Article:Dogs Just Wanna Have Fun!

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Dogs just wanna have fun!
Posted on December 27, 2010 by pawsitivedawgs| 1 Comment

Original Posting November 28, 2009

Dogs like humans are pleasure addicts – we love fun; our partnership with dogs extends to our love of having fun together.

There are all sorts of myths and misconceptions surrounding dog games, especially high energy games but for the most part play is beneficial to pets and their people.

Just like soccer, basketball, boxing, hurling, games need rules. Fun can cause things to get carried away and the players forget themselves. So games are only fun so long as rules are established.

Why play?

* interactive play between dog and owner is the greatest relationship booster – having fun together forms pleasant associations between pet and person; games offer training opportunities in a fun atmosphere
* playing games is an excellent confidence booster for shy dogs and having fun is the perfect tension buster
* games are energy burners for active dogs
* games offer mental stimulation and physical stimulation
* dogs have a predatory history so many of these instincts are still present; these same instincts must be expressed (the dog has no choice) so doggie games offer appropriate predatory outlets satisfying the dog so he is less likely to express these instincts in undesirable ways (SFSPCA.org says “the game doesn’t make the dog a predator: he already is one. The game is an outlet.”)
* fun is a strong motivator for both pets and people so games can be used as powerful rewards for good behaviour and a great basis for long time friendship

Why play with rules?

* games with rules offer excellent training opportunities – games are practice for real life situations
* we are likely to play (and to play roughly) with our dogs so it’s a good idea to teach rules so that rough-house play stays fun
* games with rules increases our control and especially proofs control in arousing situations; there is a saying in dog training: “control the games, control the dog”
* games with rules help to teach impulse control
* games with rules improves and maintains bite inhibition

Which games?

The games you play with your dog very much depends on the individual pet and the individual person.

There are two types of dogs when it comes to games: enthusiastic players and reluctant players.
Enthusiastic players: emphasis is on teaching this dog how to end games
Reluctant players: emphasis is on teaching this dog how to start a game

So lets look at some of the most popular games, how to play them and how you can use them as training exercises.

Rules of Games

1. dog stops game on cue every time
2. dog only starts the game when invited and never at other times
3. there should be lots of obedience breaks during games
4. dog touching human or human clothes/hair/shoes with teeth, claws, body = end of the game

Teaching the rules:

We teach many doggie games backwards as in we teach the end of the game first. This is so that we can stop the game quickly when needed.

If we are playing a game with a toy we must teach the dog when to give up the toy and when to take the toy.

Thank you

Stopping a game is often difficult so we have to start teaching a drop cue when the dog is not revved up.

Give the dog the toy and keep hold of the other end. When the dog takes the toy say your drop cue: “thank you” and immediately hold a really tasty treat right on your dog’s nose. Don’t reveal the treat until you have said “thank you”.

When your dog let’s go of the toy, click or say “YES” and give him the treat.

This needs to be repeated A LOT – first after only allowing the dog to hold the toy; once the dog outs the toy on the “thank you” cue (before the treat is revealed) then you can begin to extend the time the dog is allowed to hold the toy.
As your dog gets better at giving the toy up you can practice when the dog is increasingly more aroused.

For those enthusiastic players it can be difficult at the beginning to get them to stop so there are couple of things that you can do.

Say your “thank you” cue and then show the dog the really tasty, tantalising treat. Wiggle the treat a little and then toss it. If the dog looks to the treat, toss another until he can bear it no longer and he let’s go. As soon as he let’s go say “YES” and then toss another couple of treats – that was obviously reeeeeally tough for the dog so show your appreciation.

If tossing the treat doesn’t work we have to go back to basics:

Object exchanges:

* Make a list of your dog’s favourite things such as toys, food and treats.
* Start this exercise by allowing your dog to have something from low down on his list (this will be different for every dog). Give it to your dog and allow him to play with and chew it.
* Approach your dog and say “Thank you”; then offer the dog something one or two places higher up the list.
* Your dog should drop his toy and you should give him your offering while picking up the other item.
* Offer your dog the original item and start again.
* Your dog is learning that the words ‘thank you’ mean something better is coming and that they get to have original item back too – soon your dog will learn to love having things taken off him.
* To advance with this exercise start using items higher up your dog’s list to exchange.

Once you get the toy back offer up another game so that letting go is not followed with the end of the fun.

This is especially important during training: if obeying = end of fun we can teach the dog to not let go! Until the dog understands that the end of the game is not the end of the world I usually have a yummy stuffed Kong toy ready at the end of a game so that fun ending only means something else great to do! (Time your games before dinner time!!)

Take it

It’s important that we teach a clear take it cue so that the dog only engages with the toy and game when his person is prepared for it and not by surprise.

Hold your dog’s toy behind your back and say “take it”. Show the dog the toy and wiggle it to tempt him.

Only allow him have the toy for the amount of time that you have worked up to with your thank you cue.

For the reluctant players this is the one we have to work on.

