What are some fun games to play with my dog?

Question

I love my dog! What are some fun games i can play wiht her???

Answer 1

We play fetch with balls and sticks, tug a war, wrestle, chase, tag,

Answer 2

How about "hide and seek", or "find the person". What i do with my german shepherd cross, because she has such a great sense of smell, i tell someone to go hide in the trees(we have trails in the forest behind our house), and my dog will run around looking and smelling for that person. And when she finds them, she gets rewarded by being pet. My dog just loves doing that!

Answer 3

First of all the best book you can read is by Cesar Millan and it is called "Cesar's Way" he is also on National Georgraphic channel called the "Dog Whisperer. He says he trains the owners and rehabilitates dogs. Better to learn how to act with your puppy now before it gets bad behavor patterns. I have a lot of stuffed toys for my dog and give each one a name. I ask the dog to get that particular toy and she knows about 30 different names now.
You can also play tug of war with your dog with pantyhose but don't let the dog have it by itself. I trained my dog to also go to the bathroom immediately outside by saying "Daisy do good girl" and when she does I say "good girl" and give her a treat. Now she does everything I ask for the praise without the treat. Good luck with your puppy.

Answer 4

I have a Rhodesian Ridge Back that loves to swim. If there's water nearby, see if your dog will fetch a stick thrown in the water.

Answer 5

Frisbee. cathch with the ball. Get 3 tin cans and hide a ball under one with a treat get the dog to find the ball and treat. this teaches the dog to use her scent.

Answer 6

fetch, Frisbee, ball, the normal games =]

Answer 7

i like to set up jumps and that kind of stuff for my rat terrier speck!

Answer 8

doggie in the middle.....you, a buddy, a frisbee and doggie in the middle trying to catch the frisbee.

Answer 9

fetch,sit,Frisbee

Answer 10

I like playing chase with my puppy. I would just sit there and take a stuff animal and have it chase it around. Her reaction is pricless. But you have to let your dog once inawhile or it'll just upset. lol. Well.. take care. Here is actually an answer from one of my q and as.

I know this is long but it's something I have in my archives for when I get my dog.


Control the games, control the dog . . .

The kinds of games you play and how you play them will directly influence your dog's behavior. (See Good Games, Bad Games.) A large number of behavior problems seen in adult dogs can be traced back to the games they played as puppies. Do the games you play with your puppy encourage grabbing, biting or chasing?

"Having a dog is largely a matter of teaching the dog self-control. A good dog - and a safe dog around children - sits when he wants to jump, resists when he wants to take, and releases what he wants to hold onto. Anything you can do to foster that kind of control is for the best. Everything you do with your dog teaches him something! Make sure that the games you play foster the behaviors and attitudes you want ... Good games promote cooperation and control." - Sarah Wilson, Good Owners, Great Pets

DON'T OVER-STIMULATE YOUR DOG - AVOID COMPETING FOR THE PRIZE.
Avoid any action that might be mistaken as a challenge or teasing. Don't hover and pounce. Avoid games of keep-away, taunting the dog with the toy before it is thrown, wrenching it out of the dog's mouth after a momentary game of tug-of-war, and dangling the toy out of reach or behind your back to keep the dog from grabbing it away from you. These games increase dominant, pushy behavior. These might be good ways to entice a shy dog to play, but should be avoided with a highly motivated, confident dog. A dog who enjoys playing these games with the adults in the family cannot possibly know that it isn't the same game when the five-year-old holds his peanut butter sandwich above his head. Tug-of-war games become merely annoying when clean laundry is ripped from the clothesline - its a dangerous game when the adult dog plays it with a passer-by on a bicycle, or snares a running child.

YOUR DOG WILL HAVE TWO TYPES OF TOYS:
Pacifier toys - chew toys: the ones he should choose instead of your shoes or furniture. Interactive toys - balls, squeaky toys, tug toys: the ones that he enjoys with you.

