A big list of ways to tire your dog without a yard

Today we did a great thing. We walked to a public tennis court, and no one was there, so i closed the doors, let her off leash, and we played fetch with tennis balls. (I would never let her off leash in an open area where she could run off.) She loved it (bonus: no mud).
I second the flirt pole!
Also, in the house, we do fetch with soft balls and other objects. I have a nerf football that we play with in the basement. I toss it halfway up the stairs, and she tries to catch it as it bounces back down.
I also do a mixed series of instructions, like target, paws up, sit, stand, down, wait, etc. She enjoys that.
I rigged up a ramp that goes to a low coffee table, and she'll walk up the ramp, across the table and off the other side (in lieu of agility equipment). I also roll balls and rings down the ramp, and she grabs them as they come off.
We learned 'go around' in class, so i have her go around things.
I've found that the best for really wearing her out, though, is playing with another dog or having a class.

This is a great list! Here are some other ideas.

The beach. If off-leash time on an empty beach is an option for you, you are L*U*C*K*Y and will have a tired dog.

Grooming. I imagine many dogs find this boring, but still somewhat tiring. It involves a fair amount of obedience. It gets bonus points for ending with a cleaner dog than you started with.

Bubbles. I possess peanut butter scented dog bubbles I found on Chewy.com, but admit I have not tried them yet. This should be a great backyard activity, though some dogs stomachs might not tolerate it.

Roomba rides. Okay, I don't have a roomba or a dog tiny enough to ride one- but doesn't this sound like a fun trick? Maybe I'll watch videos with my dog of cats riding roombas. That's what I'll do.

Hide n Seek. Do you have a velcro dog? See if you can duck into a closet when they aren't looking, and how long it takes for them to find you. Take a squeaky ball in with you if you have doubts you will be found.

Practice your yoga. Yeah, get down there on the floor and pull some poses. Your dog will find this very interesting. At least my puppy does. This is more tiring for the human than the dog, though, so maybe doesn't belong on this list.

Jbean said:

You might want to reconsider the retractable leash idea. They're a little safer now that they use a tape rather than a cord, but I've seen two finger amputations and several fractures from retractable leashes. They're an accident waiting to happen

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Jbean-I think what I am learning is... No tool is perfect. After more than 20 years of using one, I am unlikely to change
I would have a miserable time without our retractable leash as I do not have a yard. Puppy walks were a retractable leash in the back alleyways saved my sanity, and sitting on the front steps with Annie on a retractable leash, which is the perfect length to allow her to run a bit, do her business, and not get on the sidewalk, is my lowest energy exercise for her. She loves lying on the grass, chewing a stick. I also do use it for walks

I used one for the first time with my first dog at age 5, have used them for every dog since. No injuries so far, and they have added a lot of quality of life for our dogs. Retractables allow a dog to sniff in a way you can't do with a normal leash. Annie pulls the least when she is on a retractable, since that is what I have spent the most time training, and there is an audible click when she has reached the end to tell her to return to me, sit, or otherwise give me slack. She also seems to use the rhythm of my hand swing to figure out she is approaching the end.

I always wonder how people manage these injuries.... The fingers should be nowhere near the cord!!! Use the brake, not the cord, don't buy the extra long length, etc.

Yes, they are not a perfect tool, and like any tool, they need to be used responsibly. They aren't appropriate for busy areas, areas without sidewalks etc, and the brake function should be used to shorten and control the leash/dog when passing people/distractions, etc. I often carry a 6ft leash to switch to if needed.

We also have a long line (retractable leash is 10 ft and long line is 50 ft) I find the long line in some ways more dangerous as it's easier for her or me to get limbs tangled in it and trip ourselves if I forget to manage slack.

I had her on a long line at the park yesterday and an off leash dog came up to us and got his feet tangled in the long line and yelped. I was worried if Annie had started to run it could have injured him.

For those interested in retractable leashes... Get a genuine Flexi, the others are mostly junk without strong enough brakes. Practice reeling in your dog. Quickly fling your hand outward to retract slack, hit the brake, reel in your arm/dog.. Repeat. It sounds complicated but it allows you to have control of your dog without touching the line.