Owning a happy, healthy and motivated dog should be every owner’s goal. Scheduling time for playing with your dog sessions into their daily routine can help you to achieve this. Playing with your dog has many benefits in addition to the fun that both you and your dog will have together. During puppyhood, play aids coordination which is vital for development. Playing games with your dog is a great way for him to burn off energy as well as providing fantastic mental stimulation.
Games are especially useful if you live in a city flat and have limited access to a garden as they can be played inside as well as out. Playing tug and fetch, offers appropriate outlets for natural and highly rewarding dog behaviours such as chasing and hunting; behaviours which will surface in other undesirable ways if not channeled into play with you.
Dogs With No Games to Play, Create Their Own Games!
Toys can be a great motivator and therefore can be employed as training aids and reward tools for reinforcing desirable behaviour. They can also be used to redirect attention away from distractions and towards the owner – especially useful during socialisation and habituation with a young dog. Finally, playing with your dog strengthens the bond you share. By becoming your dog’s playmate, you increase your magnetism! Remember, you are competing with the environment for your dog’s attention so it is very important that you can be just as much fun as any other dog, creature or interesting smell! Make games fun and exciting so that your dog stays interested and doesn’t go looking for other sources of entertainment. Make the toys come alive! When tugging use noise and movement, make the tug rope twist and turn and wriggle between your legs, then suddenly go whizzing off accompanied by exciting noises made by you! The more involved you are, the more involved your dog will be. It’s not just about playing games with your dog but being a really good playmate!
Playing By the Rules
- It is essential that you, the owner, are always in control of the games when you’re playing with your dog. The rules that are learnt during play are transferable to real life situations. For example, if your dog has a reward history for fetching toys to you, he is more likely to return to you and be willing to give up a dangerous item he may have picked up or something belonging to you which you do not wish him to have. Remember, everyone who engages in play with your dog must play by the same set of rules to avoid confusion.
- Please don’t be lazy and simply let your puppy or young dog play with another puppy to ‘let off steam’, ‘socialise’ and ‘play fight’. Very often this makes dogs overly focused on other dogs and much less likely to listen to you when you need them to.
Toys
There are a wide selection of toys on offer to keep your dog busy and having fun. Toys can be placed into two main categories: 1) Interactive and 2) Pacifying. We strongly recommend that all toys are used appropriately, according to their category and managed so that their novelty value is maintained.
1) Interactive toys
We suggest never leaving any soft retrieve type toys or tug toys out for your dog. These toys should be reserved for you to bring out when you have time for playing with your dog, such as in a game of retrieve or tug.. Examples of interactive toys are soft toys, tug ropes, balls, squeaky toys and frisbees.
Selecting Interactive Toys for Playing With Your Dog
It is important to establish which interactive toys your dog likes and how highly he values each of these. Your dog will obviously be motivated to work harder for his favourite toy and at the same time will be less likely to want to share this toy with you. This makes different toys more or less suitable for different games and training exercises.
How to Figure Out Your Dog’s Favourite Toy
1) Select approximately ten different interactive toys.
2) Throw them on the floor and encourage your dog to inspect them by moving them around and pretending to be interested in them yourself.
3) Give him a minute or so to inspect all the toys.
4) After he has sniffed around all the different toys, which one does he show the keenest interest in? This toy we will call his category ‘A’ toy (favourite toy)
5) Remove this toy.
6) Having removed his favourite toy, which toy does he now show most interest in? We will call this his category ‘B’ toy (his second favourite toy). Remove this.
7) Next, establish which are his category ‘C’ and ‘D’ toys i.e. his third and forth favourite toys.
8) Now that you have your 4 toys (category A, B, C and D), remove the rest and throw his favourite four toys on the floor again. Double check he selects the toys in the same order as before; amend the order if necessary.
2) Pacifying Toys
These are toys which are designed to be left with your dog and are particularly useful when you are unable to be playing your dog yourself or are leaving him alone for a while. The idea of these toys is to keep your dog busy and provide comfort so that he does not become distressed in your absence. Bored and distressed dogs can be destructive and vocal!
It is always a good idea to have a long lasting ‘Nylabone’ type toy freely available for your dog to chew, whether you are present or not. Chewing is a highly rewarding behaviour for any dog and is very important for young puppies, particularly during the teething stage. When you are not available for your dog, we recommend bringing out one to three more interesting pacifiers (per dog). Examples of pacifying toys are: Feeding puzzles like activity balls, buster cubes and pyramids, frozen stuffed meaty Kongs, pig’s ears, cows ears, gravy ice cubes or boats, rawhide chews, beef marrow bones, deer stag antler, ‘Tasty Bones’ and Nylabones. We strongly advise against giving your dog leather, wood or shoes to chew as he is unable to distinguish these from your table legs, leather jacket or best pair of boots. Plastic and rubber are other materials to avoid as they are indigestible.
Reserving Pacifying Toys for when you are not around increases their novelty value and makes being alone a more positive and rewarding experience.
