5 Fun Games to Play With Your Pooch

When you have a highly energetic, lively, fun-loving and thrill-seeker kind of dog in the house, it is quite easy to run out of ways to keep it busy and entertained.

Keeping your pup distracted and out of trouble is often very challenging, and funnily enough, just trying to find new ways can be more exhausting than actually getting to it and doing it with your pet.

However, a sure shot way to keep your furry buddy active and entertained is to play fun and exciting games with it!

Games are also a wonderful opportunity to soothe a dog that’s begging for your attention on days when you have a tough schedule and have to run important errands.

There’s a plethora of mentally-stimulating and fun games to play with your dog. After all, every dog loves a little challenge or two, and when they know there’s going to be a reward at the end, they will give it their all!

Take a look at some of the best fun games to play with your dog to keep your furry friend on its toes!

1. Tug of War

This might come off as a type of game that’s meant for human beings, but you’ll probably be surprised to know that it’s an equally fun game to play with your pooch.

Many people often believe that games like tug of war can cause aggression in dogs, but that’s far from the truth because it’s actually a great physical exercise for your pooch. Interestingly, it also teaches them manners, given how it involves a set of rules and commands.

There are three main rules in this game:

• Your dog waits for you to present it with the tug toy.
• It releases the toy on your command.
• There are breaks in the game during which your dog is supposed to respond to commands like ‘down,’ ‘sit’ and ‘wait,’ which is primarily done to prevent over-excitement and promote focus as well as good behavior.
• The game stops the second your dog’s teeth touch your skin because dogs often get riled up during tug of war, so they need to know that the fun will stop if they touch you with their teeth.

2. Fetch the Frisbee

This has to be one of the most commonly played fun games to play with your pooch in which you throw the Frisbee, and your dog has to catch it.

It’s more like an advanced game of fetch and is perfect for those dogs that have a natural drive or desire to chase.

Note here that traditional Frisbees are made of plastic and hard to catch, and your pooch might be discouraged to play fetch if the Frisbee accidentally hits your pet in the face. So, it’s best to start with a soft disc or a rubber Frisbee. Toss it over large distances and let your pooch catch it.

3. Find the Treat/ Toy

This is one of those fun games to play with your pooch that hone in on their natural skills and tap into their scenting abilities.

Find the toy/treat game requires them to use their sense of smell to find the hidden object successfully. This game is also often referred to as a ‘nose work’ game as dogs have to rely on their nose to find the hidden toy or treat.

Simply grab their favorite toy or treat, place it in an obvious spot or area and tell your dog to find it. Let your dog watch you as you place them around the room, and then give them cues to find it. Once your pooch finds the treat or toy, encourage it to pick it up, followed with appreciation because it greatly helps motivate dogs.

Once your pet gets the hang of the game, make it a bit more challenging by telling it to stay in another room as you hide away the treat or toy. Make sure to hide them in spots where they have to use their nose and scenting skills to locate the hidden object.

4. The Obstacle Game

As the name gives it away, this game involves a series of obstacles that your dog has to navigate, making it a highly physically plus mentally stimulating game for your pup.

You basically need to set up an obstacle course and teach your pet how to cross them successfully. While it surely is a lot of work, it will entertain your dog like never before and is a super fun game for a dull, rainy day.

Here are a few obstacles that you can create for your dog to navigate:

• Take a kitchen chair and teach your dog how to jump on it or run underneath it.
• A hula hoop for your dog to jump through.
• A basket with a pile of toys scattered around that your dog has to place in the basket.
• A sturdy box, crate or tool for your dog to balance on.

These are just a few ideas for starters; you can create your own obstacles as well. To make it even more fun and enjoyable for both you and your pooch, reward your dog with praises or treats every time it gets through the obstacle successfully. This will make it want to try harder, and at the same time, you can keep making the obstacle more challenging than before.

5. Hide and Seek

This game never gets old, and it’s also super fun to play with your pup. We all played hide and seek at some point in life when we were little, so why not now with your pet?

There are a few basic commands that your pooch will have to understand, such as come, sit and stay.

Start with leading your dog to a room, make it stay there while you hide in a different location in another room. Call your dog with its name and encourage it to come find you, following your voice.

Once it does find you in your hiding spot, celebrate the moment with a reward for your pooch!

There are so many other fun games to play with your pooch that will not only excite it but also challenge it and allow it to have some fun with you.

These are best played on boring days or when your pooch demands serious attention from you after you come home from work!