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Fun Games for Dogs
Stimulate Your Dog's Mind With Interactive Games
Games with Rules for you and your Dog
Good Games Bad Games
Intelligent Diversions and Creative Play
Tennis Balls are not Safe for Big Dogs		 Playtime
Toys Relieve Stress
op for dog who ate 28  golf balls
Suggestions for Brainwork
 Mind Games Dogs Play with Humans  
Is This Toy Safe?

Fun & Games for Dogs

www.dogscouts.com

Games are a good way to teach behaviors, or practice them, in a fun way.  Here are some of the favorite games of some of the Dog Scout Members and Campers:

Musical Chairs:
Start with one less chair than you have players.  Set boundaries 3 feet outside the row of chairs.  If the chairs are in a circle or a square, draw another circle or square 3 feet outside the circle of chairs.  If the chairs are in a straight line, alternating facing opposite directions, draw the line 3 feet out in front of each side.  When the music plays, everyone tells their dog to heel and starts walking in a clockwise direction, with the dogs on the outside.  When the music stops, the handlers must have their dogs lie down, then, try to find an available chair to sit in.  If a dog pops up, the handler has to immediately give up his chair, go to the dog, and have him down again.  No butts are allowed in chairs unless the dogs which belong with them have their elbows on the ground!  This might make a chair available for someone who was a little slower, but finally got their dog to lie down and stay.
When everyone has a chair but one person, and no dogs are breaking the down-stay, do one of three things:

Sub-novice version:  The person without a chair is "OUT", and one chair is removed, and the music and heeling begin again. 

Regular version: The person without a chair tries to GET a chair by distracting the other dogs to see if any of them are not trained well enough to remain staying as their owners told them to do.  If a dog falls for the act, and breaks the stay, the person can jump in that dog's person's vacant chair.  This goes on for a few minutes, when the game leader starts the music again, and the standing person is out and one chair is removed.  In the regular version, handlers are not allowed to use specific command words, like "come" or "sit" or "Okay!"  They are also not allowed to use the dog's name to distract, they can not touch the dog, and they must not pull on the dog's leash or collar to try to get him to get up. 

Advanced version:  The person without a chair tries to get a chair by distracting the other dogs to see if any of them are not trained well enough to remain staying as their owners told them to do.  If a dog falls for the act, and breaks the stay, the person can jump in that dog's person's vacant chair.  This goes on for a few minutes, when the game leader starts the music again, and the standing person is out and one chair is removed.  In the advanced version, handlers ARE allowed to use specific command words, like "come" or "sit" or "Okay!"  They are also allowed to use the dog's name to distract, and they can pull gently on the dog's leash or collar to trick him into getting up.  Treats, balls and toys are also allowed.  They are still not allowed to touch the dogs (no bumping, pushing, pulling, tickling, belly rubs or other contact allowed).

This goes on until there is only one chair left, and two sets of handlers and dogs.  The last ones out are usually pretty hard to get to break a stay, so it becomes more of a test of good reflexes, lightening fast downs, and a "battle of the butts."

"I like this game, because the dogs get to work on heeling, quick responses to the down command (emergency drop), and they get used to staying under all kinds of extreme new contexts (like people crawling on their bellies like a reptile, squawking like a chicken, acting hysterical, and generally making fools out of themselves).  I also like it because it is as much fun to watch as it is to play!" -- Lonnie Olson
 
Tic-Tac-Toe:
Draw or tape out a large tic-tac-toe board (#) on the floor or pavement.  You can use rope or spray paint (or chalk) if you are playing on the grass.  Divide people up into two teams.  One team is X's and one is the O's.  X's go first so they have an advantage.  They are the SITS.  O's will be doing DOWNS.  The first team's captain decides where to put the X, and sends one of his players (one that can hold a sit for a long time) out to that spot first.  Then the O team captain decides where to put his team member, and they go out and place their dog in a down.  If you have dogs of varying degrees of training, then, the sub-novice people can stay on leash, the novice people can stay close to the dog (but NOT on the playing area), and the advanced people have to go back to their team area and sit or stand to watch the rest of the play.  Players continue to fill the squares with X's and O's until one team gets three in a row, or it is a draw.

Different versions:  In one version, any dog who moves himself out of the position he was placed in (goes from a sit to a down, for example), is removed from the board, and that team has one less X (or O) out there.
In another version, if a dog changes positions, he STAYS in that position and becomes the other letter (from an X to an O), whereby he would be helping the other team.  In a third version, handlers are allowed to cue their dogs to remain sitting, or to pop back up into a sit.  They are not allowed to "correct", just to "cue."  If they are going to try to fix the dog, they have to do it before the other team puts another dog out, or they lose the opportunity.
 
Copy C-A-T:
Split up the players into two equal teams (put the same amount of brilliant dogs and beginners on each team).  The first team to go, chooses one of the players to demonstrate a trick, or behavior.  The second team must try to find someone on their team who can make their dog perform that same behavior.  If the second team can't meet the challenge, they get a letter "C" (like in the basketball game of HORSE).  Each time a team fails to meet the challenge, they get another letter in the word, CAT.  The teams take turns demonstrating behaviors and challenging the opposing team, until one team fails to meet the challenge three times (they would have spelled the word, CAT).

You can make the game more difficult for advanced players by allowing more complex behaviors, or a series of behaviors.

"This is one of my favorite games at camp, because the campers all enjoy it.  The people get to choose what they do with their dog, and everyone's dog has some cute or unique trick which would be a challenge the opposing team."  -- Joanne Weber

Fashion Race: (Also known as "Dress for Success.")
 Split up into two equal teams (put the same amount of big dogs and small dogs on each team).  In the center of the floor, place a pile of clothing consisting of about 20 different matching pairs of socks, 20 different shirts of various sizes, and 20 different hats.  At the starting cue, a player from each team races out and tries to find clothes which will fit his dog.  The shirt has to go on like you would wear a shirt, the socks have to go on the front feet, and the hat must go on the head.  Then, the player rushes back to his side's starting line, so that the next dog can go.  If anything falls off while the dog is walking back to the home team, the player has to stop and put it on again before crossing the line.  The first team to get all of it's players dressed wins the game.  Don't forget to leave them dressed up--everyone's going to want a picture!

I pick up the clothing at church sales and places that have those "everything you can stuff in your bag for a dollar" days (usually the last day of the rummage sale).  I try to get baby hats, t-shirts and socks, to fit the toy sized dogs.  For the larger dogs, I look for loose, v-neck, short-sleeved  t-shirts or tank tops, so that they are easy to get onto the dog without stressing him.  I try to find hats with ties, but since that is the hardest thing to find, I throw in some miscellaneous head gear, like scarves and ear muffs, just to make it interesting.  I try to get socks with distinctive patterns, like holiday socks or ones with cartoon characters on them.  They're easier to match up.

Thanks to Terry Ryan, author of "Games People Play with their Dogs," for this one.


