5 fun ways to play with your dog

Playing fetch with your dog is not only fun and stimulating for them but it’s a great way to assist with training your dog to come back to you when called. I personally prefer playing fetch at home with my soft toys but other dogs like to fetch tennis style balls which are better when playing outside in a wide open space. 

 

For those dogs who like to tug, this can be a great game to play both indoors or outdoors. Tug of war is not only fun but it’s also good way to train you pooch in the art of self-control and the leave/give technique (depending on your word of choice). I enjoy a game of tug and I always end up with the prize, dad says it’s because I’m so strong but I think he lets me win! 

 

Another game which gets our doggy brains stimulated is find it! The beginners or easier version is to throw a treat or toy (if your dog is more toy motivated) across the floor and say “find it”. If your dog is particularly good a sniffing out treats you may want to increase the difficulty by getting them to stay while you hide the treats behind furniture and then send them off to find them. To make it even harder why not hide them in a different room but don’t forget where you hid them though as you will want to confirm they have all been retrieved. 

 

It’s not only children who love a game of hide and seek, dogs can also enjoy it. Get you pooch to stay while you take their favourite treat or toy and hide. When your ready call their name, maybe squeak the toy or shake the treats to give them a helping hand. Once they find you reward them wit the treat or toy and lots of praise. This is also a great game to help with your dog’s recall. 

 

Catch is something new mum and I have been working on. Mum gets me to stay and then throws my toy in the air while saying “catch”. The idea is I catch it before it hits the ground which I’m getting better at but it’s not every time just yet. As with fetch you may find your dog prefers a certain type of toy to play with, again I like to play with my soft toys but others may prefer a ball or rope toy. 

 

As you may have spotted most of the games included elements that can help with training and that’s fine because making training fun by playing games keeps your dog interested and motivated. It is also a great way to build the bond between you, your family and your furry best friend. 

 

Do you and your dog have a favourite game? Maybe it’s one that isn’t on my blog, if so I would love to hear about it! 

 

Until the next adventure.....