We’ve had a few questions lately about playing with dogs (not puppies, it’s hard to stop playing with puppies ) and I thought it might help to start a thread about it. A lot of positive reinforcement trainers use play as a powerful reward, and it can be extremely useful. Plus it helps you bond with your dog, makes you more interesting and so on. I think it would be most helpful if people gave either specific examples of how a game is played, or examples of how they built up a game into something that has real reward value. I think dogs do have to learn games – rather than just random puppy play, which seems to come easily to puppies of course. So you might have to take it slow, until your dog learns the game, and gets to enjoy it – you can always use treats to help things along. For me, a game has structure and it involves an interaction with sort of ‘rules’ between me and my dog. The best games are ones that are about teaching something I want to teach – and in this way, all training can be a sort of game. Just on retrieving/fetch – this is the best game for lots of dogs, but it’s a bit of a one trick pony, I think – it can be repetitive, the outrun is away from you and doesn’t involve you, and it certainly isn’t the only thing I want in my toolbox. Most of my training is a form of game, but games I play just as games include: Whipit (toy on the end of a lunge line) - this is best playing with specific behaviours in mind to encourage Mini whipit (chase and catch the toy on a bit of string) Tug Run around Find it Catch Hide and seek/find him/find her (requires 2 people) Goalie (with a ball – Charlie ALWAYS guesses correctly which way the ball will go – or with treats) Indoor games are some of the above (catch with soft balls, find it, a version of tug) plus: Gottcha nose/ear/tail Dodge the ear lick (human is dodging) Target (this is really training, but it’s his favourite so we play it just for fun too) Carry the alligator (trot round the room with us both holding the alligator) Find the hand in the oven glove…. I think I’ll stop there!
We play/use as part of training: Target Find it, using as part of self control to sit and stay whilst I move into another room to hide treats. Dexter can now sit and stay in the kitchen whilst I hide treats in the dining room . Also do this with a ball/ball and chucker but at this stage I need one or two fingers on his harness to help him with his steady when out so that the ball has landed out of sight before I release my fingers, he will then wait until I give my release cue of 'find it'. Leading onto fetch eventually. Fetch, only in doors at the moment (as Dexter started to get carried away when out, so gone back to basics if using a ball or dummy to build up his self control to wait to be released) on carpet floor, in one week I can now gently bounce the ball across the room with Dexter sitting by my side and me knelt on the floor. Oh and can take his eyes off the ball to look at me for what happens next. All very controlled and at low low very low excitement level with just Dexter and me but a big absolutely massive break through for my boy with his self control. Started with boring food kibble and my hand over it and built up gradually in baby steps. A long way to go for a full on game (with control and limited repetitions) but one small baby step at a time. Not added the cue 'fetch' 'get it' or what everyet as keeping excitement levels down at this stage and want to get the return back to me consistent and, oh, I can't remember the word I really mean here (sleepless night syndrome . He's much better but occasionally chomps the ball a while first at the moment if my rewards are not high enough, so I'm mindful of now only playing with a high value rewards and will work on lowering by alternating and gradually lowering the value. Place a ball game, we can play this in doors, in the garden and out in the field or park if nobody is around. Get Dexter to sit and stay, walk away (distance depends on where we are playing), place the ball on a plastic thingy to raise it a bit off the ground so he doesn't slam his face into the ground as this game is fast pace, walk all the way or part way back to him, before releasing him from the steady. Hide & seek, love this but rarely have someone else to play it with unless in doors. Have forgotten to play this lately. Bring it paired with give it, gradually building up to bringing a specific toy by asking Dexter to bring his teddy, then give it to me. Kibble reward now and working on cue. As I build up to more exciting things to bring, I'll up the reward to get the give it. Tug, we keep trying but not on Dexter's hit list as yet. Leave it game, I get Dexter to sit whilst I throw kibble saying 'leave it', then treat him from my hand, building up getting him to do a 'down' and 'sit', 'look at me' etc before I cue him with my release word. He loves all these games and I'm using them to help him with self control whilst having fun. A line of kibble game with a sit after he gets each one. In the box game, this was great fun having Dexter work out all the different approximations to eventually sit in the box. Add the cue once consistent with getting in the box and sitting. Then start from scratch when you use a different box, no cue until he's worked it out. He gets quicker each time. Do I need a special type of lunge lead to play whip it @JulieT? I only saw this game two days ago for the first time and think Dexter would like it. Goalie, definitely going to try this, any advice please @JulieT on how to start playing it? I'm sure I have more games but can't think at the moment.
