Playingwithyourdog-FunDogAgility.docVIP

Activities with your Dog All dogs need physical and mental activity for a full and happy life, so here are some suggestions. Play is fundamental to the relationship you have with your dog, and most modern training is designed to be a game. Included are some games you can have just for fun, but they all have added benefits for both you and your dog. Ensure that you play a variety of games, since dogs that are obsessional about retrieving or tuggy or anything can be a real pain to live with. Activities with Your Dog Tuggy In the past some trainers have warned against playing tuggy, but since dogs have been better understood it has been realised that tuggy has enormous benefits. It is a game that can be used therapeutically to help with all kinds of canine behaviour difficulties, or even just to build confidence, but as a day to day game, it can simply be enjoyed by dogs and people alike. It is great as a reward, for example to break up sessions of puppy training or for creating a longer lasting reward for agility training. I must stress that tuggy is not a power game, it should not be about winning or losing, the fun for your dog is in simply tugging. Teaching the rules below ensures that there is no need to physically overpower your dog to remove the toy from him. This is a game that can only be safely played by sensible, supervised older children when both dogs and children know and abide by the rules. Home made tuggy toys are great because the nature of the game means frequently wrecked toys. Spend a few pounds on a couple of metres of fleece, cut it into long strips, tie three together, plait tightly and knot at the end leaving some trailing ends. You can also knot in a handle. Long soft tuggies like this can be really helpful in encouraging wary puppies to play, because the end can be wiggled gently at a safe distance. Like all games, this one needs some rules, the kind that will be useful in all kinds of other ways too. You may only take the toy when I say so