Play Time

Dogs love to play, with other dogs, with humans and with toys.

And playing with your dog can be equally fun for you. It's a time to bond, to act foolish and most games provide an opportunity to use many basic training commands.


What is the best way to play with a dog? Like a dog of course, with enthusiasm!

Here are several different games you can play with your dog.

Hide and Seek

This is a fun game for you and your dog. Get your dog to sit and stay while you hide. Here is a game that allows you to practice your basic commands. First hide is places that she'll find you easily and work up to the more difficult places. When she finds you get enthusiastic about it. Let her know she's done well!

Find

Take one of your dog's toys. Let her smell it and then put her in a sit and stay while you go into another room to hide it. Again you are practicing the basic commands. If the toy has a name then tell your dog "Find the name". Or you can just say "Find" or "Find your toy". If your dog doesn't find the toy you can give her a hint by pointing to the right area. And when she does find the toy, make sure you praise her and tell her what a good dog she is.

Fetch

This game is a favourite among most dogs. Some can go for hours playing fetch while others lose interest after a few tosses. To change things up, once you throw the fall or Frisbee you can start running in the opposite direction. When your dog retrieves the object, she will then start chasing you. You can also hide after you throw the ball to give your dog the task of finding you after too. Or the good old throw and retrieve is just fine too.

Tug of war

You can either use a tug of war rope or make your own out of an old t-shirt. Make sure this is a game that you always win. If your dog is too big or strong for you to win this game, it's a good idea to skip this one and play other games.




Puzzle games

There are a number of interactive toys that challenge a dog's mind. Many of them are puzzle like and you hide treats in little compartments. The dog has to figure out how they open to get a treat. You can make your own game by turning a bowl upside down and putting a treat inside it. This will also challenge your dog's mind how to get it out.

Tricks

There are many books available for teaching your dog tricks, from simple to downright complicated. Always start with the easy tricks to set your dog up to succeed. Remember to always end on a positive note. If you are getting frustrated because your dog doesn't understand the trick, it won't be fun for either of you. Remember all dogs are different and will learn at a different pace.


Obstacles

Lead your dog on leash over or around obstacles such as trees, rocks, picnic tables, etc. that you find in your neighbourhood or your local playground. It's not only fun for your dog; it teaches her to trust you and enforces your leadership.

So play and have fun!

Mouthing and Nipping

Dogs use their mouths to communicate with each other from the time they are puppies to adults.

A puppy will mouth things to explore and investigate the world around him, when he’s teething and playing.  This is a perfect time to teach him manners where his mouth and human skin are concerned. Since mouthing is a normal behavior, make sure he always has suitable chew toys available and praise him when he uses them.

If your puppy nips or mouths you during play, you can say "OUCH" really loud and stop the play immediately. DO NOT hit his nose, you are trying to teach him respect not fear and aggression. Ignore him for a few minutes and then resume your play time. Every time he nips do the same thing. His siblings and mother would react much the same way. You want to teach your puppy not to use pressure with his mouth at an early age so that when he grows up he will continue to have that same respect even though his jaw will be much stronger.

If an adolescent or adult dog nips at you, he may be doing it for a different reason. He may be trying to control you with mouth if he disagrees with what you are doing (maybe you are grooming him or moving him off a bed or couch). In this case you must brush up on your leadership skills because your dog is either challenging you or already thinks he's in control.

This is also the case when a dog herds you by nipping at your heels when you walk or run. He is controlling your movement and/or telling you he wants to play. This should not be tolerated as it can pose potential problems if your dog is loose at a playground or somewhere with a lot of kids running around.  You can interrupt his behavior with the word “HEY” in a calm but stern voice every time he nips at you. Be consistent and he will eventually learn. Once he learns the word, you can use it to interrupt him if he’s nipping at someone else.

If you take the time to educate your dog and provide him with the proper leadership, he will respond to you.