Playing with your dog is a great way to strengthen and develop the relationship between you. Play is anything we can do with our dog that makes us happy and full of energy – it doesn't just have to be with toys.
In this blog post, we offer 2 suggestions on how you CAN play with your dog.
- 1. Play with toys
- 2. Play with treats
PLAYING WITH TOYS
If you have a dog that likes toys and loves to play tug-of-war, this can be used as the ultimate reward. Through this game, you get good contact with the dog and teach the dog that it is extremely fun to be with you. And who doesn't want a dog that thinks spending time with its owner is the best thing in the world?
When we play tug-of-war with our dog, it is important to have an on/off switch so that we are in control of the game. This does not mean that the dog cannot “win” the tug-of-war. You must do so, as this also helps to strengthen the dog’s self-confidence. However, it is important to teach the dog to be able to let go of the toy and find peace, so that we do not only “stress” the dog out.
If the dog doesn't naturally want to pull a toy, we can teach it to do so. With puppies it shouldn't be difficult, but not all dogs have the same drive to chase and pull a nice tug toy.
Our popular Pro-Shirt is perfect for always having toys in your back pocket. The shirt is lightweight and suitable for all seasons, while being spacious with lots of pocket space.
Find your favorite right here
TEACH YOUR DOG TO PLAY TUG
When you start playing tug with your dog, we recommend a soft tug toy. This could be a braided fleece toy, for example – preferably with fur braided into it and preferably a long toy.
5 tips to start the game:
- To start, you can just sit on the floor with the dog in front of you and a toy in your hand.
- Now you take the toy and drag it in zigzag movements across the floor. If the dog chases the toy, this is already a huge success.
- We now want the dog to grab the toy so we can pull a little again. If the dog quickly lets go, you can go back to the zigzag movements to turn the dog on again.
- When the dog has a good grip on the toy, pull the toy in zigzag movements while increasing the length of time you play at a time.
- Once you have established a good game of tug, it is a good idea to teach your dog to let go of the toy again.
PLAY WITH TREATS
As mentioned earlier in the post, not all dogs are interested in playing with toys.
For these dogs, “ tack with treats ” can be an alternative.
Most dogs find movement interesting. That's why many dogs like to chase squirrels and cats.
To keep our training interesting and keep our dogs attentive to us, we can move around with treats and let the dog chase them to make the reward extra fun. This creates speed and enthusiasm in the dog.
Remember that the toy can also be used on walks and not just for training.
HOW TO PLAY TIE-TOE WITH TREATS
The game is actually very simple, but good to learn before you start rewarding in this way.
If you lack space to store treats on the go, or are tired of having leftover treats in your pockets, the popular treat pocket is an obvious solution.
Here you get the game in 3 steps :
- Give your dog a treat and close your hand.
- Move quickly away from the dog and make the dog chase you and the hand with the treat in it.
- When the dog pulls towards you, let him get the reward. Continue the game and make sure to engage the dog, and you have a party!
Good workout
Reward your dog with play
Playing with your dog is a great way to strengthen and develop the relationship between you. Play is anything we can do with our dog that makes us happy and full of energy – it doesn't just have to be with toys.
In this blog post, we offer 2 suggestions on how you CAN play with your dog.
PLAYING WITH TOYS
If you have a dog that likes toys and loves to play tug-of-war, this can be used as the ultimate reward. Through this game, you get good contact with the dog and teach the dog that it is extremely fun to be with you. And who doesn't want a dog that thinks spending time with its owner is the best thing in the world?
When we play tug-of-war with our dog, it is important to have an on/off switch so that we are in control of the game. This does not mean that the dog cannot “win” the tug-of-war. You must do so, as this also helps to strengthen the dog’s self-confidence. However, it is important to teach the dog to be able to let go of the toy and find peace, so that we do not only “stress” the dog out.
If the dog doesn't naturally want to pull a toy, we can teach it to do so. With puppies it shouldn't be difficult, but not all dogs have the same drive to chase and pull a nice tug toy.
Our popular Pro-Shirt is perfect for always having toys in your back pocket. The shirt is lightweight and suitable for all seasons, while being spacious with lots of pocket space.
Find your favorite right here
TEACH YOUR DOG TO PLAY TUG
When you start playing tug with your dog, we recommend a soft tug toy. This could be a braided fleece toy, for example – preferably with fur braided into it and preferably a long toy.
5 tips to start the game:
PLAY WITH TREATS
As mentioned earlier in the post, not all dogs are interested in playing with toys.
For these dogs, “ tack with treats ” can be an alternative.
Most dogs find movement interesting. That's why many dogs like to chase squirrels and cats.
To keep our training interesting and keep our dogs attentive to us, we can move around with treats and let the dog chase them to make the reward extra fun. This creates speed and enthusiasm in the dog.
Remember that the toy can also be used on walks and not just for training.
HOW TO PLAY TIE-TOE WITH TREATS
The game is actually very simple, but good to learn before you start rewarding in this way.
If you lack space to store treats on the go, or are tired of having leftover treats in your pockets, the popular treat pocket is an obvious solution.
Here you get the game in 3 steps :
Good workout