What games do you play with your pooch?
Discussion
When my German Shepherd used to have more energy (she's 13ish now) we used to have some pretty rough games... Her favourite was when you got down on the ground and tried to grab her paws. If you got one, you got a point, if she saw it coming in time she'd jump back and replace her paw with her teeth 
.
Another one was pretending to snap at her face with your mouth. Then she would do the same to you, sometimes accompanied with growling. God knows why she found it so much fun
. That game stopped after a bad-timing incident where I found out that German Shepherd teeth are a lot tougher than human teeth (ouch).
Got funny looks from people when I went face to face with a growling German Shepherd with teeth bared hehe.
With new lab puppy, long clicker-training sessions (which he loves) and fetch are the only games we can play. Everything else ends with his razor-sharp puppy teeth getting far too close for comfort!
.Another one was pretending to snap at her face with your mouth. Then she would do the same to you, sometimes accompanied with growling. God knows why she found it so much fun
. That game stopped after a bad-timing incident where I found out that German Shepherd teeth are a lot tougher than human teeth (ouch).Got funny looks from people when I went face to face with a growling German Shepherd with teeth bared hehe.
With new lab puppy, long clicker-training sessions (which he loves) and fetch are the only games we can play. Everything else ends with his razor-sharp puppy teeth getting far too close for comfort!
Hide and seek with ours - I lose everytime, though!
With our pup, I also like to play "who can get to the post first?". I win that one, though.
Mostly.
I sometimes lose with the Royal Mail 'we tried to deliver your parcel today' ones.
There's "race", as well - again, I lose.
Our staff is funny with "race" though - if you start running first, and then say "race", he makes funny little moaning noises while he catches up. "You cheated, you did... not fair... I'll catch you..."
He stops them when he overtakes you though!
With our pup, I also like to play "who can get to the post first?". I win that one, though.
Mostly.
I sometimes lose with the Royal Mail 'we tried to deliver your parcel today' ones.
There's "race", as well - again, I lose.
Our staff is funny with "race" though - if you start running first, and then say "race", he makes funny little moaning noises while he catches up. "You cheated, you did... not fair... I'll catch you..."
He stops them when he overtakes you though!
"Pumpy football", which involves kicking Bosley's 'pumpy ball', i.e. a big soft ball, past him while he stands in a doorway and plays goalie. The ball, and Bosley on the right, with the neighbour's dog looking a bit unimpressed:
For some reason, me commencing washing up is his signal to bring his ball and start the game, there being a doorway directly behind the sink that makes an ideal goal.
For some reason, me commencing washing up is his signal to bring his ball and start the game, there being a doorway directly behind the sink that makes an ideal goal.
We used to play "Wag your tail if" with one hound, we'd ask the dog to wag her tail if person "X" enjoyed partaking in perverted or obscure deviant sex! Using the correct tone of voice always resulted in a very waggy tailed hound and a very offended person "X"
The real competition was who could find the most offensive thing to ask the dog and still get her tail wagging.
Another one with the same dog was "Where's my f
king slipper you thieving fking hound?" This comment was normally directed by my dad to the hound in question upon getting home to only the one slipper.
There was never any spite or malice directed towards the dog in question, they both knew it was a game and after chasing the "slipper thieving bd fking hound" for ten minutes he'd forgotton what a crap day he'd had at work and was happy to have his second slipper back.
As a general rule of thumb if the dogs tail was going at a rate of knots then the dog was happy and we as owners were doing our job correctly
The real competition was who could find the most offensive thing to ask the dog and still get her tail wagging.
Another one with the same dog was "Where's my f
king slipper you thieving fking hound?" This comment was normally directed by my dad to the hound in question upon getting home to only the one slipper. There was never any spite or malice directed towards the dog in question, they both knew it was a game and after chasing the "slipper thieving b
d fking hound" for ten minutes he'd forgotton what a crap day he'd had at work and was happy to have his second slipper back.As a general rule of thumb if the dogs tail was going at a rate of knots then the dog was happy and we as owners were doing our job correctly
One thing Jackson loves is to fight with big towels and blankets - I throw one in the air and he rolls around with it getting himself more and more wrapped up in it. After 15 minutes of this he's knackered!
Another one is to show him a treat before wrapping it in a towel so that he has to dig it out. If you do it well 7/8 treats can last half an hour.
With both of these bath sheets or beach towels are best, the bigger the better.
Another one is to show him a treat before wrapping it in a towel so that he has to dig it out. If you do it well 7/8 treats can last half an hour.
With both of these bath sheets or beach towels are best, the bigger the better.
We play bundle, where one of us charges at the other person and jumps on them and pins them down and the dogs jump on too - this is good when you have a mastiff! We also play the usual tug of war, throwing a treat and seeing if they can catch it, and fetch - although fetch is usually I chuck something, they run and get it and don't let me have it again! We also do a game where you get nose to nose with them and see if you can kiss them before they lick you.
All our games are pretty boring by comparison, as they are just training exercises for working, but the dogs enjoy them all the same. We don't fight or play tug-of-war as we need calm, unexcitable dogs with soft mouths (not criticising those that do though - I used to love fighting with my previous dogs).
However I did get the pup a squeaky space-hopper the other day and had great fun watching her work it out - will probably only last another day or so, but still £5 well spent for the comedy value.
Slightly O/T, but has anyone else tried stag antlers as a chew toy - our pup loves it, and seems to be good as no splinters to worry about - leaflet said nutritious too (not sure how much that is true though).
However I did get the pup a squeaky space-hopper the other day and had great fun watching her work it out - will probably only last another day or so, but still £5 well spent for the comedy value.
Slightly O/T, but has anyone else tried stag antlers as a chew toy - our pup loves it, and seems to be good as no splinters to worry about - leaflet said nutritious too (not sure how much that is true though).
therealpigdog said:
All our games are pretty boring by comparison, as they are just training exercises for working, but the dogs enjoy them all the same. We don't fight or play tug-of-war as we need calm, unexcitable dogs with soft mouths (not criticising those that do though - I used to love fighting with my previous dogs).
The problem I have is that my dog is a rescue and he gets "upset" at any kind of doggy games I have tried thus far - fighting, throwing sticks/balls, wrestling etc all just make him submit. Even hunting for biscuits in the garden doesn't interest him much.. Basically all the games I have played with other dogs in my time "upset" him.So it's trying to find a game that he doesn't get upset about as he's a big baby (8 stone!).
Jasandjules said:
The problem I have is that my dog is a rescue and he gets "upset" at any kind of doggy games I have tried thus far - fighting, throwing sticks/balls, wrestling etc all just make him submit. Even hunting for biscuits in the garden doesn't interest him much.. Basically all the games I have played with other dogs in my time "upset" him.
So it's trying to find a game that he doesn't get upset about as he's a big baby (8 stone!).
What does he enjoy when left to himself? Is there anything that excites him such as food/walks/etc?So it's trying to find a game that he doesn't get upset about as he's a big baby (8 stone!).
Apart from traditional games... One of our Lab puppy's favourite activities is a good long training session! I give him microscopic little bits of his dry dog food as rewards, yet they go on so long I still have to be careful not to overfeed him. He really enjoys it, and he learns a lot so everyone wins.
Our German Shepherd was never that interested in food, but if you were late with her dinner (so she was hungry) and gave her little bits of roast chicken, she would still be actively involved for a good 20 minutes.
Maybe he's not settled down enough yet for that, but if possible it would be a good way to get his brain working hard.
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