The Tail Wagging Game
Two teams line up on opposite sides of the room with the people facing toward the middle, and their dogs facing them, with their tails toward the middle.  Teams are asked to pick "Fruits" or "Vegetables".  Whatever they pick, they must not utter any sounds, except the names of fruits or the names of vegetables.  The object of the game is to get your dog the happiest with just the use of your voice.  No REAL words are allowed, like "Cookie" or "Bye bye" or "Daddy" or "Good Puppy" or anything like that.  You have to strictly get your dog excited by using names of vegetables and fruits.  Which ever team has the best waggers, wins.  Then, you can have a "wag-off" to see which dog is the overall wagging champion.  Be sure there are an equal number of "tailless" dogs on each team.  Dogs without tails wag their whole butts, so they can still play.

This game gets people in your obedience class to get over the embarrassment of talking "happy talk", or "ooh-dee-doos" to the dogs.  It also helps them see how important tone of voice is in creating a good attitude in the dog.

Thanks to fellow NADOI member, Peg Prudden for this one.
Copyright © Dog Scouts of America
reprinted with kind permission from Mart Ratliff
www.dogscouts.org

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Stimulate Your Dog’s Mind With Interactive Games: Canine Hide & Seek

by Ryan O’Meara
 Editor in Chief, K9 Magazine

Canine hide and seek might sound like a bit of a laugh, but it stimulates an integral area of many dogs’ natural instincts such as scent tracking. People lost in avalanches are only too glad that the St Bernard that finds them likes a good game of hide and seek, and now you can bond with your dog indoors or out come rain or shine, in this fun, obedience orientated and stimulating activity.

Step One
You’ll need a helper and a treat for this. Ensure that your dog is familiar with the stay command, otherwise this will be a very short game. Have your capable assistant ensure that your dog abides by the rules and stays put while you disappear just out of sight with a delicious treat tucked up your sleeve. The great thing about this game is that your dog always gets to win, a bonus for dogs that are a little low on confidence.

Step Two
When you are sure that your dog is aware of your absence, he will probably be bursting to come and get his treat, have your assistant let him go. As you hear the sound of paws scrambling across the kitchen floor, begin issuing the command you want to use in the future. ‘Come and get me’ is as good as any. Your first hiding place should not be out of sight (in the bin for instance) so he gets the hang of the game sooner rather than later. If you plan to play this game a lot, make sure the treat you use is healthy. You will always be found and will always have to issue the treat, so avoid turning your winning hound into a ‘rolly poly’ ball of flab by keeping the meaty treats only for a spectacular performance.

Step Three
When you feel the nudge of an excited nose on your face (or the whip of wagging tail depending on your position) be sure to issue lots of praise and reinforce the fact this is fun for both of you. You can extend the game a little at this stage by hiding the prize on your person rather than relinquishing it on sight of your pursuer. A squeaky toy tucked up the trouser leg can result in prolonged hilarity as your dog frantically tries to access it.

Step Four
Return to the beginning of the process, but ensure that you hide further away, and a little more out of sight. Again, you will need the help of your assistant as you are now going to make your dog wait a painstaking two minutes before he is released. Issue the command before he is released this time, but ensure your assistant prevents any false starts. See how determined your dog is by hiding under a bundle of blankets. If he merely paws at you, you need to put in more work. You want your dog to be practically dragging these obstacles away from his prize.

Step Five
Again return to step one, but have your assistant stay at a distance from your dog, only intervening if the cheating swine tries to get a sneaky peak at you before you are properly inserted into your hiding position. Make sure every time you play this you challenge your dog, otherwise it will become like going through the motions for him. But he won’t tell you this as he will want his treat nevertheless. Test his loyalty by breaking a doggy biscuit in half and hiding one piece on his route to finding you and keeping the other piece on your person. If you hear a sequence of ‘gallop, gallop, munch’ sounds, you will know were his priorities lie.

Step Six
Incorporate obstacles into the game by closing doors and encouraging your dog to use his initiative. Also, moving the goal posts will keep your dog engaged. When the weather allows, hide outside and leave him to figure it out. Challenge your dog’s obedience by extending the amount of time he has to wait before he is allowed to come and find you.

Final Step
Continue the game for as long as it is fun for both you and your dog, but make it interesting for both of you by introducing new challenges each time you play. Remember to praise your dog each and every time he finds you, this will avoid him associating the game with merely receiving a treat. For those of you who believe they have a little dog genius on their hands, try playing this game the other way round.

This article was reproduced from K9 Magazine, the lifestyle magazine for dog lovers which is available in both digital and print formats. You can get more at http://www.k9magazine.com
reprinted with kind permission from Ryan O'meara All content © K9 Media Ltd & K9 Magazine.

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GAMES WITH RULES FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG

GENERAL
Presumably you got your dog to enjoy his company and to have fun with him, but uncontrolled games can be too rough and often do little for your credibility as "The Boss"! These games keep you in control (which can't be a bad thing!) and this helps to stop your dog getting over-excited when playing with you. If he does get difficult to manage, don't punish him or tell him off, just stop the game until he calms down again. Games with rules make your dog use his brain as well as his body. He will probably be more tired after five minutes playing one of these games than twenty minutes "chase me for the ball" or a walk, so don’t overdo it, especially when teaching a new game. Use plenty of rewards - titbits, toys or praise. If you use titbits remember to deduct what your dog gets when playing from his daily rations or he'll get too fat to play anything! A good titbit to use is a piece of complete dog food since they are dry, non-messy, well balanced, and don't rot his teeth. Teach one game at a time so as not to confuse your dog. Make all the games really easy to start with and progress slowly. You can't go too slowly, and if you go too quickly you'll put the dog off. If you do meet problems, go back a stage or leave it for a few days and try again. Never get cross, keep it fun - these are games after all!

AT HOME
Hide and seek. Tell the dog to stay, and show a toy or titbit. Let him watch you put it under a cushion or behind a chair. Go back to the dog and tell him to "Seek". When he has the idea, pretend to hide it in various places around the room. Leave the reward in one of them (not necessarily the last one you go to) then tell him to "Seek". If necessary go round with him till he gets the idea. Give lots of praise when he finds it. Make the game more difficult when the dog has the idea by using different rooms/places or shutting him out of the room while you hide the titbit. Find the person. Get someone to hide, having first made it clear to the dog that they have a favourite toy, or a titbit with them. Make it easy to start with by letting the dog watch where they go. Tell the dog "Find Mum/Dad/Emma". Again go with her if you have to till she gets the idea. Once she finds the person, she gets a game with the toy or is given the food. The game can get more difficult (using different rooms) as the dog gets better. Eventually you may want to discard the reward and just get her to find the person. Remember to reward her with lots of fuss though.

Retrieving. Don't let a game of "fetch" turn into "chase me for it" or "tug of war" - it's too easy for your dog to win these! You can teach this one by yourself, even as you watch TV! Offer your dog a toy, and as he mouths or sniffs it, say "fetch" and reward him with praise or a titbit. Once he will touch the toy with his nose whenever you offer it to him and say "fetch", offer it again with the command, but don't reward him. He will be a bit puzzled and when you give the command again (straight away) he should be a bit keener to show you how clever he is; he will probably knock the toy with his nose or even take hold of it, and from then on this is the only action that gets the reward. By working this way, very slowly and in stages, you should be able to get the dog from sniffing to nosing to taking hold of the toy on your command. Never move to a new stage until you have 100% response on the present one. Once you have reached this stage, drop the toy and tell him "fetch"; he should pick it up. You can then throw the toy slightly further away each time and the dog should bring it back to you each time to get his reward. Give plenty of praise and fuss once you have the toy so that it's clear your dog is being praised for fetching it back to you, not just for picking it up. Try any of the above on a walk or in the garden, once your dog is good at them. Don't try the tracking games in the house or garden, as your scent will be everywhere!
 