Play Fetch With Your Dog
Retrieve (Fetch) : Benefits
- Is a great energy burner (especially useful for rainy days)
- Provides very good mental stimulation
- Provides an appropriate outlet for normal and rewarding dog behaviours
- Rules are transferable to real life situations
- Can be used to motivate your dog, for example to come when called (sometimes reward your dog for coming with a game of fetch)
- Can be used to attract your dog’s attention and engage him when there are distractions in the background (useful, particularly in the early stages of habituating your dog to a certain stimulus)
- Is great fun and helps build a strong bond between you and your dog!
Please note that we do not recommend using food rewards when playing retrieve games as this encourages them to spit the toy out.
How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch
Fetch (retrieve) can be taught to a dog at any stage in his life however it is preferable to start when he is young since puppies naturally chase after moving objects and are often keen to pick things up in their mouths. Both these inclinations tend to diminish with age, either because they are not practised or because they are actively discouraged, so that teaching fetch to an older dog can take a lot longer.
Certain breeds however such as Labradors, Golden Retrievers and Spaniels may be keen to return to you and deliver a toy to hand, as a general rule, you will need to encourage your dog to return and deliver the toy to you after he has picked it up. It is really important to teach this final stage of the retrieve if you, the owner, wish to play an integral part in the game, maintain a greater influence over your puppy and prevent him from losing interest in the game.
Method
- Offer a selection of toys to your dog and allow him to choose his category ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’ toys (see ‘How to select your interactive toys’ in the ‘TOYS’ section). Your dog’s category ‘C’ or ‘D’ toy should be used for teaching him to retrieve as he is more likely to want to share these with you, rather than keeping them for himself!
- In a quiet, familiar room in your home, e.g. the kitchen, where there are minimal distractions, show the toy to your dog and then throw it. Observe where your puppy takes it – some will take it to their bed, others may prefer to hide away (e.g. under a table) with the toy.
- Slowly and calmly walk over to your pup, sit down and stroke him. Avoid the temptation to touch the toy or attempt to remove it from his mouth, simply stroke him. Continue stroking and praising your puppy for a minute or two before gently taking the toy from him and continuing the game. Repeat the exercise 6 times (or fewer if he starts to lose interest), then end the game with a release cue e.g. “Go on” or “Enough”.
- The next step is to slowly phase out the bed or hide-away place and change location/distraction. Start by sitting in front of your dog’s bed and encouraging him to return to you ensuring that each time you constantly praise and tickle him for at least 60 seconds before gently taking the toy from him. Over several repetitions, move further and further from his bed. After 6 repetitions end the session (or fewer if he starts to lose interest before then).
- Next, remove your puppy’s basket from the room. Practise getting your pup to fetch the toy and bring it back to you from several different positions in the room. 6 repetitions then end the game.
- Once he is retrieving well in the kitchen, move to another room in the house a long corridor is most ideal, then the garden and finally a quiet place in a field or park. In each session do not exceed 6 repetitions or your young dog may start to lose interest.
- Gradually increasing the level of distraction in this way makes it more likely that your dog will succeed; nevertheless we still suggest keeping him on a long line when outside until you are absolutely certain he will reliably return to you.
Remember to always reward your dog for returning to you and do not reach for the toy until he has been constantly praised, stroked and tickled for at least a minute.
How to Get Your Dog to Relinquish a Toy
Method 1 – For Puppies and Gentle Adults
Having rewarded your puppy for coming back to you by stroking him all over, grasp the toy in one hand and with your other hand reach under his jaw, gently squeeze his lower lip up and over his teeth, behind the toy, using your thumb and middle finger. In effect, the puppy is biting himself and this causes him to release the toy. The split second he releases the toy, say your chosen release cue, e.g. “Thank you” and calmly and briefly praise him. Note: Although it is important to reward your puppy for releasing the toy, keep it brief. Remember, you want him to find holding the toy in his mouth more rewarding than not having the toy in his mouth.
Tip: Use facial expression to communicate to your dog when he is doing the right thing and when he is doing the less desirable thing. In this instance, smile whilst praising your dog for bringing the toy back and holding it in his mouth, then contrast this with a serious face as you take the toy from him.
Method 2 – For Possessive Adult Dogs and Puppies
Having rewarded your dog for coming back to you by profusely praising him and stroking him all over, take hold of his collar and gently pull upwards, making sure his collar is high up on his neck. This is mildly uncomfortable for your dog and will induce him to spit the toy out. Be persistent and don’t let go of his collar until he releases the toy. Just as he is about to do so, give your chosen release cue, e.g. “Thank you”, then calmly and briefly praise him.
Troubleshooting
- 1. Your Dog Returns the Toy to You But Spits it Out
Teaching your dog to return the toy to hand rather than spitting it out reduces the risk of another dog picking it up which could lead to a confrontation; it also makes the game more interesting, interactive and gives you greater control (‘control the games, control the dog’, J. Rogerson).
A mistake a lot of people make is to reach for the toy too soon after the dog brings it back. In order for him to want to keep the toy in his mouth, you have to make it rewarding. Once he returns to you with the toy in his mouth, make sure you verbally and physically praise him for at least 15 seconds before attempting to take the toy from his mouth. You may wish to hold his chin up whilst caressing and praising him so that he cannot physically spit the toy out.
