Dog Games

We dug up some of the gang's all-time favorite dog games. Playing games with your dog is a great way to have fun, bond, and even get in a little training.

Hide and Seek

When you were growing up, you probably loved playing hide and seek. The best part about playing the game with your dog is that he is always 'it.' If you have not played this game with your dog it’s definitely worth trying. The game is a favorite with Berry, Wanda, and Dresden (Robin and Sarah cheat). It is a great game to practice the 'stay' command with your dog. It is also a great game to teach your dog to perform a search of the house.

Here's how you play. Put your dog in the 'stay' command. Then go hide somewhere in the house. Since your dog can not count to 20 and bark "Ready or not here I come," you will have to call him when you are ready. If your dog seems to be having difficulty finding you, call to him again. When your canine companion finally finds you he will be thrilled. Be sure to reward your furry friend with lots of praise and maybe even a treat.

Find the...

Find the treat is a game many dogs love. It's best to start off easy. Tell your dog to "stay" and then let him watch you hide the treat. Then come back to your dog and tell him to "find the treat." Each time make the treat a little more difficult to find until he can find the treat in even the most obscure places like the kitchen sink or your bedroom closet. Remember to give your dog lots of praise when he finds it.

Eventually you can teach your canine to find other things like toys or even your house keys. This dog game is really a great one to teach if you are one of those people who is always misplacing her keys.

Fetch

Fetch is probably the all-time doggie favorite. The nice part about the game is that you can lie back in a lawn chair and relax, while your dog does all of the work. Provided that your dog is game.

Some dogs are naturals at fetch, like Wanda, Dresden, and Sarah. Others like Robin could really care less - too much work. And then there are dogs like Berry.

Originally playing a game of fetch with Berry consisted of my throwing the ball and his catching it and running off with it. Real exciting game, huh? It also defeated the purpose of exercising him. I tried the advice of dog trainers, which called for:

1. Rewarding him for every step he took toward me with the ball.
2. Showing no interest when he tried to play keep away.
3. Rewarding him when he would make a step to bring it back.

Frustrated, I finally devised a trick to help keep the game going beyond our usual one throw. I used two balls. I would keep one in my hand and throw the other one. Once Berry retrieved the first ball I would show him the second one. Of course the second ball was the one he now wanted. He soon learned that in order to get the second ball he would have to return with the first one. Then, I would throw the second ball and so forth. Soon we actually got to play a real game of fetch.