MORE COMPLICATED IDEAS FOR WHEN YOU ARE OUT ON A WALK
You might need help from a dog trainer with these - ask at your local club. Tracking. Put your dog on along lead, flexi-lead or rope, and use a fixed collar, not a choke chain. Tell him to stay, or get a friend to hold him. Show him a toy, titbit or stick. Walk along backwards for about 20 yards, dragging your feet to maximise the scent trail, and holding the reward near the floor to encourage the dog to search along at ground level. Try to keep your dog's attention but don't let him follow yet. Leave the reward at the end of your scent trail, and return to the dog along the same path. Tell him to "Track" and encourage him to sniff the ground where you walked until he finds the reward. Don't worry about him pulling on the lead. When he has the idea you should be able to walk gradually more normally when laying the trail. Later try walking in different directions, first in an "L" shape, then in more complicated patterns. Keep him keen by making changes very slowly and make it easy for him to find the reward. Find the thimble (er.. toy). It's best to teach the track before you try this game. When you are out, drop a toy without your dog seeing you, then continue walking for a few yards. Call the dog and tell her "Look back". Encourage her to retrace your route (she should be able to follow your scent even if she didn't see exactly which way you went) until she finds the toy. Have a good game with it, and give lots of praise. Try using a long lead or rope at first to help you keep the dog on the right track. After a while, increase the distance and make the object a little more difficult to find. Don't throw it away from where you walked, though, or she won't be able to use your scent to find it.

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Good Games & Bad Games

"Control the games, control the dog,"says British behaviourist John Rogerson.

Games can be a fun way to teach leadership and control.

 Bad game: "Catch me if you can"
- dog grabs something and you try to catch him to get it back. [A possessive power trip for the dog, teaches him that he can out-run / out-smart / out-manoeuvre you. Makes him impossible to catch if he ever gets out! ]

 Good game: "Hide and Seek"
- You hide and the dog searches until he finds you. [Teaches the dog to come when called and how to find you when he can't see you] ... or hide a toy or a biscuit and encourage him to find it - an excellent "scenting" game!

 Bad game: "Tug of War" for keeps.
The dog wrestles the toy from you, sometimes growling, and wins, running off with the toy. [A major power trip and confidence builder for your dog. Often turns into a "catch me if you can" game. ]

 Good game: "Tug of War" on YOUR terms!
You present the toy and invite the dog to play. You make all the rules! "Take it" "Pull!" "Out" The game begins and ends when you say so, and when the game is over, you keep the toy until the next game! [A leadership exercise - use sparingly. In case of over-stimulation, the game ends abruptly. Teaches self- control. ]

 Bad game: "Throw the ball!"
Dog pushes his ball at you, staring intently, ordering you to "throw the ball!!!" and then snatches it just as you reach for it. When he does allow you to throw it, he dances around teasing you with it instead of delivering it to you. [A power trip for the dog, teaches him that he can give you orders.]

 Good game: "Fetch"
You bring out the ball and invite a controlled game of "fetch" - the game becomes a training session: "sit" "wait" "get it" "bring it" "out" and you put the ball away until the next game! [Pack leaders get to decide when and what the rules are, and when the game ends. Always stop when the dog would like to play longer. Leave him wanting more! ]

 Bad game: Wrestling and play fighting.
OOPS! Encourages jumping up, mouthing, biting, chasing and pits the dog's strength against the owner. A definite confidence builder. Teaches the dog he can "run for higher office" and win.

 Good game: Tricks!
Exercise your dog's mind! Teach your dog to sit up, roll over, shake hands, or even balance a biscuit on his nose!

 Great game: Mind Games.
Build brainpower! Teach your dog the names of his toys or names of family members. Teach him to deliver notes or find your car keys!

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INTELLIGENT DIVERSIONS & CREATIVE PLAY

Does your dog get into things? Chew? Dig? Bark?
Surprised? You shouldn't be! He's a DOG! And that's what dogs do!

Dogs are by nature exploring, investigative, and curious animals who are in constant need of physical and mental stimulation to be satisfied. Your dog will chew, dig, bark and get into things - he has to.

Your job is to provide ACCEPTABLE outlets for these activities.

TIRED DOGS SLEEP!
When your dog picks up something he shouldn't, trade him for something much more interesting that he SHOULD play with - make a big deal about the toy you have to offer! Rotate his toys and chews to keep them interesting. When you see him choose the right thing notice it! Praise him and have a quick game. Most dogs steal things because it is certain to get you out of your chair. Catch me if you can is an awfully fun game - for the dog...

Toys fall into two categories: INTERACTIVE and PACIFIER.

Interactive toys are toys, which are the most fun played with YOU.

Pacifier toys are toys designed to keep the bored dog occupied. Provide Safe Pacifiers for "alone times":

Kongs - rubber toys that look like rattlesnake tails and bounce which way and that. Add a bit of peanut butter, a square of cheese, a big biscuit too large to fall out and a few that will. Fill several and hide them in the house or yard and they will keep your dog busy for hours.

Nylabones - they come in a variety of shapes and sizes and hardness’s, from the "edible" varieties which are intended to be eaten, to the dental bones designed to massage gums and clean teeth, to the Galileo version for the most powerful chewers. If your dog isn't interested, roughen the edges so it looks like another dog enjoyed it first, and then rub peanut butter or squeeze cheese into the crevasses. Mmm mmm good!!

Chew toys - Hooves, rawhide, pig ears, knuckle bones etc. - Chosen carefully (the right size and hardness for your dog's particular chewing style) can provide hours of chewing satisfaction. If your dog bites off chunks or consumes them quickly they could cause digestive upset or intestinal blockage. Real bones can be safe for some dogs and not for others, depending on how powerfully they chew - heavy chewers can suffer from tooth fractures. There is much debate over raw vs. cooked.

Knotted ropes - Chewing a knotted rope can massage gums and keep your dog's teeth clean, plus the added play value of shaking, tossing, pouncing and "killing". Some come with rubber toys or tennis balls added for even more fun. You can hide biscuits in the knots to encourage your dog and add interest.

Dental devices - various shapes and sizes of flexible, nubby edges massage gums and clean teeth. Some are designed so you can put doggy toothpaste in the grooves and let your dog brush his own teeth! Fleece toys - Many retrievers and "mothering types" seem to find comfort in carrying a soft toy with them, and frequently present them to their owners upon their arrival home from a long day at work. Squeakers may encourage "disembowelling" and your chew man might soon be without his insides, but most dogs continue to enjoy them even without their stuffing.

Brain Toys / Self-amusement
Buster Cubes - This durable plastic cube gives dogs mental stimulation, exercise and relief from boredom. It is designed to be filled with bite sized dry pet food or treats. The food is released as the dog rolls the cube with its nose or its paws.

Huge balls - herding breeds especially love playing soccer alone or with you.

A suspended ball - remember playing tether ball as a kid? Many dogs also enjoy this game, especially boxers and bull dog breeds. The ball should be suspended from a horizontal pole, not a vertical one for safety.