Some dogs are reluctant because they have been told off for taking items, some because they are not sure what games are and some are just afraid of interaction with people.

Play is so beneficial that I feel it is important to spend time teaching a dog to play interactive games with their people.

Those dogs that are only slightly reluctant can usually be enticed into a game by wiggling a toy around on the floor. These dogs will often make a pounce for the toy. These dogs need lots and lots of verbal encouragement from their people, and often an excited tone of voice is enough to get them going.

Try soaking your dog’s tug toy in chicken or beef stock, allowing it to dry and then using it in games – irresistable!

Dogs that are a little more reluctant in toys can be shaped using a clicker and yummy treats.

This exercise can also be useful for the really crazy enthusiastic toy-obsessed dogs too as it keeps the person in control the entire time.

Shaping the take:

* Use a long, soft toy (if the dog is really reluctant use an old sock, fill the end with food and knot it) and waggle it on the floor.
* Click and treat (C+T) the dog for looking at the wiggling toy(repeat at least 10 times).
* C+T for sniffing the toy (repeat at least 10 times); if he doesn’t touch the toy while it is on the floor hold it up for him.
* C+T for touching the toy with his nose (repeat at least 10 times); if he doesn’t touch the toy while it is on the floor hold it up for him.
* C+T for opening his mouth near the toy, or for licking the toy (repeat at least 10 times); if he doesn’t touch the toy while it is on the floor hold it up for him.
* C+T for putting toy in opened mouth (repeat at least 10 times); if he doesn’t touch the toy while it is on the floor hold it up for him.
* C+T as you increase the amount of time (in seconds) the dog should hold the toy
* C+T for holding toy while you put a little pressure on it; increase the amount of pressure
* build time and strength of tugging

I really love this vid - it’s actually designed to teach assistance dogs how to open doors by tugging but is great for teaching any dog how to engage in play

Tug of War

This is my (and Rufus’) all time favourite game. Tug is probably the most useful when it comes to training exercises as it offers so many training opportunities.

As part of many of our training programs we teach pets and their people how to play tug properly – that’s just how useful it is!

Tug is likely to get dogs very wound up so it is especially important that the rules of this game are clearly established and practiced.

A round of tug should go something like this: person says “tug”; offers toy and dog tugs; person says “thank you”; dog let’s go of toy; person asks dog for 3 behaviours; rewards for performance with another round of tug and so on.

Have a special toy just for tug; this is so the dog won’t think that anytime a person has something in their hands that it’s up to them to remove it!

Tug is an excellent impulse control exercise.

Vary the exercises used in obedience breaks for this game: down stays are excellent – you can really test the dog by waggling the toy but not allowing the dog to resume tugging until you say its ok.

Tugging with your dog

How to play tug

Fetch

Many dogs love love love fetch but some dogs have no interest in fetching a toy at all; some love the chase and have no interest in bringing the toy back. When teaching this game break it up into the beginning, middle and end.

The beginning is about teaching the dog to take the toy which is covered above.

The middle is about the dog going out after the toy and then turning back towards you.

The end involves the dog returning to you with the toy and giving it back to you for another throw.

The chase: add these steps to your shaping plan for the take:

* once you have the dog holding the toy, and maybe even putting a little pressure on it when tugged you can move on to shaping a fetch
* toss the toy a few inches, C+T when he picks up the toy
* increase the distance
* if the dog has come on in his tug training, use a quick tug as a reward for picking up the toy – added bonus he is getting rewarded for returning to you too!
* choose toys with fabric strips added to the back of them – this will make the toy more attractive when tossed
* toss the dogs tugging toy as he is familiar with that
* try tossing a Kong toy; due to its irregular shape it will bounce and change direction so can be attractive to dogs

The return: add these steps to the chase shaping steps above:

* when the dog picks up the toy, run backwards calling excitedly
* click as the dog moves toward you
* treat him when he returns in exchange for the toy
* for the real tough nuts have several similar toys with you
* when he picks up one waggle the other, click for moving toward you
* as soon as he gets close to you toss your one
* as he progresses, require that he returns closer and closer before tossing another toy
* soon he will be placing one toy into your hands to have the other tossed

Obedience breaks should be between every throw. Also ask your dog to sit, stand or down while you throw the toy and then release him to fetch it. Don’t toss the toy unless the dog gives you eye contact (not just gazing at the toy) first.

Once your dog has perfected (and I do mean perfected) the chase and return and a thank you cue you can begin to add another fun facet to this game: gimme that!

Many dogs love to be chased while they are in possession of a toy. The dog however needs to be clear on when he can keep the toy and when he must offer it up.

That’s why we use a cue to let the dog know that this is still a game and you are about to be chased. I use “gimme that” and a grabbing motion with my hands to let Rufus know that the chase is on! I regularly slip in requests of “thank you” and then start the game again.

I use the gimme that exercise to proof our ’wait’ cue – freeze in position. I then give the release cue and the chase is on again!

Teaching your dog to play fetch

Hide n’ Seek

This is a great training exercise as it helps to teach recalls.

