The Importance Of Playing With Your Dog

You may sometimes think to yourself "why did I get this dog" especially at the times when you are doing such things as cleaning up confetti that used to be your favorite book, or when you are soaking up yet another puddle that your new puppy has made on the floor, or when you have to cancel a dinner date because you cannot leave your dog alone at home.

Even after having these thoughts about your dog, at the end of the day he is your best friend, and it is vital that you play with him in order to experience just what fun he can be, and not the little terror you thought he was. Playing with our dogs also gives us a chance to act goofy. Playing is not only good for you and your dog; it is also beneficial for making friends. When playing, dogs can learn new behaviors and self control. Playing can also help a new puppy or a dog gain self confidence. If you have a puppy, it is important to remember that he is used to playing with his brothers and sisters, and when they are separated he is most likely thinking "who am I going to play with now?" You must allow your puppy to play with you; otherwise he will grow up not knowing how to play.

It is imperative to establish the fact that it is of great importance to play with your dog. However, knowing what sort of games to play with your dog is something that many dog owners do not know. Fetch is always a great game to play with dogs. Try using different sized balls or toys to entertain them, as they can easily get bored with the same toy.

Dogs with a variety of personalities can enjoy the game of fetch. However, not all games are suitable for dogs. If your dog is insecure, you may be better playing cooperative games rather than competitive games. Both the dog and yourself can work together in cooperative games. Hiding treats and allowing your dog to search for them is a cooperative game. Learning tricks is also a cooperative game. Once these types of games have been undertaken with your dog, you can eventually turn these games into more competitive ones once your dog begins to outgrow his insecurity.

If your dog has a pushy attitude, then you should play search and learn games with a controlling attitude. Of course, it is still possible to play fetch games with that dog, but all you will be doing is running around after the dog because he refuses to give you the object that he has retrieved. Even though this can still be fun, it is a little naughty.

A great example of a competitive game is tug of war. Competitive games should not be played with dogs that think they can rule the roost. It is always a good idea to play tug of war with a dog that understands the release word, and that he gets a treat when he does release the toy.

It is important that your dog understands when you have had enough of playing. Your dog can be trained to understand the words "game over" when you have had enough. If your dog does not understand this command, you will be in danger of continuing, which will give your dog exactly what he wants. If he does not understand, he will not let go of a toy, which will make him the winner. You may even try to pry the toy out of his jaws which is not advised as this can be dangerous. It is better advised to call "game over" and simply walk away.

The importance of educational toys should not be forgotten. Toys that make your dog work for prizes are a great idea and educational. You may just have a canine Einstein in your home.