Games To Play With German Shepherd
Fun & Games

Games To Play With German Shepherd When Bored

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Have you and your German shepherd been sitting at home all day, not knowing what to do. Why not make the day fun? Well here are “10 Games To Play With German Shepherd When Bored.” From classic games like fetch and tug a war to creative brain games, this article is full of ideas for you and your German shepherd to try.

Here is my list of top ten “Games To Play With German Shepherd” when bored!

1. Fetch

Fetch may be a classic, but your dog never gets sick of it. This is why it is number one on our list of “Games To Play With German Shepherd!”

German shepherds are large dogs and require lots of energy. Well fetch will definitely get their workout in. While they are getting a workout either way by running back and forth, does your German shepherd know how to play proper fetch?

How to teach your German shepherd to play fetch the right way.

  1. Get two correct sized balls that aren’t too small to choke on but not too big to not be able to fit in their mouths. I recommend tennis balls for this breed. (You don’t have to use a ball; you can use a stick or toy too.)
  2. Take one of the balls and get them all excited and riled up. Then throw it as far as you can and say “fetch.”
  3. When he picks it up call him over. If he still has the ball in his mouth (most dogs don’t like to give it up) just repeatedly say “drop it” as you show him the other ball and act like you are going to throw it. He should drop the first ball.
  4. Praise him and repeat till he just drops the toy in front of you every time you play fetch.

2. Tug of War

Tug of War is really good for dogs. It’s a healthy display of their predatory nature. The German shepherd has some of the strongest jaws out of all dogs. With a 238 psi jaw bite it would be hard to beat them in a tug a war contest. But it’s a fun game you two should play. See if you can beat your dog.

Tug of war is a pretty self-explanatory game but here are some simple instructions just in case.

  1. Get a rope toy and you grab one end.
  2. You have to rile up your dog first to get the game started. So run around and wave the other end of the toy in his face.
  3. Soon enough he will be growling and tugging away. Pull on your end and try to get it away from their grasp.

3. Agility Course

Make an agility course to do together! An agility course is a challenging, creative way to have fun with your German shepherd. You can use things around the house if you don’t have the right supplies. Here are some essential obstacle substitutes.

Jumps-

For this obstacle there is really numerous ways you can make it. The most preferred is using some sort of pole or stick and putting it in the holes of two round laundry baskets. This is a great choice because you can adjust the height just like actual jumps!

Weave Poles-

Weave poles will be one of the hardest obstacles to teach a dog but here is how you can make it. There are two options.

  1. Wedge six sticks in the dirt about 24 inches apart.
  2. If you happen to have some cones laying around then those would be even better. Place about six of those 24 inches apart.

The goal of weave poles is to get them to do a side-to-side motion through each pole.

Tunnel-

Tunnel is the most challenging obstacle to make. There is not much you can substitute for it. Really the only option would be to buy a cheap play tunnel. You can get them pretty cheap at Chewy. If you don’t have the time to go out and get one then maybe just don’t worry about this obstacle or think of your own creative way to make one.

Hoop Jump-

This obstacle is only ever really used once in a dog agility course so you don’t really need it but here is a quick way to make it if you want to try it out. You will need a hula hoop and two long sturdy sticks. Shove each stick into the ground (the length between the two should be whatever the circumference of your hula hoop is, so that it can fit between them.) Get some duct tape and tape each end of the hula hoop to each stick. Don’t have it too high up from the ground.

Once you have the course set up, time your dog and try to beat your high scores. See if they could be as good as the pros, you never know!

4. Treasure Hunt

This is a good brain game for your German shepherd. If it’s a rainy day this is a perfect indoor activity for you and your shepherd. German shepherds have very powerful noses, so let’s put them to the test! Get some strong smelling-treats.

  1. You will begin by telling your dog to sit and stay.
  2. Get one of your treats and place it somewhere obvious. It can even be right in front of them. You have to start off easy so they understand how the game works.
  3. Then you can say something like “find” and motion to go to the treat.
  4. As you play more rounds you can make it a little bit harder each time. This is a great game because it really works the dogs senses.