Great idea for a thread. Games that involve you are so important to build the bond and make you more valuable to your dog, making training that bit easier. Other than those mentioned above: I play a "ready, steady, behaviour" game. They stand in front of me (generally quivering with excitement), while I say "reaaaaaaaadddddddyyyyy.........steaaaaaaadddddddyyyyyyyyyy........" then, sit! or floor! or touch! or front! or heel! etc. They leap into the appropriate position really quickly to loads of praise and a treat. In this case, I think the excitement level is a higher reinforcer than the treat. It seems to be helping to make behaviours snappier outside of the game, too. A few times I've interrupted them during "wall of death" moments, working on impulse control within this high-energy mood. So, as whichever one is going mental around the room, I'll stand up and, making it obvious by my body language and tone that I'm trying to join in the fun, not stop it, I'll suddenly chuck in a simple behaviour, like "sit". I'l then release them with a "ready, steady, GO!" to let them continue with their WOD. I really like this because it shows us both that they can still listen when they're going, pardon the expression, bat-s**t crazy! Hand targeting really builds excitement. Not just a single touch, C&T. Yawn. They find touching a fun game in itself, so shoot hands out in all directions, above their heads etc. The game is the reward. Um, can't think of anything else that hasn't already been mentioned. Basically, any training becomes a game and they love any interaction with me
Goalie just happened. It was spontaneous steadiness on Charlie's behalf! He loves chasing a ball, so he'll wait for it to be kicked. I honestly can't remember how this started, I think just by playing football with him and he just twigged that if he let the human kick the ball it was more fun than legging it off with the ball (shame he doesn't think this about football matches in general! ). So I just put the (largish, quite soft) ball down on the ground, then we both 'dance' round it and then I'll kick it one way or the other (not at all hard because it doesn't miss him, if I kicked it hard it would hit him hard) - I so must get a vid, we must look hilarious. He catches the ball and gives it back for another go. If we dance round the ball too long, he'll nip in and 'steal' it but that's part of the game. This game is Charlie's biggest reward and turns any reward item into a massive big deal for him. Bizarrely, Charlie watches my body at waist height to tell which way I'll kick and he never, ever gets it wrong. There must be something about the way I move that means he can just tell if I'm pretending to kick the ball one way or actually am going to kick it. The ball never moves more than 2m or 3m, so it's a game where you and the dog stay in the same place (I like that in a game, otherwise it's too much like fetch).
Will be adding ready steady go a, Dex knows ready and go, I never thought to add in the other cues this way.
I like this thread . I could do with some ideas for games where Ripple doesn't turn into an over excited twirling biting horror (and where he doesn't eat the box @Newbie Lab Owner ).
Oh dear, I don't play with my dogs! We do do retrieving and in the morning I hide kibble in the garden for them. When we are out together, we are a team, we smile and share body language and hunting. I have never been good at playing with my dogs, but they seem happy and bonded to me.
Sounds like you play fetch, find it and hunt together games, @Stacia. The thing about proper games, is they have structure, and rules. So if you have an excitable dog you do need start cues, end cues, switch off cues....and don't play very exciting games, play calmer ones. It's true that this makes games like training and training like games - that's perfect, of course! Games that involve action then stillness are great for excitable dogs because it teaches them to sort of be able to 'pull themselves together' and concentrate on what they need to do when excited.
Juno loves playing hide and seek indoors and is really good about sitting and waiting while someone hides. When released she will walk all around a room checking behind furniture before moving on to stretch the game out ad the hide and seek game usually extends into a game of chase through the kitchen,dining room and hall with Juno chasing but then stopping and changing direction to catch you out
We play hide and seek in the woods, and have done this since she was very young. If Holly gets to far ahead one of us will hide behind a tree or bush, then reward her with a treat and a fuss when she finds. Its taught Holly not to go to far away, and to keep an eye on us both when we're walking. Nowadays she regularly stops to check where we are. A variant of this is where we both hide and keep moving so she has to run between us and find us. Holly loves this game. Another game that OH plays is find the apple. OH wipes the apple over her hands then hides it somewhere in the house of garden. She then holds the scented hands in front of Holly. She loves this game as its exciting and had a great reward - she gets a whole apple to herself! We remove the stick and core first! Which hand: We hide a treat on one of our hands, then present her with 4 hands. She has to find which one its in by touching the hand with her nose, no paws allowed! Piggy in the middle can be played indoors (with a soft toy) or outdoors. We always let her get it every few throws to keep her interested. I always do a few fetches on our walks, but not too many as she will lose interest. It's a nice way of breaking up a walk.
Oh yes, I love this game! The dogs go bonkers I forgot "sausage tree". Can't forget the sausage tree. When your dogs aren't around, (leave them at home or have someone else distract them when on a walk), find a tree with suitable bark and push small bits of cheese, sausage, ham, anything soft into the holes. Then, call your dogs with the words "SAUSAGE TREE!!!!!". You can help them to find the higher bits, pull branches down to their level to show bits you've hidden etc. Helps to promote teamwork.
Oh yes, forgot "Piggy" great game to play indoors during the winter months. I've discovered with Juno that I can't get to hide when we are out for a walk. Everytime I try to dodge behind a tree she stops and comes running for me if she is in front or looks up and runs to me if lagging behind. OH is allowed to hide though
That's a very good topic , so far i'm one of those persons who doesn't know how to play with their dogs sadly, and i feel that this hold my dog from bonding with me properly.
We play games every day At home we play tug, find it (hide treats or objects for her to find), hide and seek and a really funny game with lots of balls being kicked along the ground at the same time then seeing who can collect the most.....me or Harley - she usually wins Out and about we play catch, find it - either by dropping balls as we are walking then sending her back to find, or by throwing the ball and waiting until it's landed to release her, we play hide and seek, a catch me game - running around changing direction until she catches me I love playing games I must try the large football game Julie - looks fun
@JulieT - is that his PINK BALL? When I was fighting in kickboxing matches, we always kept eye contact with our opponents. It's amazing how much you pick up from that. You could always tell a punch or kick - and, more impressively, what type of punch or kick - was coming before it was thrown, just from looking in the eyes. I couldn't tell you what it was that I was watching for, but there was something that I could instinctively pick up on and throw the appropriate block, far earlier than when I just looked at the limbs. Charlie's obviously doing a similar thing by watching your body - he sees the precursor to the kick, rather than watching for the kick itself. Clever Charlie
It is indeed his special pink ball - he's man enough to wear pink - I'll post what he did in order to earn it on the training boards.
