Playing with your dog

Playing with your dog is an invaluable part of your relationship with them and will help deepen the bond you have together, and what’s more, playing together on a daily basis helps both of you stay healthy and happy – what more excuse do you need?

Your dog will love nothing more than interacting with you, and the fun they have when playing is a reward in itself! Keep reading to find out about playing with your dog as Purina’s Behaviourist explains what games our pets love to get up to.

Playing with your dog

Play isn’t just a fun part of living with your dog, it’s actually an essential feature of improving your relationship as well as keeping you both healthy and happy. Dogs don’t just need physical exercise; they also need mental stimulation and social contact. Play is rewarding for us too and interacting with our dogs is a great stress reliever. So, it’s great for your dog, and important for your physical and social wellbeing to play with your dog on a daily basis. That sounds like a win-win.

Of course, the games you play depend on what type of dog you have and what your individual dog enjoys doing. As a rough guideline, retrievers like to retrieve, herding dogs like chasing, and hounds like to use either their eyes or their nose to follow scents, chase, and find their toys. And of course, many dogs enjoy tug and chew toys and playing ‘hide and seek’ with you outdoors.

Feeding dogs can also be more of a game than simply filling a food bowl. You can use some of your pet’s daily rations as rewards in regular training sessions or teaching new tricks.

You can place a proportion of your dog’s food in special foraging toys, available in all good pet stores, and hide them in different locations around your home every day. Your pet will have to seek out the toy, and then manipulate it to obtain their food. It’s a much more challenging, stimulating and rewarding prospect than simply visiting the food bowl.

Above all, whatever game you play, have fun.

It is important however that any food dispensing toys you use that give your dog some of their daily rations, are ones your dog can fairly easily solve. Dogs are totally entitled to their dinner and while you can add interest to mealtimes, you don’t want to create frustration – or make getting their meals contingent on solving complex and difficult puzzles.

Why should you use find’n’seek food games when playing with your dog?

Our resident Pet Behaviourist explains why find’n’seek food games are so much fun.

Most dogs will enjoy playing these games as part of our interactive games with our dogs.

Your dog has a lot of natural intelligence that need to be exercised in order to keep them mentally stimulated and prevent them from getting bored and frustrated – and a great way to do this is using their natural desire to find food part of their daily enrichment.

Dogs who don’t get mental enrichment or who don’t get an outlet for their natural hardwired behaviours can resort to behaviours you are going to find undesirable – perhaps by chewing the sofa, becoming hyperactive or over attention-seeking, or playing with things you don’t want them to. In other individuals, boredom can cause depression and so they may sleep a lot, lose interest in training and your relationship may start to break down. Rather than enter that vicious circle, a good find’n’seek food game and other ways of mentally stimulating your dog with enrichment toys and interactive games will combine eating with exercise.

In fact, making some of your dog’s meal a form of playtime means they’ll never be bored by their dinner – and you’ll probably have tonnes of fun into the bargain!

Playing as a form of exercise

We all know that dogs burn off a lot of energy when they are out on walks, when they are chasing balls or following scents, and for some, taking part in dog sports.

Play is very important to your dog; from puppyhood right through to old age. they’ll love using their natural instincts and behaviours to interact with you, to play with other dogs and just have fun! For us owners, playing with your dog is often one of the most enjoyable things about having one as a pet – and it improves our bond and keeps us both healthy.

Puppies start to play from about four weeks old, spending most of their time chasing and playing with their littermates, their mother and even you! Why not try some of these great toys to keep your little puppy or dog occupied?

• Tug-of-war is a great game to play with your puppy or dog. Buy a tug toy or rope from your local pet shop and begin playing with your dog! Playing tug with dogs should be led by them at all times. It is easy to cause injuries or just tweak muscles by pulling too hard, at the wrong angle or shaking the toy about. The rule is you hold the tug toy, and your dog does the tugging! You can make lots of enthusiastic sounds and be really encouraging but the pulling and shaking should come from your dog. This is especially important with puppies and older dogs – and also dogs who may be physically compromised because of their body shape.
• Hide and seek can be played at home or in the park, so it’s always a great game to play with your dog! This is often best played with a friend – and with your dog on a long line if you are outside. Get them to hold your dog while you go and hide, then call them and let them ‘find’ you. Give them a reward when they do. Start off easy so they succeed without any great effort, then you can get a bit more sneaky!
• Fetch is a fast paced game and a great form of exercise too! Throw a ball or a soft toy far enough for your dog to go and bring back to you. This isn’t something to be done repeatedly however as sudden starts, stops and turns put a strain on joints and muscles - and it should be avoided with puppies and older dogs. For them, hiding the toy and letting them go and find it and then retrieve is far better – or else just throw the toy a short way and then when they’ve picked it up, run in the opposite direction so they have to chase you to bring it back.
• Scent games are great for all dogs of all ages. You can hide toys and treats and have them sniff them out, or you can get them to follow a trail of treats to a bigger reward – and eventually even get them to follow the scent you have laid just by walking!

Sport as a form of dog exercise

For clever, active dogs, as well as all the usual fun games of ‘fetch’, ‘hide and seek’ and ‘tug’, for a change from the usual ‘walk around the block’ and to up your training game, you might want to take a look at our dog sports page.

From obedience training to energetic sports like agility or hoopers, there’s tonnes of different stuff you and your dog can be involved with to combine training with playing with your dog as form of both physical and mental exercise.

So just remember that playtime isn’t just a luxury – it’s a necessity for your pet’s health and general wellbeing. But whatever happens, and whatever your pet’s unique personality, playtime should never feel like a chore. Be creative, have fun, and see how it benefits you both!