5. Hide and Seek

This is another good brain game on the list of “Games To Play With German Shepherd!” It is great to play on a rainy day. It’s similar to treasure hunt except your like the one hiding. You have to start off easy with this game to so your German shepherd understands it. You’ll need treats for this game too. Put a few in your pockets.

  1. First you tell your dog to sit and stay.
  2. Then stand somewhere obvious and say, “come.” Your dog should come to you and you then reward them.
  3. Hide in harder spots as you go. It will be a fun game for the both of you to play.

6. Red light Green light

This is yet another game to work your dog’s brain. We know we all played this in elementary school.

  1. Sit your dog and tell it to stay as you go to the other side of room or yard.
  2. Then you say “green light come.”
  3. As your dog begins coming to you, say “red light sit.”

The goal is to be able to have your dog get into and out of sitting position right when told to. This game will take a lot of practice. But if you have time to spare, I think this is a game you two can both have fun with.

7. Hot and Cold

Hot and cold can be a fun human game but German shepherds can actually play it too. Just go grab some treats, you’ll need them for this game.

  1. First take one of your dog’s toys and place it somewhere. Start off easy.
  2. Then as your German shepherd walks close to the toy reward them with a treat and say hot.
  3. But if your shepherd starts to wander away from it don’t reward them and say “cold.”
  4. When your dog picks it up give them tons of love and treats. They will soon learn the meaning of hot and cold.

8. New Tricks

It’s always good for German shepherd to learn new tricks. They are a highly intelligent breed so don’t just waste their smarts. There are many tricks you can teach them. We have listed some below.

  • Sit
  • Lay
  • Stay
  • Come
  • Drop
  • Fetch
  • Speak
  • Roll over
  • Up
  • High five
  • Paw/shake
  • Right paw
  • Left paw
  • Play dead
  • Spin
  • Stand
  • Beg
  • Bow
  • Kiss
  • Quiet
  • Take it
  • Leave it
  • Bring it
  • Heel
  • Back

Just say the trick you want them to learn and motion them into it. Once they have done it, give them a treat and say “good (whatever trick you are teaching them).” Repeat this until they can do it when told.

9. Name Game

This is a game that will be challenging to teach but in the long run very helpful to you. This is a game where you teach your dog the names of different items and toys. You can even teach your dog to fetch your slippers for you. This is how the game works.

  1. Grab something to start off with. This can be a ball, slippers, or a rope toy.
  2. Take the item and play with them with it. Continuously say the name of it.
  3. Then practice teaching your dog to pick that toy up as you say its name.
  4. Do this over and over until your dog picks it up when told.

10. The Cup Game

This is just another brain game for a rainy day. Your German shepherd will enjoy the treats in this game too. So go grab some treats and two non-see through cups to have close by for this game.

  1. Put one treat under one of the two cups you got out.
  2. Then let your dog try to pick a cup. Even if they choose the wrong one, give the treat to them anyway. This is so your dog understands that whenever he guesses a cup he gets a treat.
  3. After a while of doing this start to not give your dog a treat when he guesses the wrong cup. After doing this step for a while your dog will soon learn to guess the cups.
  4. Once he understands the last step then you can make it harder by moving the cups.

Conclusion of Games To Play With German Shepherd When Bored:

I hope this article will treat your boredom and that your German shepherd has learned some things. These “Games To Play With German Shepherd” should also have helped with bonding. Save these games for another boring day. Keep working on some of these to get better at them. Soon enough your German shepherd can be fetching your slippers for you!

If you like these games, you should check out or holiday themed DIY projects for your GSD! We have Valentine’s Day treat ideas, Easter ideas, and Halloween costume ideas!

Please leave a comment below and let us know what you think!

What is your favorite game to play with your dog? Can you think of any fun ones we missed! Let us know! We would love to hear your own feedback!

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