain a Poodle?

Poodles may come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common. Poodles are incredibly smart! To entertain a Poodle, you must create new and mentally stimulating activities regularly.

However, games for Poodles should exercise their bodies and their minds. Poodles are an athletic breed that loves to run, jump and swim. Without an exercise regime, Poodles will search for stimulation on their own.

Boredom can lead to behavioral issues.

The good news is that entertaining a Poodle is easy because your Poodle wants to make you happy and have fun! The best way to keep your Poodle stimulated is through physical games, brain games, food and treat puzzle products, and refreshing their environment.

Games To Play With Your Poodle

Here are some fun games to play with your Poodle!

Poodle Soccer

Poodles love to play with balls, and the right one can provide hours of entertainment for your pup. You can buy a cheap soccer or exercise ball as a dedicated toy for your dog. The pros are seemingly endless.

Not only are toy balls affordable, but they are safe toys too. You can play soccer with your Poodle, kicking the ball back and forth, or your pup can have solo fun. No complicated setup or pricey luxury items are required.

Just a good old-fashioned game of kick!

If your Poodle has never played with a ball before, they might be unsure how to begin. You can lead by example, and it won’t take them long to realize it’s a toy.

Water Fetch

Breeders of the Standard Poodle originally bred them to be hunting dogs. Breeders favored traits such as retrieval, though now Poodles are not often used for hunting. Regardless, those instincts remain.

Water fetch is one of the healthiest ways to exercise your Poodle, and they will love to get wet.

Swimming is gentle on a dog’s bones and joints, so water fetch is especially ideal for older dogs.

You can buy water toys that will float, making it easy for your Poodle to retrieve them. On a hot summer day, there is no better form of exercise. Remember to hose your Poodle down afterward with clean water, regardless of whether they were in fresh or salt water.

And give them a good brush when dry!

Scavenger Hunt

This classic game is highly stimulating for your Poodle. It is also highly customizable, and you can set it up with a system of treats, toys, and affection as rewards. With a highly advanced sense of smell, Poodles will love to seek out prizes hidden over a wide range of territory.

You can set up a scavenger hunt for your Poodle indoors or outdoors. The key is to find places that are just hidden enough to be challenging but not so hidden that your dog won’t be able to access her reward.

Good examples of where to hide treats are behind potted plants, under furniture, or at the corners of dog beds or crates. If there are spaces in the home you’d prefer your Poodle to stay out of, you can use this scavenger hunt to reinforce their desire to remain in the places you want them.

Agility Training

You and your Poodle don’t have to be part of the show scene to learn agility training. Agility training is a great way to train your dog while they think they’re playing a game. Agility training is a fun thing to do with your Toy Poodle or Standard Poodle, though keep in mind that smaller breeds may not have as much stamina as the larger ones.

Agility training is a healthy sport that is mentally stimulating for a Poodle while giving them the physical exercise they need.

Make Basic Training a Game

Does your Poodle have a habit of jumping on you and guests? Has she not quite mastered sitting or rolling over yet?

According to professional dog trainer Victoria Stillwell, if you see training as boring or burdensome, it can have negative effects on your dog.

If your Poodle’s training has fallen by the wayside, there are tons of ways to make it fun for you and your dog while strengthening your bond.

You can play games like Red Light Green Light to improve leash training and reinforce commands like sit and stay. You can also use Hide and Seek to strengthen recall, and it’s easy as pie!

All you have to do is hide in various places in your house and then call your Poodle. When she finds you, give her lots of love and a treat. Progressively make your hiding place more difficult to find.

Soon, your Poodle will be excited to come every time you call them, knowing that positive reinforcement is coming.

Food Puzzles and Dog Buttons

Because dogs have become such a globally popular pet, there are now endless products that provide fun stimulation for your Poodle.

Food puzzles and slow feeders have grown in popularity, providing a more interactive eating experience that can also support their health. Food puzzles usually have a mechanism where you insert treats, and the dog has to play with the toy, bat it around, or use its tongue to get to the food.

Slow feeders aren’t exactly a game, but they can provide entertainment for your dog by providing a varied eating experience.

If you haven’t heard of dog buttons, prepare to be blown away. These fun little tools go on the floor, and your dog presses them and will eventually associate them with rewards. This training allows your dog to “talk” by pressing a treat button, a pat button, etc.

Physically Interactive Games

There seems to be no limit to the tricks Poodles can learn. One of the best ways to bond with your Poodle is through games that require physical contact or interaction.

Under the bridge is a classic dog game. Use a treat to teach your dog to pass beneath your legs or make a figure-eight around your legs.

You can train your Toy Poodle or Miniature Poodle to jump through your looped arms. Depending on the size of your Standard Poodle, it may be too big to jump through your arms, but you can use a hula hoop instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

This intelligent, versatile breed is a fun-loving companion who will stay loyally by your side.

Here are some quick answers to all of your game-related Poodle questions.

Do Poodles like games?

Yes, Poodles love to play games, and the more complex, the better. All dogs need training and stimulation. However, a rich mental environment is essential for exceptionally intelligent breeds like the Toy, Miniature, and Standard Poodle.

What sports do Poodles play?

Your Poodle can likely learn to play just about any sport you want to teach it – the dog-modified version, of course. Poodles can play soccer and can learn to dribble basketballs or even skateboard.

Do Poodles like to play fetch?

Poodles like to play fetch on land or in water because people originally bred them to be retrieval hunting dogs.

Do Poodles get bored?

Any dog can get bored, Poodles included. No matter the breed of the dog, it is the owner’s responsibility to keep their dogs happy and entertained.

How do you mentally stimulate a Poodle?

You can keep your Poodle mentally stimulated, whether it is a Toy, Miniature, or Standard Poodle. Toys, puzzles, training, and games are just a few ideas. Keep in mind that our dogs don’t often have the physical freedom like we do to go and do what we want.

Keeping their environment rich with games will support their physical and mental health.

Games Are Beneficial for Your Poodle’s Health and Yours

Dog-owners love their pets for an infinite number of reasons. One of the greatest benefits of owning a Poodle is that they encourage us to get moving and stay healthier. We all know it is essential to walk our dogs, so shouldn’t we be walking too?

Because of their great intelligence, Poodles require more mental stimulation than some other breeds of dogs. You do not have to see this as a chore or a burden but rather as an opportunity to make great memories with your dog!

Poodles love to please their owners and have fun at the same time. They enjoy games of all kinds. By getting active and providing stimulating activities for your Poodle, you support their physical and mental health and your family’s!

There is no downside to that. So, next time you’re planning a game night, don’t forget to include your Poodle.