A kid's wading pool - water loving breeds will love spending hot summer days splashing in a shallow kid's wading pool.

A sandbox of his own - If your dog loves to dig, make him an appropriate place to do it. Bury his favourite toys, bones and a biscuit or two before you turn the dog out to play.

Brain Games
Tricks and more tricks - You are only limited by your imagination! Sit up, shake hands, roll over, chase your tail, take a bow, balance a biscuit on his nose.
 
Hide his breakfast - using his nose can be the most tiring activity for your dog. Leave widely spaced trail of kibble to the hidden bowl ... gradually, day by day, decrease the number of "clues" til your dog is finding it all on his own.

Hide and seek - Have a family member hide, have them call "come!" and send the dog to find them - start out easy and make it more and more difficult day by day. Play this game in the dark to encourage your dog to use his sense of smell.

Find your toys - Take him out of the room and hide his favourite toy and send him in to find it ... if your dog doesn't like toys, play "hide the biscuit" instead. Variation: Name his toys - and send him to retrieve them by name. Can you put out a pile of his favourites and have him retrieve them one by one, by name?

Message delivery - Teach your dog to deliver notes or other items to other family members. "Take it to daddy" could save you a trip downstairs and give your dog a job he can be proud of!

Obstacle courses - Over, under, around and through. Large cardboard boxes can become tunnels, a wide board and a couple of cinder blocks can become a bridge.

Clicker Training! 101 things to do with a cardboard box, Free shape a behavior with your clicker!

Active Games & Other Activities
Retrieving - "sit" "stay" "get it" "out" - dumbbells, Foxtails, Tennis balls

Jumping - Start slowly. Keep the jumps low and the landing surface soft, especially for young dogs. Avoid repetitive jumping or height until your dog is completely through growing.

Frisbee™ - Spokane City Parks & Rec Dept. Hosts a dog Frisbee catching contest at Shadle Park the 1st Wednesday after the 4th of July every year.

Bike riding, jogging - start slow and build distance gradually, soft surfaces and short distances for young dogs, check pads before and after every run, avoid the heat of the day.

Cart or sled pulling - The Iditorod! A Northern breed favourite. Cart pulling is enjoyed by Newfoundland’s, Bernese Mt. Dogs, Pyrenees and others.

Swimming - is good exercise and a great way to cool off. Not all dogs naturally know how to swim! Doggy life jackets are a good idea when boating. Important: Swimming pools are strictly off-limits to unsupervised dogs.
AKC / UKC Obedience Trials - Novice (C.D.), Open (C.D.X.), & Utility (U.D.). Dogs are judged on precision and response to commands.

Conformation - dogs are judged on appearance and movement. Dogs receiving a certain number of points can earn the title of Champion.

Tracking - Following an aged scent trail with his nose over different terrain.

Agility - jumps, hurdles, tunnels, weave poles, an A- frame and even a teeter- totter - a timed event.
Herding - For those breeds bred to herd sheep or cattle. A favorite of Border Collies, Australian shepherds and cattle dogs and many others.

Fly ball - the dog jumps a series of low hurdles and triggers a tennis ball from a spring loaded box, then returns with the ball over the jumps to the handler. A timed relay race for teams.

Scent Hurdle - like fly ball only the dogs retrieve a dumbbell carrying their handler's scent.

Lure coursing - the sport of sighthounds like Whippets, Greyhounds, Afghans, Salukis, Pharaoh Hounds and Basenjis. A lure (often a white plastic bag) travels along a pully- system along a varied course. Dogs are judged on speed, agility and style.

Weight pull - a contest of strength. Harnessed dogs compete to see who can pull the most weight for an allotted distance.

Schutzhund - A German police sport, encompassing obedience, tracking and attack work.
Service to the Community

Pet-Assisted Therapy - Dog/handler teams visit patients and work with therapists in hospital & nursing home settings. For more information, contact The Delta Society in Renton, WA - 1-800-869-6898
Search and Rescue - working with police & sheriff's departments to find lost or missing persons.
Service Dogs - aiding the handicapped as eyes for the blind, ears for the deaf, hands for the disabled and even confidence for mentally disadvantaged.
© CAROL A. BYRNES "DIAMONDS IN THE RUFF" Training for Dogs & Their People -
ditr_training @ hotmail.com - http://www.diamondsintheruff.com

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TENNIS BALLS ARE NOT SAFE FOR BIG DOGS

By DeTroy Kistner

Please read this if you have a ball-crazy German Shepherd, Golden Retriever or Labrador.

While I was talking on the phone, Sailor my 10- month- old German Shepherd, brought me his ball for a game of indoor catch. It was a hard rubber ball about tennis ball size. It had little raised dots of rubber. I was quite sure it was too large for there to be any danger of him swallowing it. I would toss it to him and he'd catch it on the fly. We must have done it thirty times when suddenly I looked at Sailor and saw that he was in great distress. I knew instantly that he must have gotten the ball stuck in his throat on the last toss. His head was down and he was trying to get it out but was unable to do so. I dropped the phone not even taking one second to explain to the caller what was happening. I grabbed my dog and he wriggled free struggling to get air and free himself of the object lodged in his throat. I was wrestling him in his own fight for survival.

Three times I grabbed him and three times he got away from me. Finally I got him and pried open his mouth. Trying to get the ball out with my fingers- only seemed to cause it to slide further down in his throat. The poor animal was struggling to be free of me and to get air into his lungs again. The ball was now in his throat beyond reach, like an enormous Adam's apple. He had locked his teeth and was trying to swallow it. And of course he could not. By this time I am as desperate and frantic as he is. I live on the fifteenth floor of a pre-war building in mid- Manhattan. There is no vet in the building and none of my neighbours are at home. I know that by the time the elevator operator puts down his newspaper and saunters into the elevator and brings the old machine up 15 stories my beloved young dog will be near death. And then to go down again and try to find a cab that would take me and the dog to a vet or the Animal Medical Centre... well, no creature on earth could go for that length of time without air and make it.

Never have I felt more alone and scared then I did at that moment. I knew that if couldn't figure out how to save him and do it quickly he was going to die. I grabbed onto him again, straddling him. I put my hand below the hall on the outside of his neck and gently worked the ball up his throat the way you would work a ball through a tube or out of the toe of a sock. It came up part way, but then Sailor eeled away again in his panic and struggle. I grabbed him again and threw him on the couch, again half straddling him to try and hold him. His teeth were clamped down, I seemed to need at least four hands and I only had two. I remember telling God I needed his help RIGHT NOW! I knew that time was running out and the thought of my beautiful young dog dying in my arms while I am powerless to help him gave me a feeling of despair I'd never known before. Again I tried to work the ball up his throat from the outside by squeezing it gently from beneath. Slowly but surely it rose up his throat. I pried his teeth open with my fingers and finally, holding his head against me and keeping one hand under the ball, I was able to reach into his mouth and grab the ball from the back of his throat and pull it out.

