Sometimes the walk isn't possible. A dog might be recovering from surgery, easing back after an injury, working through a reactive patch that needs quieter days, getting on in years, or simply grounded by weather that's too hot for safe exercise. Whatever the reason, the same problem shows up in the same shape — a dog with energy, curiosity and time to spare, and an owner wondering how to fill the day without making things worse.

Physical exercise is only one way to tire a dog out. A short session of sniffing, problem-solving or calm training can be surprisingly effective without asking their body to do more than it safely can. Here are the ideas I come back to again and again with clients whose dogs are on restricted movement.

Make them work for their food

The easiest place to start is the bowl. Any meal your dog eats in ninety seconds is a meal that could have provided far more enrichment. A few options cost nothing, or almost nothing:

• Scatter feeding. Toss their kibble across the lawn, or use a snuffle mat indoors if the weather is against you. If movement is tightly restricted, keep the search area small and the food within easy reach.
• Frozen food toys and lick mats. Use your dog's usual wet food, soaked kibble or another familiar, dog-safe filling. Freezing it makes the activity last longer.
• The muffin-tin puzzle. Drop a few pieces of kibble into each cup of a muffin tin, then cover them with suitably sized balls. Your dog has to work out how to move the balls to reach the food.
• Slow feeders and puzzle bowls. For dogs who inhale their food, these solve two problems at once.

Use part of your dog's normal daily food allowance and supervise them, particularly when introducing a new toy or puzzle.

Give them something safe to chew

Chewing is one of the most underrated ways to help a dog settle. It gives a bored or anxious dog a legitimate job to do and can keep them quietly occupied while their body rests.

Choose a dog-safe chew that suits your dog's size, chewing style, teeth and diet. Avoid bones, antlers and other extremely hard chews that could damage their teeth. Remove anything that starts to splinter, break apart or become small enough to swallow, and always supervise.

Trade the long walk for short training sessions

Five or ten minutes of calm training can provide plenty of mental engagement without turning the living room into an agility course. You don't need to teach anything ambitious — the point is connection, not showmanship.

Things that work well when movement is limited include:

• Nose touch to hand
• Chin rest on your palm or knee
• Looking towards you on cue
• Choosing between two named toys
• Finding a treat hidden beneath one of two cups
• A familiar “look at that” exercise, provided it keeps a reactive dog calm rather than increasing their arousal

Keep it short and calm, and always end before they become frustrated. Any activity involving standing, turning or walking should remain within the limits set by your vet or rehabilitation professional.

Take them somewhere without walking them

A sit in the front garden, a few minutes at an open doorway or time watching the world from a quiet spot can be genuinely enriching. Dogs take in a huge amount through their nose, ears and eyes, and a change of scenery gives them something new to process.

A short car trip can also help, but only when travelling and getting in and out are safe for the dog and compatible with their recovery plan. For reactive dogs, choose somewhere quiet enough to be interesting rather than overwhelming.

Rotate the toys

If every toy is out all the time, none of them stays interesting. Split the toy box in half, put one half away in a cupboard and swap them over every week or two.

The dog you thought was bored with their toys may simply have been bored with those toys, in that combination, on the living-room floor.

Let them shred something

Some dogs need to destroy. Rather than fight it, give them a controlled outlet. A cardboard box stuffed with scrunched-up paper and a few pieces of kibble hidden inside can keep many dogs busy. Empty toilet-roll tubes folded at both ends with a little food inside also make simple disposable puzzle toys.

Supervise throughout, and do not use these activities for a dog that eats cardboard or paper. Count the hidden food as part of their daily allowance. Bin the mess afterwards and everyone wins.

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