April 20th, 2011
Training is about much, much more than simply teaching your dog the proper responses to verbal or other cues. Good training is a way to relate to your dog and for the two of you to communicate with each other.
And it’s also supposed to be fun–for both of you.
That’s where playing games with your dog comes in. By playing games with your dog, you can exercise his mind, reinforce behavioral cues and, above all, have a good time. And because all of these games can be played indoors, you can play them anytime, even when the weather’s frightful. (That brings me to another plus of game-playing: they give your dog exercise, which can help keep him mellow and happy, not to mention healthy and fit.)
Here are some great games to play with your dog:
Hide the toy. Bring your dog to your bedroom and show him a favorite toy. Ask him to sit and stay, or–if you know he won’t hold the stay–close the bedroom door. Hide the toy in another room, where your dog can find it easily. Release him from his sit and/or open the door, and tell him to find the toy. Then, watch him sniff everywhere until he finds it! When he does, praise lavishly and otherwise make a big fuss over him. As he becomes better and better at this game, make it more challenging for him by hiding the toy in harder-to-reach places. But don’t cheat: the toy has to be someplace where your dog can retrieve it!
Hide and seek. This game, of course, is when you are the, ahem, toy and your dog needs to find you. If your dog has a rock-solid stay, place him in one room and then go hide somewhere else. When you’re secure in your hiding place, ask him to come–and when he finds you, make a big fuss over him and give him a treat. You can also play this game by having another person hold your dog until you’re ready, and then have that person release him.
Show me something else. This game, which is a variation on Karen Pryor’s “101 Things to Do with a Box”, is a great way to keep your dog’s mind sharp and get him to really think. Allie and I *love* playing this game. To learn how to play it, have your a box or cone or other object (maybe milk carton?), a clicker and treats ready and then click here.
Have fun!
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Posted in K9 Care, K9 Fun, K9 Training | Comments Off
Susan McCullough has been a professional writer for 30-plus years, but didn't start focusing on dogs until 1996, when an overzealous Sheltie attacked and shredded a message that had been faxed to Susan's office. Instead of merely telling the sender "My dog ate your fax," Susan decided to see seek expert advice about how to share an office with one's animal companion. She turned that advice into an article for a national pet magazine, and she's been writing about dog behavior and care ever since.