We sat there for a long time. He kept swallowing and was very quiet. Young as he was he seemed to know how close to death he had come. There was a fair amount of blood on my fingers and I wasn't sure whether it had come from his throat. I thought that perhaps his throat was tom so I took him to the vet immediately. The vet checked him out and found him to be okay, but gave him some antibiotics just in case. He told me that I had saved my dog's life. Most people, he said, try to get help and the dog dies on the way. They just can't get to help fast enough to save their dog. Usually, he said, when I see them they are already dead. I see a lot of golden retrievers with tennis balls that have died on the way.

Most of the blood had, I found out later, come from my own fingers that had taken a bit of a beating prying open those clamped sharp baby molars. My fingers were sore for days, but who cared I had my dog and he was alive! I started to warn other owners of big ball-happy dogs in Central Park. Some would respond with, "But he's never swallowed it before." Yes, well the first time could be the LAST time. It only takes one time for your dog to die. He may have caught it for years and then one day he catches it on the fly and it gets beyond his tongue and you can lose your dog.

Three weeks later a friend's German shepherd got a tennis ball caught in his throat. The dog is seven years old and has been retrieving tennis balls for years. It happened in Central Park and the NYPD happened to be close by and threw the dog in the patrol car and raced (sometimes literally over the sidewalk) to get it to the Animal Medical Centre.

The dog was blue and almost gone when they pulled up at the Animal Medical Centre. "What did they do?" I asked, expecting to hear about quick major surgery. "Oh, they just worked it up his throat from the outside and it popped right out!" said his owner. So why doesn't anyone tell owners about this? Everyone thinks that a tennis ball is safe.

I have heard that the Heimlich manoeuvre can be used to expel something lodged in a dog's throat. I don't know whether it was a method that might have worked. It is probably good to know as well. But I do know that a major animal hospital used the same method of working it up from the outside that I described. I think big dog owners should know this. Obviously one doesn't take animal medicine into one's own hands when there is a vet at one's elbow. But when your dog is for sure going to die if YOU don't DO something then it is good to know something you can do. Last week I heard that another Central Park dog died the same way. His owner tried to get the dog from the park into a cab and to a vet and he didn't make it.

That's why I wanted to share this, because many people are so panicked that they don't think to even try to work the ball up from the outside. I thought perhaps this might save a dog's life. Now all Sailor's balls are rope balls. They are tennis ball sized but there is a rope attached. One mail order company even sells ones that float. And the rope enables me to throw them further and Sailor gets a longer run.

(We were unable to locate the author for permission to reprint this but were pretty sure there would be no objections for reasons that are obvious.)
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Playtime

Toys and Games for GSD’s

GSD Puppies and dogs like human children and adults play games that rehearse or provide a substitute for their basic survival instincts, so whilst humans may compete at team sports to fulfil their tribal-dominance instincts without fighting one another, they can chase and retrieve toys to satisfy their hunt instinct without actually perusing and catching prey animals. Because of a dogs basic survival instincts certain types of toys and games are attractive to them, these toys and games enable them to satisfy their hunter-killer instinct and are natural and well suited to the dog's physical and psychological abilities and needs, the types of toys that dogs prefer are appropriate to these games and these behaviours.

Dogs prefer toys that allow them to practice their natural behaviour
It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that games are played within the bounds of good manners, encourage sociable and acceptable behaviour and do not pose a threat to the dog or his human companions by getting out of hand or encouraging dangerous or antisocial actions. It is also the responsibility of the owner to ensure that her or his dog plays with safe, well designed and well constructed toys that do not pose a threat to the dog's health or well being.

Good toys will satisfy a dog’s natural instinct
Puppies are born with the potential to manifest all the behaviours of their wild ancestors, seeking pray, chasing, killing, carrying off, tearing up their kill, guarding their food and devouring it without delay, they are also born with the instinct and need to live within a pack, interacting with those around them, seeking promotion, respecting their leaders, demanding respect from their juniors, guarding the pack territory and joining in the pack activities. In addition puppies will develop all the instincts necessary to survive in the wild, fear of strange objects and animals, the fight instinct and the flight instinct, the stoicism to hide pain or injury. In fact instincts and behaviours very similar to those of humans, which may be why mankind and dogs have been such good friends for such a very long time.

Very young puppies are already equipped with a full set of canine instincts and behaviours
With human children we recognise that instinct has to be tempered by manners and restraint if they are to grow into sociable, good-natured adults, so we train children from an early age according to the rules of our society. Puppies similarly need to learn that their natural instincts must be kept under control and that they too must obey societies rules, training in this respect should start before they leave they breeder with the discouragement of play biting and dominant puppy behaviours. The new owner is responsible for building on the patterns of good behaviour started by the breeder but where the breeder has made little or no effort to establish good and discourage unwanted, behaviour that task will be the more difficult. With an older puppy or dog perhaps from rescue, where no effort has been made by either the breeder or subsequent owner(s) the new owner may have to start from scratch.
Puppies are natural biters but any kind of biting, at any age, is unacceptable and should be discouraged

Puppies should be taught what does and what does not constitute acceptable behaviour from the start and should not be indulged because they are "only puppies", for example we don' t allow toddlers to hit people or animals even though they are often instinctively violent if frustrated, so neither should puppies be allowed to play-bite even though they do so from instinct rather than malice. Children often like to play rough and can be quite violent to each other, this may be natural but sensible adults discourage such behaviour because it is not acceptable in our society, similarly some dogs like to play games of physical dominance like tug o' war but as we do not want dominant behaviour or physical one upmanship from our dogs we should discourage this type of play between dogs and people.

Puppies begin to challenge from a young age
Some training methods are based around encouraging a dog to develop an obsession with a toy so that the dog becomes anxious when deprived of that toy and will work hard to please the owner in order to regain the toy as a reward. Sometimes owners overexcite their dogs in games with the toy in order to create or sustain the obsession, these games are usually based around tug'o'war or constant throwing and retrieving. We do not use these methods, border collies in particular are prone to obsessive behaviour and encouraging this does not produce a well balanced and sociable dog, there is little merit in having a dog who is very obedient only because he has been allowed to develop an addiction to a toy, nor is there much value in owning a companion animal whose relationship is focussed on a toy rather than on his owner. We also avoid situations and games that overexcite dogs and encourage confrontational behaviour between owner and dog, tug'o'war is about dominance and about testing not about build the owner-dog relationship. Our dogs play tugging games with one another as part of their pack relationship but are trained to drop toys or other articles if a human reaches for or touches it.

Tugging game are appropriate between dogs but not between dogs and their people
Try to play games that build up your relationship with your dog and avoid confrontational or "testing" games that pit you and your dog against each other. The best plaything you dog can have is you, so try to play with him rather than just be someone who throws balls for him.

Play games that build your relationship with your dog.

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Toys Relieve Stress

Toys relieve stress. When dogs feel confined, bored or isolated, they become stressed, resulting in destructive behaviour. Toys help reduce stress, and therefore the likelihood of destructive behaviour. If toys are not provided, some dogs resort to digging, or chewing. This is usually something belonging to their owner, their shoes, book, seat or what ever is an owner reminder, and therefore nice and comforting. Toys give your dog something acceptable to chew and play with.

The Right Toy
Buy toys that are suitable for the size your dog is now. Toys that may have been the right size when your dog was a puppy might be too small now and should be discarded. This is important as balls and other toys that are too small can easily be swallowed or become lodged in a dog’s mouth or throat with sometimes-tragic consequences. Discard toys which break into pieces, or have pieces torn off.

