How To Play With A Dog

How to play with a dog: A great way to bond with your dog is by playing with them, plus it’s a lot of fun! It is a fantastic opportunity to teach your dog foundational skills for more formal training.

Playing games with your dog is the ideal opportunity to direct the rules and boundaries of the game, all whilst reinforcing your place as leader and building mutual trust, respect, focus, and long-lasting, positive communication skills together.

Good ground rules 

The best games involve mental and physical stimulation. Short bursts of energy should be encouraged but then interrupted by brief periods of calm and impulse control, before releasing energy again. If done correctly, your ability as a parental leader to gradually control how your dog switched their energy on and off starts here. 

Little and often is best

Ten two-minute games are much better than one that lasts twenty minutes. It is important not to exhaust your dog as this can make them irritable. Finish the game when your dog is still really engaged as this will help your puppy learn through experience to calm down. 

Get on their level 

When playing with your dog, get down to their level. It is much less overwhelming for them and easier for you to gauge their reactions and adjust yours. 

Switch it up

Don’t play games in the same area all the time. It is more engaging if the environment changes. It teaches them to transfer the behaviour when they are learning in different locations. The same game in a different place teaches new skills whilst increasing your dog’s confidence. 

Dogs and children

Children love playing with dogs, but should always be supervised, and understand how to play appropriately. Dogs learn through experience and we don’t want them becoming overly excited around children. Tug games between children and dogs should be avoided as they can both get carried away, so it is best to encourage a fetch type game with a ball. 

Use the right toys 

There are so many different types of dog toys available. Ensure they are big enough not to be a choking hazard, and be mindful of your dog’s teeth when playing tug, especially as a puppy. 

Do not fight with your dog, and don’t allow or encourage mouthing. Your dog is constantly learning and this behaviour isn’t something we want our dog to associate with humans, especially not children. 

Recall

The games we play should reflect the type of behaviour we need from our dogs, especially when starting formal training. These games include recall, retrieve, positions, and impulse control. 

For recall and retrieve, depending on the size and breed of your dog, you can use anything from a ball of paper to a soft toy or ball. Use two items, engage your dog with one, and throw it a short distance. Once your dog has it, encourage them back to you by using their name and repeating in a happy voice the recall command you wish to use moving forward, such as ‘here’. 

If they naturally drop the toy, pair ‘leave’ or ‘drop’ command and engage with the toy in your hand. This is a great way to shape positions and build impulse control. 

These play times are part of shaping your relationship with your dog. Learn to manipulate and control their energy through voice and body movements.