Play With Your Dog

Play can be such a game changer for you and your dog. Play builds bonds, play builds drive, play builds desire and play builds focus.

Play can be used as a multifaceted reward. It doesn’t always have to include a toy, it can just include you and some running and bouncing back and forth. Dogs love play, and play can be a much more powerful reward than food and praise.

Play can also take your dog over the top if you can not control it. It is always a good idea to put some simple rules on play before adding it into your reward system for your dog. Rules like don’t start until I tell you and stop when I ask are enough to start implementing play into your dogs training.

Play makes your training more fun for both you and the dog. Play makes the training more interactive for both of you as well. You can play with toys, but you can also play with food. Movement is the key to play if not using a toy.

If we have a highly motivated dog, play can be an extremely useful reward when working with dogs who fixate on things in their environment (like other dogs, people, skate boards, bikes etc.).

Play increases your awareness of reward placement and how to use your energy to properly motivate your dog.

Play doesn’t have to last for hours. Play can be a couple minutes or a few seconds.

Play can help you to work on your dogs self control.

I would suggest perfecting your play in the house first, then take it to the backyard, then start taking it into the great outdoors. Dogs who are nervous will have a harder time getting activated to play in environments that overwhelm them, so working up slowly for those dogs can be very beneficial.

Once your dog is fluent in certain behaviors, try adding play in as a reward instead of food and see what kind of results you get.

Happy training!