YOU ARE NOT A TOY.
Don't use your body or clothing as part of any game. The most certain way to tell your dog that you are a littermate or a lower pack member is to act like one. You are not a dog. Do not get down on your hands and knees and growl at your dog, or play pushing, wrestling games which encourage biting.

USE YOUR VOICE EFFECTIVELY.
High pitched squealing makes you sound like a squeaky toy - a wounded animal - which brings out the predator in your dog. Whining makes you sound like another puppy - a playmate, not a pack leader. Children and women are usually the most prone to high pitched tones. "No-o-o-o-o! Do-o-o-on't! -Mom!" If you are giving a command or a reprimand, use your voice effectively. Lower your voice, be calm and matter-of-fact. Tell, don't ask. Give direction. Stop that, do this.

USE YOUR BODY POSTURE AS WELL AS YOUR VOICE.
If your dog isn't taking you seriously, stand up so you are taller than your dog. Look down on him as you give a command. If the dog is trying to steal something from you, whether its his favorite toy or your T-bone steak, use your body language and voice to let him know that he doesn't stand a chance. Don't squeal, don't pull away or raise the item above your head; this will encourage a chase response. Move toward the dog, hug the item close to your body and make eye contact. Lower your tone of voice.

THE WINNER KEEPS THE TROPHY
Control all access to interactive toys. Squeaky toys, balls, Frisbees, tug toys are stored out of reach, not left on the floor. You select the toy. You decide when the game starts, what the rules are, and when the game ends. The dog should never be allowed to wander off with the toy when the game is over. It is your toy and you allow the dog to play with it when you say so.

YOU MAKE THE RULES.
Retrieving games can teach control. Start with short throws on-leash. Incorporate the SIT or DOWN and STAY commands in every game. "Sit - good sit!" "Stay" (toss the toy) "Get it!"-or-"Fetch!" "Bring it here!" "Sit"-"Out." The delivery and release of the toy are very important. The dog should remove himself from the toy. Don't allow the dog to initiate games of keep-away or tug-of-war. Stop the game when the dog is still eager to play, not when he decides to quit. Take the toy, "Out." (You might trade for a treat.) Tell him, "OK., that's enough, good game!" - "Leave it." Place the toy in plain sight for several minutes. He may not touch it once you say the game is over. When he has resigned himself to the fact that he cant have it, quietly put the toy away until your next play session. Never allow your dog to shove toys at you or bark at you, demanding that you play his games.



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Control games help teach commands and reinforce good manners. The rules are black and white. No going for the toy until the get it command is given. (Stay!) No leaping for the toy when it is in the owner's hand (Leave it!), no jumping up (Off!), barking (Quiet!), leaping or lunging (Off - Sit!). The reward for following the rules is getting to play.



Almost every dog loves chase games. Instead of chasing you, have her chase a toy. Sticks, balls, stuffed toys (especially ones that squeak), old knotted socks, anything that's safe for the dog to play with. Balls should be small enough for the dog to pick up comfortably but not so small they can be easily swallowed.

Dogs love "hide and seek" too. Make it easy for her at first. Get an especially good treat and hide in another room; somewhere obvious, just behind a chair or a door. Call her in and have her "find" you. Make a happy fuss when she does and give her the treat. Hide and seek has endless variations. It can be played inside or out, and with practice, you can teach her to find almost anything.

Training can be a game! You can help teach a dog to come when called by making it a game. Get at least one other person and a supply of treats. With your helpers standing a distance away, take turns calling your dog. She should get plenty of praise and treats from each person, the more enthusiastic, the better. This is just one way of putting some fun into your training sessions. Dogs learn tricks quickly because we make it a game. You can make your training sessions a game, too.



Did you know you can teach your dog to play soccer? Start the game by gently kicking the ball along the ground toward your dog. Encourage him to get it. The ball is too big to pick up with his teeth and it will take him a few minutes to figure out that he must push it with his nose or bat it with his paws. Give him lots of praise as he begins to catch on.


