How to play with a dog and why it is important to do so

Many owners are interested in the question of how to play with a dog, because these animals are very active and mobile. Before purchasing a pet, you should understand this. Thanks to this approach, the animal can hone its instincts and skills, learn to communicate with its owner and children, if you have them.

Every owner of a four-legged friend is simply obliged to pay attention to him and not only play, but also work with him and teach him the necessary commands. It is this kind of pastime that helps the animal develop physically and strengthens the bond between owner and dog.

Let him know who's in charge

During the game, the dog will try to please its owner, so that in the future he will be with him constantly. This moment should be used to train the animal, because at this time the four-legged friend will listen more carefully to the owner and do everything that is required of him. This also helps in establishing so-called hierarchical relationships, you must show who is the boss in the “pack”, but you should not use any violence. Everything can be done calmly.

Remember one more thing: when the dog doesn’t have enough outdoor games, he will find entertainment on his own, for example, chasing cats, scaring passers-by, gnawing furniture or shoes. To avoid this, you should pay attention to your pet and devote enough time to it.

But there are some principles that you simply must use during such a pastime:

As already mentioned, only the owner must be the leader in all games and educational elements. At his command, the game begins and then ends, exactly when the dog owner wants, but not vice versa. You can’t follow the animal’s lead, and don’t start immediately after your pet brings his favorite toy. Wait just a few minutes, and you can start - this will show the dog who is boss in the house;
the animal should not show that he is dissatisfied with something. But if this happens, you still need to stop the game or enforce the command that caused such a reaction, and immediately end this pastime. The dog must know that if he does not show his dissatisfaction or does something wrong that his owner does not like, then all games end very quickly.

What should not be allowed when playing with a puppy?

Experts know that for puppies, games are not only entertainment, but also education and training. That is why it is so important for the owner of a small creature to pay attention and time to the furry animal. In addition, it is very important to approach the process correctly.

First of all, it is worth remembering that you should not allow the baby to bite the hands, feet or clothes of the owner during entertainment. So far, such biting seems harmless, but if not stopped, such behavior will be characteristic of an adult dog. And in this case it will be too late to wean.

It is important to explain to the dog that having fun together with the owner or family members should bring pleasure to everyone. Of course, you should never use force on your pet. Physical violence will not lead to anything good.

When playing, do not use old shoes or human things, otherwise the dog will not understand the difference in the future. You should acquire special items, even if there are few of them, but they must belong to the pet.

Important! Training is not carried out on a full stomach. After feeding, you must wait at least 1-1.5 hours.

Puppies should play with the whole family

As you can imagine, there are a large number of dog activities that are suitable for the home. The most important thing is to spend time with your pet and enjoy the fun you have together. Then the dog will look forward to them.

Rules for teaching dogs to play with toys

Don’t think that teaching a dog to play is very easy and simple. Everything is completely different, and it happens that your pet very quickly masters a certain game or command, but this does not apply to everything you want to teach him. In order for your pet to have fun, you need to know how to teach a dog to play with toys and what is needed for this? A little of your attention and time, as well as the necessary set of items for playing or learning.

You need to buy several toys that will suit your dog, but they must all be different. These four-legged animals love small objects that can easily fit into their mouths; they can be rolled on the floor or ground and chewed. Among other things, there must be rubber balls and toy bones. Just remember that you can’t purchase small items, because if the game gets too exciting for your pet, it may happen that he swallows it. All such toys should be divided into groups. Change active games every week, then the dog will not have time to get used to this or that pastime.

You should not expect that the dog will immediately want to play what the owner offers it. In order to interest the animal, you need to put a toy in front of it and it will sniff it. Often, animals cautiously study this completely new object for some time, sniff the toy, try it, and only then begin to play with it on the floor, that is, they simply roll it around. When you have waited for this moment, calmly get involved in the gameplay.

You can throw this object into one corner, then into the second, and let the dog run after it. After some time, the animal will be more willing to get involved in this process, then it is advisable to continue the game on the street, where it is possible to combine it with training.

But it is possible to involve a four-legged animal in this process without auxiliary objects. For example, it is possible to play catch-up or jump over special obstacles. Be sure to behave friendly with your dog during the play period, then you will not cause aggression in your pet and avoid stress; animals are also susceptible to some human weaknesses.