Make things interesting, by providing a variety of toys, it is definitely a case of Variety is the spice of life. Make only four or five toys available at one time, and rotate different toys weekly. If your dog really has a favourite toy, let him/her keep it.

Work out what sort of chewer your dog is. If he is an enthusiastic, aggressive chewer he will tear many toys apart. Remember parts can be lodged in the mouth or throat, and can even kill a pet if swallowed. Really only the durable hard rubber or nylon toys are suitable. The semi-aggressive chewers don’t tear toys apart, but chew enough to cause wear on a toy. These are suited to canvas, plush, fleece or rope. These toys are softer, but will not come apart easily. The non-aggressive chewers are less destructive, and can have vinyl or latex toys or in fact any of the above.

When giving your pet a new toy, watch, and if she is destructive with it, take it away. The toy could come apart, and cause her to choke on a piece. Instead, purchase a toy that is harder and more durable.

Toys can be made from a variety of materials, and in taking time to understand your dogs chewing habits and preferences, you can decide what type of toys suit your dog. This avoids any expensive or harmful mistakes.
Materials

Vinyl and Latex…..suitable for non-aggressive or light chewers. They come in all shapes and sizes, colours and seasonal themes. Many have squeakers, which adds a great deal of interest to the toy.

Rubber and Nylon toys……Great for those aggressive destroyer type chewers. Extremely durable and hardwearing. Some come with holes where treats or something like nature diet can be stuffed in, creating interest and appeal. A stuffed Kong is a very good comforter for any dogs that suffer when left on their own, and definitely helps with any associated destructive behaviours. There are many different types of Kongs in our on-line Shop…nearly all stuffable!!

Rope Toys ……These are great for semi-aggressive chewers. These are good for dogs that like to play tug-of-war. They have the added benefit of providing a flossing action that helps with dental care. They are usually made of nylon or cotton rope, but we have found ropes made of Hemp. These are not only completely organic, with no toxic substances, but dogs absolutely love the hemp feel, and they soon become a firm favourite. Hemp ropes are well worth the extra cost. Probably lacking in visual appeal, once dogs pick them up, this toy goes to the top of their list. Hemp rope toys and scruffers are available in our on-line store.

Plush and fleece toys…These soft toys are firm favourites for the dog that simply likes to carry a toy around. Not suitable for aggressive chewers. Often they contain a squeaker. If there are any tears in the toy, discard the toy, and replace with a new one.

Canvas Toys….These are washable, and quite durable for even semi–aggressive chewers.

Another Puppy thought:
Humans too often forget to play, become too serious with maturity, too busy, too tired, too worried, too old. Somewhere they have forgotten the need to play, and forgotten that the dog lying around is just waiting for a few moments of fun that would inspire you both.
You can clown, fool around, be how you want to be, your dog will love you for it. This is the best available therapy, and it’s free.

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 Op for dog who ate 28 golf balls 

Vets have operated on a dog who had become sick after swallowing 28 golf balls.
German shepherd Libby had been coughing up blood after weeks of fetching golf balls at the course where owner Mike Wardrop works. Mr Wardrop said he had not realised the dog had a secret taste for the balls she found each day at Didsbury Golf Club in Manchester. Libby is now recovering from the operation to remove them. Mr Wardrop, who works as a bar manager at the club, said: "I've had to buy her two footballs. She can't swallow those."

Wolfing them down golfballlibby1

Mr Wardrop used to watch with pride as 18-month-old Libby picked up balls on their daily walk around Didsbury Golf Club, Manchester, where he lives and works as a bar manager.

She would often drop some at his feet, but little did Mr Wardrop know that she was swallowing the rest.
The vets didn't even have to do an X-ray because they could hear the balls and feel them rattling around.

Mike Wardrop He said: "It got to the stage where she would pick up four or five balls every day.
"She loved fitting them in her mouth. She would bring them to me and I'd have a laugh. "I had no idea she was wolfing them down as well."

Mr Wardrop, 47, only noticed there was something wrong when Libby began to go off her food.

His wife Julie, 45, then noticed Libby coughing up blood and rushed her to the nearby Greenbank Veterinary Clinic.

"The vets didn't even have to do an X-ray because they could hear the balls and feel them rattling around.
"They were having bets about how many would be in there. Mr Wardrop said: "I didn't believe my wife at all when she told me Libby had swallowed 28 balls. ."I think the highest bet was 11, so they were shocked when 28 came out.

"I find it hard to believe she swallowed them whole and I'm gobsmacked to say the least."
The balls weighed in at 6lb and were recovered during a two-and-a-half-hour operation. Libby had to have 30 stitches to sew her back up.

Mr Wardrop said it cost £600 but was worth every penny. He added: "Libby is fine now and a bit more bouncy than she was before. "We've got every single ball back and we're keeping them as a memento. "They are all brown from the stomach acid but we are keeping them to show people."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/manchester/3652903.stm

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Suggestions for brainwork, tricks and exercises to do with your dog.

As we all know, GSD’s are active dogs that need lots of exercise, both physical and mental. Most owners are engaged in various activities with their dogs -- obedience, tracking, SAR, agility (and lure coursing :-) -- but this is a collection of things that you can do with your dog when you don't have the time for 'serious' training, or when your dog already seems to have mastered the 'more serious' things and you just want to have fun with him, or especially if your dog seems bored with all the things that he already knows and spends his spare time barking, chewing etc.

Remember that the tricks are mainly meant to give your dog some meaningful activity -- this means two things:
Don't bore your dog with these tricks, only do them as long as you both are having fun, and when he has mastered one thing, think of something new instead of just repeating the old routines;

Some of them may require lots of time to learn. Don't worry, that's exactly why they are so useful -- in order to master the trick your dog needs to concentrate very much and use his brain! Progress in small steps if needed, and don't forget to reward your dog when he makes progress!

Useful Tricks
Have you already put an obedience title on your dog and can't think of any new useful tricks to teach him? Here are some suggestions!

If your dog already knows how to heel on your left, teach him to heel on your right or to walk right behind you. These may be useful in crowds, narrow corridors, etc., and heeling on the right is also needed in Agility. Remember to use a new command for heeling on the 'wrong' side!

Teach your dog to lift up each of his feet on command ('right-front' etc.) This is useful when you clip his nails, or need to wash or wipe him, etc.

Are you tired of collecting all of your dog's chew toys, tennis balls, squeaky toys, teddy bears etc. when your parents-in-law or your non-dog-loving boss is coming for dinner? Teach your dog to do it himself! He can learn to pick up all of his toys and put them into a box on command.

If you live somewhere where it rains frequently, you probably already hate the way your dog shakes his coat dry when he is close to you or your clean laundry etc.? You can teach him to do that on command so that you can ask him to 'shake!' or 'rock'n'roll!' :-) when he is standing a little bit further away.

Is your duty in the family to wake everybody up in the morning -- a routine that often requires lots of time and effort, and is never appreciated? Teach your dog to do it for you! "Go wake up Jane!" "Go wake up Daddy!" and your dog licks their faces or pokes them with his nose until they are awake.

