- Your dog can entertain himself with a Kong, a Buster cube or an activity
ball, all three are hollow toys which you stuff with part of your dog's
daily diet. It's a good idea to incorporate garlic in to the food as it is good
for his health, plus it makes food more exciting.
- Scatter your dog's food around the garden so he has to look for every
piece.
- Hide and seek, hide smelly food in a used plastic container with holes in
the top then hide the container around the house, or garden. If you find
the container first you will be giving your dog the message that you are a
lot smarter than he is! The same game can be played with toys, or even
people. Alternatively, tie the top of the carton on with string, and see how
long it takes Rover to get the food out!
- Tracking uses a scent trail. Empty some moist smelly food into a square
of thin cloth, fine net. or old tights, add a long string to drag it
with. It now looks like a story book tramp's bag.
Mark the starting point of the track by squashing the bag's contents with
your foot, then start dragging it, across grass if possible. Leave little treats
along the way to start with and a pile of food at the end of the trail. The bag is then
lifted and returns to base to radiate out in a different direction.
- Tracking and hunting games have a calming effect upon dogs.
They need to concentrate hard and utilise their most
acute sense, smell. Sniffer dogs ( drugs bombs etc: ) only work in short
bursts of around twenty minutes, sniffing is very tiring work.
For both hunting and tracking
start with easy "finds" which become successively more difficult, in
small steps that your dog can cope with. Children can safely have huge fun teaching
dogs hunting, tracking and hide and seek as long as the dog does not at any
stage "guard" the food.
(This applies with any other toys, but particularly with food toys)
- Playing "catch" teach this as you would teach a toddler to catch a ball.
Wait till the dogs eyes are well focused onto the toy or treat and throw
in a slow underarm arc. Build it up to become a really fast game equivalent
to canine badminton, very exciting and tiring for your dog at no
expense or effort to you.
- Place a portion of dry food under a saucer and let your dog work out how
to obtain it.
- Terriers love tearing games. Place a portion of food in an old sock and
knot it so the food is enclosed, repeat all along the sock and invite the
terrier to shake and attack the sock to get the food.
Dogs today rarely reach a fraction of their potential, either mentally or
physically.
Creative play sessions become quality time with your dog and help
counteract many behavioural problems.
WHY?
Because creative games provide an outlet for all the things
dogs like to do.
