Keeping your dog active is very important for their health. It also serves multiple purposes because dogs require stimulation to keep them mentally challenged and enjoying life. Playing games with them also helps make you feel young again because it may have been a few years since you played simple games with anyone other than your kids if you have them.
Here are several ways to play around with your dog to keep them busy.
Wear Them Out with Tug O ’War
Playing tug of war with your dog will give them a chance to get a workout by doing battle with their owner in a non-aggressive manner. It may at first appear with the bearing of teeth that they’re being aggressive, but actually they’re just focused on gripping the rope toy when pitted against you.
Be aware of your surroundings because sometimes they wrestle the toy free and it can go swinging around (or flying across the air). So don’t play tug o’ war in the living room with your big screen TV nearby unless you’re prepared to replace it real soon! Dogs who get to play this game improve their confidence and are better mannered. Learn some other great games that teach them better manners by checking out mashoid.co.
Teaching Fido to Fetch & Drop into the Toy Bin
Dogs love to play fetch and sometimes they can be taught to drop the toy on demand. What you want to do is extend the usefulness of this activity by teaching them to return their toys to their toy bin when they’re finished with them.
Create a new command to teach them to collect their toy and drop it into their toy bin. Keeping their toys all in the same place makes it easier for them to find them and for you to put a lid on the box when it’s not playtime yet. They can get a sense of new found confidence when they manage to return toys to their rightful place and get a small treat for doing so.
“Which Hand is the Treat In?” Game
Playing the “Which Hand is the Treat In?” game is a fun one for inquisitive dogs because they love being teased and trying to find out what is going on. It helps to develop their sense of smell in isolating where things are. You can rub the treat all over one hand and place it inside a closed fist of your other hand to completely confuse them. This will teach your dog not to give up when failing to find the treat the first time out. This way they also learn that smells don’t always lead directly to the target. Developing your dog’s sense of smell is important for advance warning about intruders in the home, so it’s a useful game as well as enjoyable too.
Playing games with your dog to keep them more stimulated both mentally and physically is necessary for their development. Staying healthy for longer is helped when they are challenged rather than left to sit around inactive. Only small lap dogs that are used to being indoors with elderly people should expect to be less active.
