Puppy's Life

Playing for Fun-and More

Create fun times with your best friend-and help him learn, too

Puppy play is fun and frolicsome, and every little one will want to keep the activities going as long as they can before they tire out! Just remember, deep down your dog is also doing hard work. In addition to the fun of spending time together, play is an important part of cognitive, social, and physical development for your puppy, and the way you interact with him during games can set lifelong behavior patterns that affect your relationship.

"Play is entertaining, it's good mental exercise for the dog, and it dissipates pent-up energies," says Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and editor of the new book Puppy's First Steps: Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Dog. "It's an interactive thing and a social exercise, and you're serving a useful, biological purpose at the same time."

Play and Learn

Although play comes naturally for your puppy, some of the games he devises on his own may not always be ones you enjoy-as evidenced by the chewed-up shoe or disemboweled pillow you discovered upon returning from work! Channel his energy into constructive activities that enhance training and facilitate togetherness.

Ideal games include talking to your dog, a learning component, and gentle physical contact. Such games can help to establish good patterns for interaction, solidify your emotional bond with your puppy, and also complement training efforts. Competitive games, on the other hand, such as chase, tug, or wrestle, may interfere with training and encourage unwanted behavior or create a power struggle.

Fetch:

When it comes to satisfying a puppy's desire to chase, games of fetch or Frisbee are a great outlet that can also satisfy his predatory drive.

Tip: Teaching your puppy to sit before each throw can make it an intellectual game, too. You can see the joy on your puppy's face as he proudly brings the toy back to you-and it's a proud "parent" moment for you too!

Chase:

Chasing bubbles also provides safe recreational bonding. Hide and seek is another simple, safe game that will satisfy your pup's olfactory drive and teach him to seek you out.

Tip: Take it a step further and teach him to identify and "go find" hidden toys, which helps set an early pattern for understanding spoken words and following simple commands.

"This teaches words and differentiation between objects," says Diane Arrington, a Dallas-based pet behaviorist specializing in puppy development.

If your puppy gets hold of a shoe or something that you don't want him to have, simply take the item away and gently tell him, "The shoe isn't for you, but the chewy is." This helps him understand the difference between items.

Sports

Games can also make training sessions more fun. For example, a simple relay game can teach the "come" command: Have two or more people stand in different spots around the house or yard and take turns calling the puppy, giving a food reward each time the pup comes to the person who called his name.

Canine sports can also provide a positive learning outlet as your puppy grows, and these can promote bonding between you and your best friend. Playing with an obstacle course (also called an agility course) is a sport that can be introduced early in a puppy's life. Start with small obstacles your dog can climb or jump over and work your way up to a mini-backyard course with ramps, hoops, and tunnels.

"There's a lot of bonding that goes on and teaching that takes place in agility training," Arrington says. "You're working as a team, and your dog loves to perform."

Sports like flyball, scent tracking, and doggy dancing also provide exercise, fun, and bonding. Very young pups may not have the physical capabilities to perform them just yet, so be gentle when playing.

More and More Play

Every puppy likes different types of play, and as long as you're by your best friend's side, you can read and respond to his signals. Only pick the types of play that make the two of you a winning team!

As you begin to get in tune with your puppy's personality and temperament, you will become the expert on his favorite games. If you observe that your dog is getting bored, frustrated, or overstimulated by a game, then stop. If a particular type of play triggers behaviors such as nipping, biting, or jumping, that may not be the best type of play for your pup (even if you have another dog who thinks it's the greatest game in the world).

In some cases, breed may play a role in determining what play is appropriate. For instance, scent hounds may enjoy games that involve sniffing out a hidden object, while herding or retrieving breeds are often fascinated with balls and other games of chase and fetch. "Whether a dog is a swimmer, a hunter, a herder, a chaser, or a sniffer, if you can get him involved in something he was designed to do by active selection of that trait through development of the breed, then you have a dog who has a fulfilling life," Dodman says.

It's never too early to introduce structured play, but remember that very young pups have short attention spans, so be sure to start with brief play sessions. Also try to schedule play during moments in the day when puppy hits an energy peak, and respect his need for downtime after play. After all, downtime is a perfect opportunity for a quick nap together on the couch!

When it's done right, play can provide developmental, behavioral, and health benefits for your dog-not to mention quality time for the two of you to build an everlasting bond.