Having Fun With Your Dog

Playing games with your dog is a good way to exercise your dog’s body and mind keeping her alert and energetic. Most importantly, it’s great fun for both of you.

Some dogs enjoy chasing a ball or fetching a rubber bone in your yard or house. Frisbee is fun if your dog likes to catch it, and if your dog gets really good there are nationwide competitions you can enter with either a mixed breed or a purebred dog. But just playing a simple game of catch or fetch outdoors or indoors on carpeting gives your dog good exercise, running out to retrieve an object and then returning it.

Start with a simple game and build on it. If your dog likes to retrieve, begin with in-sight fetching and then slowly make him think harder. Play “hide-and-seek” with your dog. Teach your dog to “Sit” or “Lay Down” and “Stay.” Then hide and when you are ready, call him. Give him a hug or a treat when he reaches you. Another spin on this idea is “treat-hunt.” Hide treats in a variety of places and when you are done give your waiting dog the “Find” command. While having fun, your dog is also learning some basic commands.

One of the things I do with my Great Dane is play soccer in the yard with a 12-inch hard plastic ball. I started by rolling the ball to him and then he started to push the ball back towards me. Now he’s hard to get the ball past! This gives him good exercise in a small space, and he entertains himself sometimes by rolling the ball uphill or along the fence. For my smaller dogs, I’ve made an obstacle course out of children’s plastic play structures so when they are running they learn to go over, under, around or through objects making the exercise more interesting.

Water-loving dogs can get excellent exercise retrieving an object tossed into the water. Be sure your dog always has safe easy access into and out of the water. Or skip the drive to the beach if you have a lawn and can put lots of toys into a shallow wading pool for dogs of all sizes and energy levels to enjoy splashing in. This is also a good way to cool off in hot weather and exercise while having fun.

There are lots of new creative toys available now. How about a bacon-scented bubble blowing machine for dogs? Your dog can run, chase, jump and pop the low calorie bubbles. Or you can try casting out & reeling in a ball for your dog with a hand-held toy reel with a line that has a tennis ball on the end. This could be helpful if your dog doesn’t always bring the ball back to you or if it’s a challenge for you to pick up the ball yourself each time.

Playtime is all about finding what special things you and your dog enjoy doing together. And having fun together is one of the things best friends give to each other.

 
Founded in 1965, Pets In Need receives no federal, state or local government support.

Published in the San Mateo County Times, April 20, 2002