Another version of this (by Derede Arthur): The dog 'digs' in the morning: on command, she rips back the covers from around a malingerer and drags them (the covers) back to the foot of bed, exposing said body to cold air and (ostensibly) motivating rising.

If you live alone and sometimes fall asleep again after turning off the alarm clock in your sleep, you can teach your dog to start licking and poking you at the sound of your alarm clock.

Everybody's heard of the classical trick where a dog fetches slippers or a newspaper, but what about letting your dog 'answer the phone' (lift up the receiver for you), put an empty beer bottle back in the box, or carry some other things on command? (It's possible to teach a dog to identify a very large number of objects by names).

When you go out for a walk, let your dog fetch his own collar and/or leash. My Belgian Sheepdog Apollo gets his collar from the shelf when I say "collar!". Some people say that dogs may learn to get their collar and leash also when they want to get out, without any commands from humans, but that hasn't happened to us yet.

Apollo can also get his leash with the command "leash!", but I use it mainly when we are out training. When we finish a training session I ask him to bring me his leash from where I left it. Some people also use this in Agility, when they finish their run the dog goes to get his leash instead of jumping around the handler demanding for more action.

Derede Arthur’s Rontu finds her keys' she loses them twice a day, so he gets lots of practice. This is also good for accustoming dogs to metal articles in mouth for utility work. I got this idea from someone a few months ago, who's dog even passed her keys through the car window from the ignition when she'd locked herself out. Rontu also brings her the box of Kleenex she sneezes.

Alicia Marcinczyk says her dog is able to balance beer cans on her head and become a Beer Retriever: She liked this particular trick so well that one day she slipped into the neighbour’s yard during their BBQ, grabbed an open beer that the woman had set on the ground, and ran straight back home with the can in her mouth, beer still dripping out.

Jenny Cole invented a trick that is both fun and useful: Teach your dog to stop and look before crossing a road. You can first teach your dog the directions ("look right" and "look left"), and then combine the commands to sit and to look right-left-right (remember that Jenny lives in Britain, continental European dogs will have to learn to look left-right-left!) before given the permission to cross. (Jenny uses the command "Any cars coming?" for the entire trick). If you are consistent with your training, you can possibly condition your dog not to start crossing the road as long as he sees cars approaching, which would make this trick also extremely useful.

Linda Bergstrom: Says that she has taught Corey, her 10-year-old Malinois, to "back up". She can't think how many times he's been in the way when she has been carrying something or heading through a doorway with a Mal in the middle of it. With this command she can give him a simple command to "back up", which gets him out of the way and also earns him some praise -- instead of him receiving human "growls" because he's in the way.

Pam Caldwell's version of the same trick: When her dogs were young and played as she hiked on a trail, they would sometimes not get out of my way. She began to say "hut" when they were in her path, about 2-3 steps before she would be where they were. If they didn't move, she would let her foot, knee or shin connect with them as she continued to walk. They would jump and look at her very upset--not hurt, but their dignity was hurt. Very soon, as soon as she said "hut", they would move right away. Now she rarely even have to say it--they have learned that "pack leader" has the right of way! A useful variation is when you are on the stairs or a hallway carrying groceries or laundry, "hut" gets them out from under your feet, not just for a minute but also for the whole trip. The very best use now is in the middle of the night when she needs to use the bathroom. She knows they are all asleep on the floor and says "hut" and although they are deeply asleep, they will usually stir and she can hear their tags jingle. Pam then knows where they are and can know where to walk to get to the bathroom without tripping over a dog!

Tricks for Fun
These are not meant to be useful (some of them may be, sometime), but just fun for you and your dog, or maybe for some neighbourhood kids if you want to show them how smart your dog is. I'm pretty sure all dog owners have some special 'silly tricks' that they do with their dogs but maybe never show anyone.

"Give a kiss" or "hug" -- your dog gives you (or somebody else!) a wet kiss or puts his paws on your shoulder. This is great when you meet someone who thinks, "That dog looks vicious!"

"Sit up" or "dance" are quite common tricks (dog gets up on his hind legs), but you can also teach him a more unusual command for this -- for example, ask your dog "What does a CIRCUS-DOG do??" to make him dance for you!

"Message Dog" is one of the Scandinavian dog sports not practised elsewhere, but you can do similar exercises for fun. This can even be useful in some situations, especially if you teach your dog to actually carry something with him. The idea is that the dog runs from person A to person B on command, then back to person B, etc. In the Scandinavian competitions this always starts so that person A walks away from person B with the dog, then sends the dog back (in the beginning the dog sees person B from where he is sent to run, in the more advanced version he does not). When person B sends the dog back to person A, it is possible that person A has moved to a new location -- then the dog needs to do some tracking in order to find person A. You can easily invent your own varieties of this game, depending on how challenging you want it to be (in the Scandinavian competitions we have several dogs simultaneously darting back and forth for distances of several kilometres and with some shooting in the background!)

Nodding or shaking head: you can teach your dog to do these. These are more fun if you don't ask him to 'nod' but rather teach him to nod on cue like "I'm so smart and beautiful, don't you AGREE?"

"Nose-ball" -- teach your dog to push a tennis ball to you with his nose. This is a great 'living room activity' for rainy days!

Soccer: Dawn Carla Speer has trained her dogs to play soccer with people: The fun thing about soccer is that each dog will come up with a different way of handling the ball to get around the fact that it's too big to get their jaws around. Dogs learn to use their nose or/and paws to get the ball moving, and you can have several people playing the game with the dog.

Volley ball: If you thought that soccer would be the most advanced ball game you can teach your dog, here's news for you: Lisa Baldwin has trained their Tervueren to play volley ball with people!:

Ice thinks the game is GREAT fun so we had to come up with some way to control his impulse to be involved with the game. We taught him "play outfield" at which he takes off running until far enough out and we say "swing" and he turns around and sits -- whenever the ball goes in his area he leaps up and tries to hit it back over the net!! If it doesn't make it he will push it over to the other teams side and then run back to his spot and wait for the next one.

Pointing at a treat: hide a treat in your hand, hold both hands in front of the dog and request him to point at the treat, either with his nose or foot.

Singing: some dogs "sing" very easily especially if they hear high tones. Some dogs can be trained to make different kinds of weird noises, especially the more vocal breeds/individuals. In Finland there is a famous dog call Gizmo who performs with a symphony orchestra. He sits on the owner's lap and sings along with their music!
 
Problem Solving
Opening boxes -- you can put a treat into a box and let your dog try to get it out. Start with boxes without a lid, and progress to freezer box -type boxes with a lid that can be opened by pulling on the side. (And be prepared to have tooth marks all over the box, you may even end up with the box in zillion pieces!). This is a good exercise if you are busy doing something (getting ready to go to work etc.), because you don't actually need to do anything when the dog is working on the task.

Finding the way out: Go to the other side of a fence etc. so that your dog can't get to you directly but instead needs to find a way to get to you (without jumping over the fence). (You can also do this inside, if there's a room with two doors). Don't help your dog to find his way to you, because then he'll learn to expect help from you. Naturally you can't do this many times at one place.

Opening doors: teach your dog to either push a door that is ajar open with his nose or to use his paws on the handle to open the door. Note: the dog may scratch the door when opening them; also after learning this, he may open doors also when you don't expect it!