Why should you spend time with your dog?

When a dog is deprived of such an opportunity as play, it becomes very cautious and even timid, and will not have the inclination to lead.

What does gameplay mean in the life of dogs? With the help of such pastime, the dog can play various roles, learn many commands and remember what is happening to him at a given moment. This creates a simulation of situations that could happen to him - this helps the animal prepare for life. Therefore, it is very good if the owner has the opportunity not only to join the game himself, but also to use children and other dogs for this.

It will be interesting why dogs stick together

If you involve the whole family in the game process, then very strong bonds are formed between you and the animal. This allows your pet to quickly understand relationships and join your family, which will give her confidence.

Street games with a dog

The dog needs to be given constant attention. If there is not enough communication for the pet, there are no joint games, then there is no point in assuming that you can develop close, friendly relationships. Often, owners like to train their four-legged pets outside the home. But, if you have just made a friend, then you need to understand how to play with your dog on the street, involving everyone in this process, that is, both the dog and your family.

Jogging, which your pet always considers a game, is an active and fun process. During such pastime, the animal develops strength, endurance, agility, and attention if the owner constantly changes the pace of movement and direction.
Toys help develop the animal and distract it from those activities that can be called unwanted and negative. It also gives him the necessary physical activity, for example, if he takes chewing objects, his jaws develop.
Frisbee develops endurance, attention, speed, and agility.
Crawling and jumping will require physical effort from the pet, but at the same time, muscles develop, coordination of movements is trained, as well as dexterity.
There is a lot of space and opportunities to play outside, so more interesting and larger games are available outside.

Search for treasure . You need to cover the toy a little in the ground, sand, leaves, or simply hide it. You should place a stick with a treat on top, or you can hang it up. To make it more difficult, you can make a swinging rope or stick;

Jumping over obstacles . A sports area with some kind of devices is perfect. In nature, a fallen tree can serve as an obstacle;

Running between the trees . First you need to show what needs to be done by running around the trees with a treat. If you do the exercise often enough, you can gradually increase the difficulty. The ultimate goal is for the animal to start running around trees within a radius of 10 meters on just one command;

Parkour with a pet . To play, you need to teach your pet to jump away from vertical obstacles; Sports for dogs. You can buy special equipment that will help you practice running, jumping over barriers, passing obstacles, and slalom. You can do sports with your dog on your own or in special schools;

Search for a person . You can hide from a dog with your friends, and then someone has to order you to look. The main thing is that the dog does not see where people are hidden; One of your friends with a dog needs to cross the bridge, then walk along the river bank on both sides for 20-30 meters. After taking a position, the owner must call the animal and wait until the pet thinks of running across the bridge in the opposite direction;

Finding a way out . It is necessary to separate a certain area and create a fence on it so that the dog cannot jump over it. The main task of the owner is to create an intricate labyrinth, albeit a small one. A friend lets the animal in on one side and closes the gate, and on the other, the owner calls the dog to him. After a successful test, you can make the task more difficult if you do everything at night;

Game with an inflatable ball . It is necessary that the dog cannot bite it, that is, the ball must be large enough. Then throw an inflatable ball on top and watch as your pet hits it with its nose, constantly throwing it up;

Laser pointer or flashlight . Many dogs run after the laser, this can be used to play with it. It is advisable to climb higher and shine the light at a distance of 10-30 m from yourself. It is especially interesting to play if there are several dogs.

Game "take away my toy" . The owner holds the toy on one side, and the dog pulls on it on the other.

