Unleash Holiday Cheer with these 7 Festive Christmas Games For Dogs

Festive Christmas Dog Games to Keep Your Pup Pawsitively Merry

Are you ready to celebrate the yuletide season with wagging tails and jingle bells? No need to write Santa for ideas- we’ve gathered a sleighful of Christmas games for dogs that will guarantee your pup’s spirits will remain merry and bright!

Use these holiday-themed activities to keep your furry family members entertained during your Christmas gatherings and fundraisers, or for a simple way to keep everyone entertained on cold snowy days! These games are easy to set up and play with everyone.

So with festive cheer get ready for 7 fun games you can play with your four-legged friends this holiday season.

Christmas Games for Dogs

Christmas time is meant to be spent with those who mean the most, but unfortunately, our canine companions often get forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the season. But wait- why is this the norm? Even the Grinch let his doggie participate in his holiday activities.

If you are reading this post, you are looking to include EVERY member of your family this December in the Christmas fun. Let’s keep our pups involved and entertained this Xmas with these fun games and activities.

Looking for more ways to cure your dog’s holiday boredom? Try an activity advent calendar!

1. Catching Snowflakes/Santa

Get some dog treats shaped like snowflakes, Santa Claus, elves, sleighs, or reindeer. Then loosely tie each treat to a tree branch or stand. Let the dogs try to grab the treats as they hang and sway back and forth.  If your pup is struggling to get one of the treats, you can hold the string to help them out.

It’s best to let the pups approach the area one at a time to avoid any food aggression issues. You will also want to watch the pups to make sure they don’t accidentally ingest the twine or string around the treat. 

2. Santa Says

Remember playing “Simon Says” in school? This is a great way for everyone to practice commands with their dog around distractions. The only thing you need to do is write a list of behaviors that most dogs will know. If you know your dog’s guests well, you’ll have an easier time selecting more complicated behaviors for this game.

The announcer will yell out the behaviors to the crowd occasionally starting the behavior with “Santa Says”. The owners need to get their dogs to ONLY do the behaviors the announcer has started with Santa Says during the time allotted. If the dog hasn’t completed the behavior before the next one is announced, they are out of the game. The last pup standing is the winner.

3. Musical Sleighs

“Musical Sleighs” is a safer version of musical chairs- you will only need placemats and music. Count the number of dogs playing the game and subtract one to get the total number of mats you will need. You can get the placemats at a local dollar tree or print your own.

Place the mats in a circle and have the owners and their dogs stand in a circle outside of the mats. Once everyone is in position, you can start the Christmas music. Each time the music stops the owners need to have their dog sit on one of the mats. The dog/owner duo that was not able to get a mat, is out of the game. This will continue until there is only one pair left.

4. Naughty or Nice Tic Tac Toe

Create the grid for the game tic-tac-toe with either chalk or tape. Then place a small treat, or toy in each space.

Have each dog take turns going up and taking a game piece from the ‘board’. After each piece is removed draw a ‘present’ or a ‘bag of charcoal’ in the space depending on what team the dog is on. Depending on your artistic ability, you could also draw a snowflake, wreath, snowman, candy-cane, or snow ball in the squares. Be creative!

Standard tic-tac-toe rules apply. 

5. Pin the Tail on the Rein-Pup:

This game is quick and easy to set up and play. Just get out your Pin the Tail on the Rein-pup poster (make sure it’s protected) and some Kong paste or dog-safe peanut butter.  Simply place a few dabs of the paste or peanut butter around the poster, including where the tail or nose would go. One by one, let each dog approach the poster. Wherever the dog licks first, is where he ‘pins’ the tail/nose.  You can make your own or get one of our designs from our Etsy Store!

6. Santa’s Gift Hunt

Santa lost all the doggy Christmas presents! Hide some dog toys and treats around the room and let your dog find and fetch them. You can also make a row that your pup has to run down to select their gifts. You can set a time-limit or a gift limit for each dog’s turn.

7. Saving Santa

Most of the world that Santa needs to fly over is covered in water. His sleigh tipped and now it’s up to your own personal “Lassie” to save Christmas day. 

Fill a tub or small kiddie pool with water and put balls or hotdogs in it (these are the lost gifts). Set a timer and the dog that gets the most items out of the pool in the allotted time wins. You can also mark one of the balls, and the dog that gets the marked ball in the shortest amount of time wins.

Safety Considerations for Your Christmas Dog Games

Don’t be a Scrooge when you’re setting up and playing these dog games- always put safety first! Here are the three most important things you should watch for so you don’t spend your holidays with your pets in the emergency room:

• Choking Hazards (make sure all treats are bite-sized)
• Food or Toy aggression
• Entanglements (step in to help if your dog gets stuck or tangled up in any of the games)

Most accidents can be avoided if you keep a close eye on your four-legged friends. If you have any doubt about how the dogs may interact with each other, it is best to keep them all on leash.

Prizes for Your Christmas Dog Games 

You can play these dog games during the holidays for fun or prizes. The prizes can be as simple as a medal or certificate like the ones in our store. Or you can buy dog treats and toys for the winning pooch. 

You can even get prizes for the winning pet parents! A festive shirt, mugs, gift card, or other small Christmas decorations are some quick and fun ideas.

Jingle Up Some Fun with these Holiday Games for Your Furry Friend

Christmas has gone to the dogs! Get ready to have a jolly good time with your doggy as you celebrate this special time of year with these amazing themed dog games. These activities are perfect no matter how many pups you have participating in your Christmas festivities. 

Feel free to get creative and include other dog games at your gathering or go full out and throw your dogs a Christmas party. Merry Woofmas!