Games are a fun way to teach special skills to your puppy. Having a playtime with your puppy is important as it helps to improve the physical, emotional, mental and physical health of both you and your puppy. A little 20 minutes of playtime a day is beneficial to your pup and can help to reduce scratching, excessive barking, destructive chewing, and other bad attention seeking habits. Also, having a playtime with your puppy helps to relieve boredom and loneliness. Here are some games to play with your puppy.
Fetch
Fetch is an amazing game that can teach your puppy basic commands. Fetch game can teach your puppy to come, to go, to sit, to retrieve your shoes or a newspaper. Start by throwing a toy, then encourage your puppy to get the toy. You can make it more exciting by praising your puppy and encouraging him to get the object by shouting, dancing or calling his name. Your puppy will run back to you with the object and when he does, praise him and give him a treat.
Find the Toy
This game teaches your puppy to use his brain and his sense of smell. Also, this game can make your pup ready for tracking. Buy dog toys and give the name. Pick up your puppy’s favorite toy and say its name, like “small toy”, and give the toy to your puppy. Retrieve the toy and hide it under a pillow, and then command your puppy to find the “small toy”. If he finds the toy, encourage him and give him a treat. If he doesn’t, repeat the game until he learns the find command.
Tug-of-War
Tug-of-War is an amazing game and a tool to train your puppy to learn the drop command. Start by holding on to the favorite toy of your puppy. Offer to give him and when he wants to grab, wrestle with him. You are allowed to play hard then allow him to grab the toy. Praise him when he wins provided he followed the rules. Hold a treat and command the puppy to drop the toy, give him a treat when he obeys the command. Eventually, your puppy to learn to obey your drop command without expecting a kibble.
Agility Games
Agility games are games that push your puppy to think and move, thereby burning off energy and calories and increasing the confidence and coordination of your pup. Puppies love moving past obstacles, jumping, and being praised when they do well. With your chairs and blankets, create an obstacle course in your living room. Then lure your puppy with treats and move through the obstacles. As he follows you and conquers the obstacles, reward him with a treat and cheer him on. To make this game more exciting, create an obstacle course in your yard or at the park with hula-hoops and invite other pups to participate in the game.