“Find It!” is a game that almost every dog loves. They love using their noses, and because it requires concentration, it is a great exercise for an overactive dog. You can teach your dog to find almost anything but it's usually easiest to start with a treat, something the dog really likes. Have your dog sit and stay. If he doesn't know these commands yet (it's about time you taught him, don't you think?), you can have someone gently hold him in position. Show him the treat, then let him watch you put it behind a door or a chair. One trainer recommends putting it under a towel laid out on the floor. Then tell him to “Find it!” When he does, give him lots of praise. And of course, he gets to eat the treat.

After a couple easy finds, make it harder for him. Put him on the sit/stay, then hide the treat in another room. Come back and tell him to “Find it!” As he gets better and better, make the game even more difficult by putting the treat in unusual places like bathroom sink. Don't worry if he takes a long time to find it — you're doing this to give the dog some work to do, let him do it! Just don't make it so hard that he becomes frustrated and gives up. If that happens, go back to the beginner's level and slowly work back up.

“Find it!” has a lot of practical uses. Once your dog can locate hidden treats successfully, you can teach him to find specific objects. Start first with his favorite toy. Using the beginner's method I just described, put him on a sit/stay and let him watch you hide it. Then tell him to “Find your toy!” and release him. Just as you did with the treats, gradually make the game harder and harder until he can find the toy when it's hidden just about anywhere. (You can play these games both in and out of doors.) Reward him with lots of praise and a brief playtime with the toy when he finds it. You can even teach your dog to pick up his toys and put them away in his toybox!

By substituting various objects for the toy and using the object's name in the command: “Find the ball!” “Find the shoe!,” “Find the keys!” etc., you can teach your dog to tell one object from another and find almost anything for you that he's able to carry. One owner who took her dog to work with her used this skill to great advantage. She left her office for lunch one day, locking the door behind her — but she'd left her keys on the desk! When she realized her mistake, she went outside to a slightly opened window, called to her napping dog and told him to “Find the keys!” which most he happily did.


Tracking.
Put your dog on a long lead, flexi-lead or rope, and use a fixed collar, not a choke chain. Tell him to stay, or get a friend to hold him. Show him a toy, or titbit. Walk along backwards for about 20 yards, dragging your feet to maximise the scent trail, and holding the reward near the floor to encourage the dog to search along at ground level. Try to keep your dog's attention but don't let him follow yet. Leave the reward at the end of your scent trail, and return to the dog along the same path. Tell him to "Track" and encourage him to sniff the ground where you walked until he finds the reward. Don't worry about him pulling on the lead. When he has the idea you should be able to walk gradually more normally when laying the trail. Later try walking in different directions, first in an "L" shape, then in more complicated patterns. Keep him keen by making changes very slowly and make it easy for him to find the reward.

Find the thimble (er.. toy).
It's best to teach the track before you try this game. When you are out, drop a toy without your dog seeing you, then continue walking for a few yards. Call the dog and tell her "Look back". Encourage her to retrace your route (she should be able to follow your scent even if she didn't see exactly which way you went) until she finds the toy. Have a good game with it, and give lots of praise. Try using a long lead or rope at first to help you keep the dog on the right track. After a while, increase the distance and make the object a little more difficult to find. Don't throw it away from where you walked, though, or she won't be able to use your scent to find it.


Puppies games:
Playing and a little Training for my dog: Breeders separate the puppy from their mother, to take them to their new home, at an age from to 8 – 12 weeks. This means separating from the environment and people it was familiar with. The puppy already receives important norms and conducts form its mother. Now, its new owner has to take up the role of its , because the dog is very easy to persuade at its attachments at this moment, and what it learns at this early age will influence him for the rest of his life. It isn't true that you must allow puppies to do what ever they please when they are small. Give them small chores and motivate them with the help of a game.
Game of Looking for Things: puppy and owner look for a hidden toy together. At each discovery a reward will follow (a pat, praises or a candy). This way the dog will familiarize it self with the world that surrounds him and will loose any fear of the unknown.
Game of Movement: By getting a hold of the ball and bringing it, the puppy recognizes and improves his physical aptitudes, reduces their excessive energy and aggressiveness.