Playing with your dog, especially while he is young, is extremely important as it helps to build and strengthen the bond that you have with him and encourages him to see you as his main source of fun and entertainment. This means that when you are out together, your dog will be more likely to obey a recall, because he knows that returning to you does not mean an end to his fun, but rather an opportunity for more fun. Games also provide a healthy and socially acceptable way of satisfying a dog’s prey-drive. Energy and skills that would naturally be used for chasing and hunting can be redirected into harmless activities such as retrieving and tug-of-war. A dog that is focused on fetching his ball on the beach is far less likely to chase birds and joggers. Games and toys can also be very effective incentives and rewards for obedience training.
In order to raise a well-mannered dog, certain rules must be applied to games right from puppyhood:
1. Encourage games with toys rather than wrestling and play-fighting. A puppy that leaps all over you and chews your clothes may be cute, but an adult who does the same thing is a menace. Both pups and adult dogs should be allowed free access to chew toys that keep them occupied when they are alone, but all toys that you use in your joint play sessions must be kept by you. You should always end the play session by distracting the dog and then removing the toy and putting it away. This makes the toys more interesting and valuable to the dog.
2. Dogs must be taught to let go of whatever toy they have on command. Having this control over your dog is important when he grabs something he shouldn’t have. Teach your dog that if he lets go of one thing, you will give him something else, like a food reward or another toy. Simply snatching his toys away and then ignoring him will teach him to avoid you when he has something he likes.
3. Any unacceptable behaviour should mean the immediate end of the play session. If your dog bites, growls loudly (not play-growling) or becomes very rough, immediately remove the toy and walk away. Yelling “Ouch!” as soon as his teeth make contact with your skin allows him to pinpoint what he did wrong.
4. Tug-of war is a great game which most dogs enjoy, but you must be able to get the dog to let go of the tug toy on command, without a fight. Teach your dog that letting go of a tug toy means the game starts straight away again. If you cannot do this on your own, get a reputable trainer to help you achieve this in a non-confrontational manner, before you continue with this game. Allow the dog to win the toy regularly, so that he does not become bored. A well-trained dog will quickly return to you with the toy so that the game can begin again.
5. All games with children should be supervised. Dogs often develop very bad habits playing with children who either encourage unacceptable behaviour or are unable to guide the dog towards what is acceptable. Children often tease dogs, intentionally or not, and playtime can get seriously out of hand.
Please also ensure that all toys are safe for your dog to play with. Avoid small balls that may become lodged in the throat and toys from which large chunks of plastic or rubber can easily be broken off and swallowed. Only play tug-of-war with objects that are soft (such as a stuffed sock or rope made of soft thread) and will not damage your dog’s teeth and gums.
Useful Games
The tail wagging game: This teaches a dog to focus on your face, make eye-contact with you and pay attention - For a puppy or small dog, start by sitting or kneeling on the ground. For a larger dog, sit in a chair. Call your dog to you and say his name. When he looks up at your face, immediately reward him with a tit-bit and lots of praise. Show him that you have another tit-bit and this time hold it in front of your face. Say his name and excite him with your voice so that his tail begins to wag. Reward him with the tit-bit and praise. Slowly begin to extend the time he is required to look at you before he is rewarded. If he loses concentration and looks away, speak to him to get him to focus on your face again and reward him. Never reward when he looks away. This exercise is especially useful if you wish to obedience train your dog, as it helps to develop the concentration span needed for more complex and lengthy exercises.
The chase recall: Once your dog reliably retrieves (runs after a toy you have thrown and brings it back to you), this exercise will teach him to come back mid-retrieve, i.e. without fetching the object, on your command. For this you will need two retrieve toys and a helper. Get the helper to stand several meters away from you and engage in a retrieve game with your dog by throwing one of the toys directly past your helper. After a few retrieves, throw the retrieve toy to your helper so that he/she can catch it and hide it away. Your dog should be mid-chase at this stage. Immediately call out “leave!” and, as your dog turns to look at you, show him the other toy, which you have kept hidden until now, wave it around to entice him and throw it in the opposite direction. Allow him to retrieve this second toy and reward him enthusiastically for doing so. The point is to teach your dog that if he leaves one game of chase, you will have another one lined up for him. In this respect it is advisable to use a more exciting toy for the second retrieve. After all, if your dog is ball-mad, he is unlikely to leave his ball for a stick. After a while, your dog should learn to abandon the chase for the first article on your command, even though you have no helper to remove it from his sight. Having a dog that is reliable in the chase recall is very useful when a cat, cyclist or another dog’s ball is the object of pursuit. Once learned, this exercise should not be repeated too often; otherwise your dog may start to hesitate on every retrieve.
Hide and Seek: This game is useful in that it teaches dogs to find objects on command by using their sense of smell alone. Start by showing your dog a favorite toy and letting him smell it. Give him a sit/down stay (if he has not yet learned this, get someone to hold him) and allow him to watch while you hide the toy somewhere close by. Use a word or phrase such as “find it”, “seek” or “where’s it gone” to encourage your dog to look for the hidden object and praise him enthusiastically when he finds it. Encourage him to pick up the toy if he has not yet done so and reward him by having a game with it - if you hid a ball, throw it for him, if a tug-toy, play tug-of-war. Once he seems to understand the game, i.e. he is running out keenly to look for the toy; it is time to teach him to rely completely on his nose to find it. To do this, go out of his sight when you hide the toy, so that he cannot rely on his eyes or his memory to tell him where it is, and continue with the game as before. Remember to rub new or unfamiliar toys in your hands, so that he can identify them by your scent. Most dogs seem to love this game and, when they have found their toys will prance around with them in their mouths, tails wagging, as if to say, “Look how clever I am!” Hide and Seek can also come in handy if you drop your wallet or keys in the park!
Emily & Judah are glued to the ball when walking on the beach!