Games we can play part 2

So back in part one we got a little ball game going and a return to play with a tug toy.

I buy cheap tug toys or I make them. The most important part of tug toy is to put it on a long line so it is on the ground to be pulled along, this avoids the jumping for the toy kind of game where dog might just latch onto your arm, hand or any other part of you that is hanging out. So now we can throw a tennis ball thirty or forty meters and as dog returns with the ball in mouth we can pull the toy along and he drops the ball, then we can throw another type of toy, frisbee or some other bouncing kong type thing and while we are picking up the ball he rushes off and picks up the other toy and comes back to pull on the tug and then we throw the tennis ball again.

I hope you are not too puffed by now, so we can start playing mind games in earnest. It is my firm belief that it is not physical energy that makes a dog hard to live with, it is the intellectual and emotional energy that doesn't get spent that makes the dog irritable and barky and difficult.

So here is the next part of the game. Work outside if possible, put a soft rope on the dog's collar that he can trail behind him - no loops in it. Tie him up to the fence or the clothesline or something that is not going anywhere. Don't tie him to a vehicle - your imagination will tell you what could happen there. Walk away from him with the ball in your hand, leave the tug toy back by dog. Put the ball down where he can see it. Go back to dog and say - 'go look ball' or 'go fetch ball' or, 'bring ball'. Let him tear off with his rope trailing behind and he will pick up ball and bring it back and of course play tug. This time, tie him up, go out with the ball and a sack or some sort of soft piece of material, carpet or something and put the ball under the cloth or carpet. Go back to dog and say 'go look ball' again. As he rushes off to where the piece of cloth, or sack or whatever is, then from where you are, don't go into his game - make encouraging noises, like git it git it git it or go go go. You can make little encouraging hissing noises. He will dig away at the sack or carpet until he gets the ball, he will bring it back and you can play tug again. This game can be enlarged so that if you start playing at maybe 10 meters, you can move it as far away as you can on your property and you can hide it out of sight so he has to find the whole scenario. Your dog will become very good at this game so you will have to use your imagination to make it as hard as possible for him to find the target.

That should keep the two of you going for a day or so. The next lesson for games is part three and it is called 'Touch'

Raewyn Saville 12-9-12