Having taken it from him, completely ignore him for a few seconds; then place the toy back in his mouth and give him another 15 seconds of praise. Repeat several times. If your dog spits the toy out before he reaches you so that you are not able to reward him for having the toy in his mouth, try simply walking away. If he picks it up again, immediately say ‘Good Boy’ and encourage him to you, but as soon as he spits it out ignore him and again walk away. Avoid reaching near his muzzle, sometimes just walking along talking and stroking him while it’s in his mouth will help.
Alternatively, you may attach a long line to his collar, and when he drops the toy, have an assistant take hold of the line and lead him away from the toy but without interacting with him. Walk over to the toy, pick it up and have a game with it yourself (toss it up in the air and make lots of exciting noises) Wait 20 – 30 seconds, then return to your dog and throw the toy for him again. Repeat this procedure until he returns the toy to you so that you can reward him with the toy in his mouth.
- 2. Your Dog Picks the Toy up but Will Not Return it to Hand (Teaching Your Dog the Concept of Sharing)
If your dog will pick the toy up but will not return it to hand, try one or a combination of the following:
a. Improve your dog’s recall. If your dog’s recall is unreliable, there is a good chance he won’t return to you when he has possession of a toy! Refer to the ‘Recall’ section of the app.
b. Return to a less distracting environment – a corridor in your home is ideal, particularly if your dog runs past you with the toy. Don’t play fetch outdoors until your dog is really keen and good at returning to you inside. With puppies, start from their bed or favoured spot.
c. Be more encouraging! Make yourself animated and inviting. For shy timid dogs, crouch down, smile and make ‘kissy’ or fast tutting noises. With more confident dogs, dance around and run off making lots of exciting noises!
d. Never ever grab! With dogs that ‘stand off’, run past or attempt to play ‘catch-me-if-you-can’, simply turn your back and walk away, disinterested. If they follow, encourage them to you again as detailed above.
e. Have either your dog or the toy on a long line. Throw the toy for your dog, and then once he takes hold of it, gently reel him in using the line. Reward him with the toy in his mouth; then repeat the exercise.
3. Your Dog Loses Interest During a Game
If your dog loses interest in the game, try picking the toy up and having a big game with it yourself e.g. throw it up in the air, dance around and make exciting noises. Tease him in this way for approximately 30 seconds, then throw the toy for him once again. If he retrieves it, end the session on this positive note.
It may be that your dog is not motivated enough by the toy you are using. Try using a higher category of toy (see ‘How to select your interactive toys’ in the ‘TOYS’ section – p.2).
Keep playing with your dog sessions short – puppies in particular have a very short concentration span. Remember to begin teaching this exercise in a quiet room in your home and gradually increase distractions. Puppies, in particular, are very easily distracted. Before you can take your puppy to the park to play fetch, he has to be really hooked on the game; otherwise he will find something more interesting to do once he gets there.
- 4. Your Dog Shows No Interest in the Game
Please refer to ‘Teaching a dog with zero play drive to fetch’ (page 9)
Summary of Teaching Your Dog (Puppy) to Fetch
- Offer a selection of toys to your dog on the floor
- Use his 3rd/4th favourite toy to teach him to fetch
- In a quiet, familiar room in your home, show the toy to your puppy, then throw it and observe where he takes it.
- Discretely walk over to this spot and stroke your puppy
- After a minute or two of caressing, take the toy from him (see ‘How to get your puppy to release the toy’ above)
- Throw the toy once again
- Repeat approximately 6 times, then end the session with a release cue (e.g. “Go on”)
- As your puppy improves, carry out the exercise in increasingly complex environments with more distractions (ultimately outside)
The Controlled Retrieve
What is the Controlled Retrieve and Why Do We Teach it?
Your dog is asked to stay whilst a toy is thrown and is then given permission to fetch it. As soon as your puppy or older dog is retrieving with enthusiasm, it is necessary to introduce the idea that not every moving object is for him to chase. This is an important lesson for any dog to learn if you do not want him chasing after everything that moves!
Method
Start this exercise in a location with no distraction, preferably in a corridor or hallway.
- Gently restrain your puppy by holding him in front of his chest whilst a toy is thrown. With an adult dog, loop a lead through his collar (ideally your dog will already have been taught a solid sit-stay)
- Wait until he has relaxed and his adrenaline has stopped pumping (if possible, wait for him to look up and make eye contact with you before progressing)
- Say ‘Fetch’ enthusiastically and throw your arm out towards the toy, at the same time as releasing your puppy or letting go of your dog’s lead.
- The moment he picks up the toy, say ‘Good Boy’ and very excitedly call him back to you. Reward him for 10 seconds while the toy is still in his mouth, and then take it from him.
- Repeat the exercise several times.
With puppies, once they are no longer running in, move your hand from their chest so that you are no longer touching them but you are making a barrier – a reminder to stay where they are until sent. Once your dog has understood this game, you can increase the difficulty by varying the location, increasing the distance and changing the toy you use.