Simple educational (search) games for dogs at home

The simplest educational search game. Take a piece of treat, hold it in your fist so that there is a small hole left, and show the dog two fists. She must sense by smell which fist contains the treat. In the future, sniffing the fists can be “set” to the command “Look” or “Sniff”.
When the dog has learned to choose the right fist, we complicate the task for him: we take disposable plastic cups (not transparent), make a small hole in the bottom and play thimbles. We put a treat under one of the cups, and let the dog determine which cup it is hidden under. We gradually increase the number of cups (starting with two).
You can take an empty shoebox, fill it halfway with crumpled paper (ideally, use toilet paper, the cheapest one without fragrances) and throw a piece of food in there - let the dog get it. In the future, you can complicate the task: cover the box with a lid or make a lattice of fabric tapes in the upper part so that the dog has to stick its muzzle in there and fight against obstacles.
Sometimes owners complain that the dog literally sucks food into itself. In stores you can buy special slow-feeders - special labyrinth bowls into which the required amount of food is thrown, but the dog is not able to swallow it instantly. As a result, what the dog usually ate in 3 seconds, it has to eat within a few minutes. As such a slow feeder, you can use a plastic or rubber grid mat, which is usually placed under the mat at the front door: pour food into the holes of the mat - and voila.
Game "Candy". We take squares of paper (again, you can use toilet paper) and roll a feed or several feeds into them. And we scatter these “sweets” around the room (you can put everything in a box, but be prepared for the paper to still be scattered around the room). The only “but”: I would advise using dry food, and not natural products - “natural” gives juice that soaks the paper, a greedy dog can swallow the “candy” along with the wrapper. On the other hand, even if the dog eats a little cellulose, it is not scary. It is interesting that in this game dogs are divided into 2 categories: some unwrap each “candy” with the help of their paws and teeth, while others take the candy into their mouths, bite a piece with a skillful movement and spit out the piece of paper. I call them “seed eaters.” And they do it so quickly and deftly that you’re amazed. I usually prescribe “candy” for dogs with separation anxiety or who are trashing the apartment: the dog eats 10 “candy” within 5 minutes, so you not only gain time, but also give the dog a good mental load. The dog eats 30 pieces of food and is already tired.
You can collect toilet paper rolls, stand them upright in a shoebox, and toss a handful of treats inside.

You can use wine corks instead of toilet paper rolls, just ventilate them thoroughly first.
You can put the treat in a toilet paper roll and seal the roll on both sides. It's better to let the dog chew the bushings than linoleum or wallpaper!
You can take a cardboard egg container, put a treat in each cavity, and on top - a tennis ball or simply crumpled paper into a ball. This is a simple game for very timid dogs. Essentially, all they have to do is push the ball with their nose, and the reward is received. Then you can close the container and let the dog chew it.
Take cupcake pans - a tray with several small niches - put the goodies there and cover with the same balls.
If your soul really requires scope, you can install a children's pool with plastic balls and throw some treats in there too. Although here it is not known what will be more important - a treat or balls. Well, if you already have balls for the pool, you can fill the container with them, not the pool - the scope, of course, is more modest, but the dog will happily dig into the container, fishing out pieces of food between the balls.
You can take a bamboo mat or yoga mat, lay out a trail of treats (first, a treat every 5-10 cm), and then roll it up. To prime the dog, we show the dog one treat lying on the mat, he begins to spin the mat with his nose and reward himself. Then the distance between the pieces increases, and then there is a jackpot (several pieces of delicacy) at the very end. At the same time, you can teach your dog the command “Slave, unroll the rug!” :-)
You can take old socks and put treats in them.
You can use old jeans or T-shirts, towels - crumple them, put food in the folds, and let the dog sort it out.
A great game that dogs love: the sniffing mat. We take a washing grate or, for large dogs, a net that is placed under the rug at the front door. We cut strips 2 cm wide from an old flannel shirt or fleece sweater, old jeans. And we tie knots on each lattice in the mesh. On the reverse side we get a kind of soft “hedgehog” made of fabric strips, into which we can throw a piece of food. This will keep the dog busy for a long time. (You can search for “snuffle mat”).
For especially fanatical owners who love to do things with their own hands, I recommend sewing educational rugs with various pockets, fabric hedgehogs, etc. (You can search for “snuffle puzzle mat”).
We throw a piece of food in front of the dog and say: “Look.” Then, gradually, the pieces are thrown farther and farther away, or hidden, and we sit the dog in another room. You can hide toys.
You can play hide and seek - ask the dog to find a specific family member who, when discovered, gives the dog a treat.
You can use small plastic bottles, for example, 0.33 liters. Pour the food into the bottle, leaving the lid open. While the dog is shaking the bottle, the food spills out from time to time.
Another option for playing with a bottle: cut a hole in the side plane of the bottle with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the feeder. We pour food into the bottle, screw on the cap, and give it to the dog. While she rolls the bottle, the food spills out.
You can drill a hole in a tennis ball (just be sure to wash the inside of it before putting food in it): the dog rolls the ball and earns food.

