Pet owners tend to
have busy lives. More often than not our dogs get
left behind, without much to do except sleep, stare out the window, or get into
trouble. Boredom is the bane of their
existence. I think many dog owners
understand that and feel guilty about the benign neglect of their furry
friend. As much as we love our dogs, we
can’t seem to think of much to do with them except throw a ball, pet them, feed
them too many treats, or take them for a walk.
But there’s a fun solution: You can play games with your
dog! Besides staving off boredom,
playing doggie games can:
- Prevent behavior problems
- Help ward off anxiety
- Bond your dog to you
- Afford mental stimulation
- Create a fun atmosphere for learning commands
- Provide exercise
Most pups can start learning games when they are only a few
months old. If your puppy doesn’t get
the idea, just give him a little more time to grow and try again. There’s no upper age limit to learning to
play a game unless there are physical problems, such as arthritis or illness.
Although unfairly maligned, tug-of-war is another great game. The misconception is that tug games promote dominance, but played correctly, they are a fun and confidence-building activity for your dog. But there are rules! The owner should initiate the game and shouldn’t allow the pooch to touch his hands – that is a foul and results in a temporary halt to the fun. And the dog must relinquish the toy on command, so this is a fun way to teach the “drop it” command. Similarly, playing fetch lends the same confidence enhancement as tug games and also teaches “drop it.”
A less-familiar dog game is hide-and-seek. You can hide a person, a treat, or a
toy. Each requires a different training
technique. Teaching a dog to find a toy or treat must be done in small steps to avoid frustration. This is a great game for either inside or outside
the house.
Playing hide-and-seek using another person not only
reinforces recalls but also encourages a dog to think. The person in hiding calls the dog, and the
person holding the dog then says, “Find Joe!”
When the dog locates the hidden “Joe,” a tasty treat is given, or a
favorite toy, or even a game of chase.
Inside or out, hiding or not, people can take turns calling the dog back
and forth. Watch your pal become fit and
proficient at recalls — possibly a life-saving skill.
With 132 million hits for “dog toys” on Google, finding
something fun for your furry friend to play with is easy. Some of these toys are interactive, requiring
effort from your dog to achieve a reward or requiring human input. But no matter what the toy, being a part of
playing with your dog will bond him to you and help prevent him from becoming
possessive of his playthings.
Remember playing with your food (despite stern warnings from
your parents) when you were a kid? Some
dogs, too, love playing with their food.
Throw a hard treat down the hall and make him wait for a command to
chase it and devour it. Interactive
feeding toys, such as Kongs and treat balls, offer an important chewing
opportunity with a tasty reward.
Interactive food bowls help slow hasty eaters and make meals more
interesting for some dogs. Not every
dog will enjoy having to work for every bite, but puzzle feeders can make dogs
have to think to find their food.
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| AiKiou's interactive feeder |
A lack of mental stimulation is one of the main causes of
behavior problems in dogs. Don’t miss opportunities to enrich your dog’s life. You can incorporate play into many routine
daily activities. We have a nation of
unemployed, indolent dogs. Let’s put
them to work!
