Games To Play With Your Dog

Playing games is a great way to hang out with your dog. It's fun, stimulating, and it provides both you are the dog with physical exercise. It's also an excellent way of building a bond with your dog.

Now dogs don't generally mind what you play, as long as they have a chance to run, jump and chase, but there are still some old favorites that all dogs seem to love.

Here are some ideas of games to play with your best friend;

Fetch: Most active breeds love this and it's a particular favorite of retrievers and terriers. Simply throw a ball or a stick and get your dog to chase it and return it to you. A simple, fun game - and you won't even have to run!

Frisbee: This is a similar idea but using a Frisbee means the action is focussed on short bursts of speed, rather than long chases. Dog's that are particularly quick off the mark and agile, excel at this game. If you've ever seen a Border Collie in competition you'll know what I mean.

Treasure Hunt: This is a game that hounds seem to love, as it plays on their tracking prowess. Give the dog a sniff of a toy or treat, then hide it away and let him try to find it. A great thing about this game is that you can play it indoors, as well as outdoors.

Tug-a-war: This is another game all dogs love. Be sure though, that you train the dog to release the rope or pull toy on command, especially if he has dominance issues.

More Dog Games

There are lots of other games, you can play with your dog including tag, hide and seek and agility games, to name a few.

Remember that games are also a good way of providing mental stimulation, so include some mental challenges. For example you can teach your dog to fetch a toy in order to start the game, and also to put his toys away after play.

You can even turn training into a game by teaching your dog some cool tricks, like counting.

Another idea is to set up a mini-agility course, space permitting of course. If your dog shows an aptitude for this you could even enter him into agility competitions.

Think outside the box and I'm sure you can come up with all kinds of games that your dog will enjoy. The important thing is to do this consistently, so that your dog gets all the physical and mental stimulation he needs.

And above all, have fun and enjoy hanging out with your best buddy.

Read more about dog games, dog toys and other fun dog information at http://www.dogsanddogtraining.com