Good Games to Play with Dogs PDF Print E-mail

Dog-Gone-It Let the Games Begin

playing games with dogGames are not just child’s play.  Dogs love to play games too.  Not only are playing games with your dog a great way to spend quality time together, they also stimulate that bow-wow brain which keeps your best friend from going bonkers. 

Playtime is especially important in calming dogs full of energy.  Playing fun games helps keep dogs alert, stimulated, and focused. It is also a means of daily exercise necessary for all dogs to keep their hearts and muscles healthy and strong.

Spending time playing gives your dog a chance to run, bounce, wag, and have fun. Some of the most popular games dogs love to play are fetch, frisbee, tug-o-war, and stick.  In addition to your dog’s old favorite games, here are a few suggestions of ways to have fun together.

Hide and Seek
Hide behind a chair, behind a partially opened door, or around a corner where your dog can easily search for you.  When he finds you, give tons of love and praise.

Hide and Eat
Everyone knows dogs will do just about anything for a yummy treat.  Dogs are also known for having an exceptional sense of smells.  See how long it takes your dog to find his favorite hidden treat.  After playing a few games your dog, you’ll quickly learn just how much more clever you need to become at hiding your dog treats.

Doggie Detective
Show your dog a toy, and tell him to sit and wait while you go into the next room and hide it.  Then give your dog the release command and encourage your dog to sniff out and fetch the toy for a treat.

Switch the hide and treat game up by hiding a new object to find, fetch, and earn a treat.  Be specific about the name of the object and use it each time.  Once your dog has mastered the names of several items, you can begin a game of hide and seek using more than one object.  This is a great way of praising your dog for being such a smart boy.  

It doesn’t matter what the name of the game is when it comes to playing games with your dog.  All that really matters at the end of the day is having a health, happy, calm dog.