If you have a dog and a ball, that’s all you need for a great time! Whether your dog can’t get enough of fetch or looks at you like you’re crazy when you throw the ball, there are plenty of games you can play together, some of which you might have never heard of.

With that in mind, we’ve highlighted seven of our favorite ball games for dogs for you below. There are games you can play inside or outside, games for active dogs, and even a few for the lazier pups. Read on to check them out and see if they can be incorporated into your lifestyle.

Top 7 Fun Ball Games for Dogs

1. Find the Ball

Find-the-ball is a classic game, and with a little training, it’s one that almost every dog can enjoy. Enticing your pet to find the ball with some treats is a great way to get them into this game, even if they really don’t care much about the ball itself.

Starting with treats also gives off a stronger scent, so it’s easier for your pup to find them, but eventually, you can give your dog more of a challenge by hiding just the ball and telling them to go find it. With a bit of training and practice, it might just surprise you how quickly your pup can sniff out the ball no matter where you hide it, which is both mentally and physically stimulating.

2. The Digging Game

Does your dog like to dig? If so, we have the perfect game for them! Start by buying a sand pit—the size you want and need depends on how much space you have and the size of your pup. Then, simply bury the ball in the sand and let your pet go and find it. Not only do they get a ball at the end, but they get to have some fun digging, which is a real win-win for many pooches.

3. Dog Basketball

In many ways, this is just a variation of fetch, but with some training, you can teach your dog to drop off various balls right into a bucket. You can then set the bucket up in different locations, giving them a two-fold challenge of retrieving the ball and finding a way to get it into the bucket. Just ensure you don’t put your dog in a potentially dangerous situation when finding a location for the bucket.

4. Ball Bobbing for Dogs

During the hot summer months, you need something to keep your pet busy and help them stay cool. That’s where ball bobbing for dogs comes in. Simply get a large bucket, fill it with water, and throw a ball in it for them to fish out.

Tennis balls float right on the surface, but if you have a more adventurous dog that loves to swim, you can use something that sinks to the bottom of the bucket. If your pup wants the toy and doesn’t mind getting wet, they’ll dive right in to get it.

Just keep in mind this game will leave you with a wet pooch, so you’ll want to dry them off before you let them back inside.

5. Busy Box

This is quite possibly the simplest game you can set up for your pup. All you do is assemble a box with some of their favorite toys and present it to them! While this might not seem like much of a game to you, it’s a box full of wonderful fun for your pet.

Your dog gets to discover what you put in the box for them, and once they rediscover a few of their favorite toys, they’re more than ready to play with them again. Not every dog enjoys this game, but if you sprinkle in a few treats, it’s sure to get them interested. You can even sprinkle those treats into things like towels inside the box, so they have a way to spend a little more time in it while using some of their brain power.

6. Ball Pit

Remember when we were kids and we would play in the ball pits? That’s the idea with this dog ball pit. Find a few of their favorite balls and put them in a big container, like a kiddie pool. Not every dog will enjoy all the different balls to play with, but for some dogs, it’s a dream come true.

Get to know your dog, and if it seems like something they’d like, go ahead and try it. Otherwise, we wouldn’t recommend putting in the extra effort or money to put together a full ball pit for your pup.

7. Fetch

How did we make it to the bottom of our list of games without highlighting the most popular dog game of all time? Fetch is a classic staple for your pup, but the truth is that not every dog enjoys the game or understands how to do it.

If your dog enjoys playing fetch, it can be the perfect game for them to burn some energy, but it can also be quite challenging to teach them to bring the ball back if they’ve never been trained to do so. It’s not impossible, though, so if this is a game your pooch might enjoy, it’s well worth the effort.

We also recommend keeping this game outside for larger dogs; otherwise, it can lead to damage inside your home.

Tips for Teaching Your Dog New Games

While some of the games on our list don’t require any extra training, some do require a bit more obedience. You can’t expect your dog to immediately understand the rules, and if they don’t listen to you with other commands, they surely won’t listen during the game either.

Teach your pet some basic obedience skills, like their name, heeling, and sitting, before moving on to more advanced things like games. Once your dog has mastered the basics, start teaching them the games, but start slow and keep it as simple as possible.

For example, for the hide-the-ball game, instead of just hiding the ball and hoping they’ll find it, put it somewhere obvious, then give them a treat when they get it. It won’t take them long to want to find the ball, and then you can start making it a bit harder to find each time.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know about quite a few different ball games for dogs, all that’s left is for you to find one your pup will enjoy. Remember to start small and simple and let them learn the game before transitioning to something a bit more complicated.

With some consistency and training, it won’t be long before your pup is bringing you their toy and hoping for another round!

• See also: 11 Backyard Games for Dogs to Play When the Weather Is Nice

Featured Image Credit: Sue Thatcher, Shutterstock