What should you play with your dog?

Playing is an essential part of life for any social animal, and dogs are no exception. Through play, dogs interact, learn and even establish their position in the group, creating strategies and behaviours that will last a lifetime.

Therefore, as trainers, from the time the dog is a puppy, we should set aside some of our time to play together. Today let me explain the main games you can play with your little furry pal. Shall we get started?

#1. Catching the ball and hunting instinct activities

Despite not being among my personal favourites (as a trainer), it is a game that many dogs like and it is very interesting for animals that need to satisfy their hunting instinct.

• It is very important to teach the dog how to fetch and to bring the ball back to us
• It is interesting to start this work on a leash with dogs that find it difficult to come over to us and let go of the toy.
• Try not to play for more than 10 to 15 minutes a day so as not to overexcite or "obsess" your dog.

#2. Tug-of-war (prey instinct)

Although the tug-of-war can (and should, to motivate the dog) emulate movements inherent to other phases of the hunting instinct (remember: searching, stalking, chasing, biting, shaking, carrying), we turn this game into a fight for a chew toy, rope or similar toy that will sometimes make the dog "win" and sometimes make us "win".

• To encourage the dog to let go, we can shift their attention to another toy of equal value, food, or stop the game.
• The dog must learn that letting go means that the game is not over and that it won't lose its toy (to avoid protection of the resource).
• The tug-of-war also allows us to teach the dog the "drop" order and the "catch" order (with the words of our choice).

#3. Sniffing games

Sniffing games are a great way for our dog to use his main sense of smell. To do this, we can teach the dog to differentiate smells and detect substances, create tracking trails or complement the above with scent trails and games such as the shell game or play search. There are plenty of introductory courses in these increasingly fashionable disciplines!

#4. Stand-alone game

The use of chewable, Kong and interactive toys (after a proper introduction and supervision) allows the dog to spend quality time alone and to fight boredom. Not bad, right? You can find all kinds of interactive toys to entertain your dog when they have to stay at home or when you are busy.

What are the advantages of playing with your dog?

Whilst you may have searched for this article, you are aware that playing is beneficial, but perhaps you don't know just how beneficial it is for your dog. Playing allows your dog to physically exercise, socialise and spend quality time with you, but, in addition:

Creates situations that improve their tolerance towards frustration and their control over impulses

Avoids behavioural problems, because it satisfies needs and instincts

Well-structured playing brings great benefits to your dog and to your family, but if you have any doubts, don't hesitate to ask for professional help: remember that it is very important that playing times start and end when you set them (I use "let's play!" and "end"), to establish an order (structure) and prevent the dog from taking the initiative here and even becoming obsessed with wanting to play around the clock. 

Javier Ruiz, educador canino em Dogventura e educador ambiental pela UB. Redator publicitário e autor de: De cómo los animales viven y mueren.