Dogs get a lot of enjoyment out of retrieval games.

Such games not only amuse the dog, but also teach persistence and help fight frustration.

CAREFULLY! Be extremely careful if you use toys that could be harmful to your pet if swallowed, such as plastic bottles, tennis balls, or fabric toys!

Before leaving your dog alone with such toys, make sure that the dog will not try to swallow a piece of such toys.

Playing with the dog at home

But the weather does not always allow you to play with your dog outside. What to do in this case, how to play with the dog at home if there is no other option. You can spend interesting time with your pet even in a small apartment or house. At least roll the same rubber ball. But there are more interesting games.

There are many different dog games to choose from, we'll look at some of the best puppy games at home that will keep you entertained while also promoting your pet's development.

Leave the dog in one room and close the door without latching it. Go to another room and call the dog. The exercise is easy to perform when the door moves outward, then the animal just needs to push it. After the dog has mastered opening in this way, it is worth exchanging sides so that the door opens inward, which will be a more difficult task. Give the dog the opportunity to open the door on his own;
To play, you will need old boots and a handkerchief, inside which you need to pour a treat and wrap it, and then put the package in the boot. Now all that remains is to watch the dog take out the treat. Next, you should change the location and put the treat in the box so that the animal can see it. If you can’t get it out yourself, open the door slightly;
For the next game, you need a large treat, it needs to be shoved far under the furniture so that the dog can only reach the tip of the rope and guesses to pull on it. It is important to ensure that the animal pulls exclusively on the rope and does not swallow the cord itself;
You can take a small plastic container and put a toy or something tasty inside. Next, place the container in a bathtub or large bowl. Let the dog get this thing or food; Lay out a path of treats around the apartment and watch her follow it;
You can create an impromptu tunnel by placing chairs or stools in one line and covering it with a blanket. On the reverse side you need to place some kind of incentive or simply call your pet;
You need to launch a hula hoop and order the dog to run through it. Initially, the animal may not understand the essence of the task, so you should not start the hoop right away, but after running a little with it in front of you. First you need to show that she must run through the hoop, the incentive is a tasty treat;
Jumping rope. You need to play at least together, passing one end to a friend. It is necessary to teach the dog to jump at a clearly established time or so that it is guided by hearing, giving commands. You should not turn it quickly, the animal will not have time to jump and will receive strong blows.

Search for objects. First, you show your tail the toy that he must find, let him sniff it and name the product out loud. Hide this item, and only now can you give the “search” command. The pet must not only find it, but also bring it, and then give the product to its owner. But it also happens that a four-legged friend does not want to give up the toy. In this case, you need to voice a command such as “give” and pick it up yourself. If in this case the dog does not want to give it back, then you need to end the game.
To play cheated, you need the help of someone from your family or friends. You need to sit on the floor covering. The assistant will also sit in front of you, the approximate distance is three meters. Now you need to quickly roll the ball across the floor to another person. The dog will try to chase and grab this rubber product. After catching the ball, the helper must mislead the dog with a deceptive movement. For example, pretend that he is going to throw it to the left. When the fluffy rushes there, he throws the ball from the right side of the dog to you. This game is very popular with four-legged animals, but it also trains them in such qualities as dexterity and attention.

It should be understood that the need to play is inherent in dogs; it plays a very important, if not the main, role in their life. Without such pastime, as one of the pleasant ways to teach an animal the necessary commands, it is very difficult to raise an obedient and active dog. The pet will treat you with great respect and attention if it sees in the owner not only a partner, but also a friend, then it will become easier for you to train him or train commands.

You need to know what you can play with your dog, and make this process active and constant, at least once a day. You can spend time this way, as you already understand, not only on the street, when the weather permits, but also at home, but you should remember that the stress, both physical and emotional, should be reasonable.

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How to teach a dog to recognize the names of toys

Playing with puppies at home must include a learning process. It’s good if the pet can hear by ear what object the owner is asking him to bring. Accordingly, it is necessary to teach the animal to recognize the names of different toys.

This is done quite simply. You just need to repeat the name of the object every time during the game and show it to your pet, for example, “ball”. Soon the dog will begin to associate this word and object.

Checking how well the training is going is also quite easy. You just need to ask your pet to bring a toy. If he did, then the lesson was learned.