Take some of your dog’s favourite treats or a beloved tug toy and hide. For the first few trials, hide in a pretty easy position but you can make it more difficult as the dog progresses.

Call the dog once from your hiding position and wait for him to find you. You can continue to make little tongue clicking noises especially when first starting this training game.

As soon as the dog finds you give him his treat or have a game of tug and then repeat. As your dog progresses you can hide without making noise at all – letting your dog sniff you out.

Try leaving your dog in a sit, down or stand and then hide, calling him from position.

This exercise can be proofed in secure areas with your dog off leash or non-secured areas on a long line so that your dog learns to follow you and to pay close attention to you even while out and about.

Teaching your dog to play hide and seek

Find it

This is a super rainy day game and since we have a lot of rainy days (and Rufus does not like rain) we play this a lot in my house.

This game involves you hiding an item out of sight from your dog and then letting him seek it out.

Start easy, use really tasty (smelly) treats and hide in an easy place. You can challenge the dog as he begins to get the game by hiding things in more out-of-the-way-places. You can make it more difficult by hiding toys or even random items that you show to the dog before hiding.

Practice this game with lots of stays in positions (sit, stand, down), eye contact before searching and rewarding with tug games which of course offers lots more training opps.

An extension of the Find it game is Tracking Dinner game which involves a little more nosework from your dog.

Take your dog’s regular portion of kibble and bring it to an area of lawn or a large room.
Drop one or two pieces of kibble in each of your steps. Change direction and change the size of your steps regularly.
As your dog becomes a tracker extraordinaire miss a few steps, change direction radically and quickly – generally make it harder for him.

Although this game offers many of the same training opportunities as Find it, this game is also an excellent one for the dog if he is expected to spend time alone.

Dinnertime fun – tracking and nosework

Lots more fun to be had:

* Don’t forget recall relays as excellent energy burners and recall training opps.
* Walks, hikes, jogs or outings with your dog offer lots of opportunities for games in new places as well as tonnes of training opportunities
* Play fetch like games with a larger ball (such as a Boomer Ball) and turn it into nose-ball (soccer) – this is a great shaping game for clicker savvy dogs.
* several rounds of jazz up & settle down is a great energy burner and a super duper impulse control game
* do you own a diggity dog? Give him his own digging-pit with lots of loose soil; bury his favourite toys, chews and stuffed Kongs there to show him that digging there is much better than digging your flowers.
* Don’t forget enrichment toys especially food dispensers. Regularly swap toys so that your dog is always learning and introduce new ones so that he has to think. Kong Stuffing

Puppy Penalties

So what happens if the dog breaks the rules?

First make sure that you don’t get him too wound up to a point that you know he is as of yet unable to control his excitement – if the dog gets too aroused he is likely to lose impulse control and will forget his training.

We must be strict with these rules so if the dog breaks any one of them the fun ends. When a rule is broken, even only a minor infringement, let the dog know what he has done by using a cue such as “too bad”, “uh oh” or “finished”. (You don’t need to shout or ‘correct’/tell your dog off - this is a marker word to let the dog know exactly which behaviour caused the fun to end) You must then stop playing immediately: stop tugging, remove the toy, turn your back, end the fun.

This is in effect a small time out for misbehaviour – the time out only need last about 10 seconds before resuming the game. However, if the dog is too excited ask him to lie down and remain in a down stay until he is a little calmer – you can then reward this by resuming the game.

Don’t allow him to get so wound up next time though!

It’s all fun & games until someone gets hurt

Games should be fun but there are things we must do to ensure they remain so:

* choose toys that are safe, durable and suitable for your dog and the game; if you know that your dog is destructive don’t leave him unsupervised with unsafe toys
* design your games and play around your dog’s age, condition, breed and behaviour
* always always always watch your dog’s arousal level – make sure to include lots and lots and lots of obedience breaks and ask for calm positions (downs, down stays, go to mat) when things really get going; engage in a game for 20 seconds and then have an obedience break that includes at least 3 behaviours unless you are calming with a down stay – the obedience break should be at least twice as long as the game
* take care if playing in warm weather or with dogs that don’t cool themselves efficiently (short faced dogs for example)
* immature dogs while still growing need special care when it comes to physical play – wait until they are mature before getting really serious
* if you are playing with a dog that is older, out of shape or one with a chronic or physical condition (e.g. arthritis, hip dysplasia) get your vet’s ok first before engaging in any energetic, physical games
* always engage in warm up exercises before physical exercise – these might include massage, gentle leash walking, slow jogging

Remember, friends that play together, stay together. Build play time into your dog’s daily routine and make sure to have at least two games a day (think how many training exercises you can cover in two play sessions!).

Play should be part of training and training part of play; fun is not frivolous but an important, enjoyable activity for pet and person.

Enjoy!

More on fun and games with dogs:

Control Unleashed - Leslie McDevitt (excellent for impulse control in play ideas)

Play with your dog - Pat Miller (lots on pet-person play and dog-dog play)