Nose Work (Scenting)
Dogs love using their noses, and nose work requires lots of concentration --> these exercises are great for hyperactive dogs.

Some people fear that actual tracking is too difficult or time consuming, so here are some less elaborate ways of doing basically the same thing!

You can hide treats in your house for your dog to find. The most convenient way to practise this game is to teach your dog to sit still while you go to another room (or several rooms) and hide a treat.

When you go for a walk with your dog, you can sometimes stop and hide treats for him. It's easiest if your dog sits waiting while you hide the treat in the grass, behind a tree etc., and only starts searching when you give the permission. You can make this more difficult by sometimes hiding the treats on low branches of trees, on fences, etc. so that your dog really has to do some work in order to find and get the treat. And remember that you are doing this in order to give the dog some work to do, so don't help him if it seems to take a long time to find the treat (otherwise he'll learn to expect help from you!)

Instead of hiding treats, you can hide your dog's favourite toy and ask him to find it. If you would like this to resemble 'real' tracking, drop the toy (or treat) on the track where you walk (= on your footstep) and don't come back to your dog the same route.

This is the way puppies can be introduced to tracking.
Sue Mills says: Another variation of the hiding treats to be found is to hide a favorite toy or ball and reward the dog with a brief game when she finds it. The next step is to hide similar, and gradually, quite different objects for the dog to find and retrieve. Lots of fun, can be practical (if you teach object names :) and teaches your beastie to carry all manner of strange things for you... (Sue also mentions how creative dogs get when they learn to find toys hidden in difficult places like bathroom sinks.)

You can teach your dog to pick up an object with your scent when it is among strange objects. You can do with this sticks, stones, etc. in order to facilitate the availability of non-scented objects.

Hide and seek -- teach your dog to find a person who is hiding in another room, behind a tree, etc. (He can use air scenting, or tracking, or both, depending on where you are practising.) Kids love this.

Balance Work
Everything that is done in Agility could be listed under this category, but because very few people have the agility equipment at home, this list consists of tricks that can be done without very complicated equipment.

Jumping -- easy and great fun, can be practised almost anywhere. You can do this with young dogs as well, as long as you avoid high jumps. (Really, you can ask you puppy to jump over a paperback book in your living room! But avoid jumps higher than the dog's withers until he is full-grown.) When you make progress, you can ask your dog to jump over tree trunks, stones, small fences, ditches, etc.

Climbing stairs, ladders etc. If your dog is afraid of walking steep stairs, practise this with him -- ask him to walk up and down the stairs wherever you see challenging-looking stairs. The more advanced version is to walk up and down doggie-ladders or similar. Remember to be careful with these exercises so that your dog doesn't get hurt if he is unsure of himself (support and slow him down especially in the beginning).

Climbing on an object -- stone, chair, fallen tree trunk etc. Even though this may be difficult at first, dog’s get very good at this with some practise. You can either ask your dog to stand still or sit or even lie down when he is up on the desired object.

People have informed me that this activity has long been known as 'perching' among the Belgian fanciers, and Belgians really seem to be skillful in this, perching on ironing tables, fences, garage roofs...

Balance walking -- ask your dog to walk on a narrow plank, tree trunk etc. Start with broader objects and very moderate heights.

Treat-on-the-nose -- teach your dog to balance a treat on his nose until you give him a permission to eat it.
Alicia Marcinczyk says: As far as balancing/catching food: our old Golden Retriever, Lady, could balance one of those plastic butter tubs on her head with a treat inside, then flip the bowl and catch the treat ... Lady was multi- talented. She could also balance an (empty) beer can on her head, flip and catch it.

An advanced balance/circus trick by Michelle Lewis: I trained my dog (an extremely overweight poodle) to jump over an obstacle, pick up a raw egg (definitely not hard boiled! But for practicing, this is a good idea :-) Jump back over the obstacle and place it down at my feet. It's not terribly useful, but very impressive. Goes down well at parties, especially if the jump's big

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Mind Games Dogs Play With Humans

  1. After your humans give you a bath, DON'T LET THEM TOWEL DRY YOU! Instead, run to their bed, jump up and dry yourself off on the sheets. This is especially good if it's right before your humans bedtime.

2. Act like a convicted criminal. When the humans come home, put your ears back, tail between your legs, chin down and act as if you have done something really bad. Then, watch as the humans frantically search the house for the damage they think you have caused. (Note: This only works when you have done absolutely nothing wrong.)

3. Let the humans teach you a brand new trick. Learn it perfectly. Then the humans try to demonstrate it to someone else, stare blankly back at the humans. Pretend you have no idea what they're talking about.

4. Make your humans be patient. When you go outside to go 'pee', sniff around the entire yard as your humans wait. Act as if the spot you choose to go pee will ultimately decide the fate of the earth.

5. Draw attention to the human. When out for a walk always pick the busiest, most visible spot to go 'poo'. Take your time and make sure everyone watches. This works particularly well if your humans have forgotten to bring a plastic bag.

6. When out for a walk, alternate between choking and coughing every time a strange human walks by.

7. Make your own rules. Don't always bring back the stick when playing fetch with the humans. Make them go and chase it once in a while.

8. Hide from your humans. When your humans come home, don't greet them at the door. Instead, hide from them, and make them think something terrible has happened to you. (Don't reappear until one of your humans is panic-stricken and close to tears).

9. When your human calls you to come back in, always take your time. Walk as slowly as possible back to the door.

10. Wake up twenty minutes before the alarm clock is set to go off and make the humans take you out for your morning pee. As soon as you get back inside, fall asleep. (Humans can rarely fall back asleep after going outside, this will drive them nuts!)

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Is This Toy Safe?

By Karen Peak
West Wind Dog Training
 
Go into any pet supply store and you will get bombarded with literally hundreds of toys for your puppy or dog.  With so may to choose from, what ones are best for your canine companion?

First, look at your puppy or dog.  Puppies chew to explore, help with teething, etc.  Dogs chew because it is fun and to alleviate boredom.  How aggressively your puppy or dog chews will help determine what type of toys is best. 

Second, look at the toys.  Is it designed for animal use?  How sturdy is it and how long will it last?  Chew toys that are gone fast are not good chews.  Toys that tear up easily, have small parts that can become choking hazards, etc., are bad as well.  Toys that are too large or too small – especially too small – are bad choices.

RAWHIDE:
Rawhide is basically cured animal hide.  It can be shaped into various objects and are a common chew item.  However, rawhide may not be as safe as you think.  Those chips and novelty items such as slippers made from rawhide are not great chews.  Dogs and puppies can quickly gobble them up.  So much for a satisfying chewing session!  Small chunks of rawhide can pose a choking threat.  Though millions of these rawhide treats are used each year and the threat is low, you do not want your pet to be the tiny minority that has a problem.  Even the rolled bones that are just sheets of rawhide rolled up can be chewed apart.

Rawhide can be pressed into bones and other shapes by using pressure.  Layers of rawhide are formed into tougher bones and shapes that last far longer than the flat and rolled rawhides.  Pressed rawhide gives a longer and better chew.  However, it can still be worked down into small, chokable sized pieces relatively fast by an aggressive chewer.  Out of the two more popular choices for rawhide, I prefer pressed.  They last longer than chips and give a better chew.

OTHER ANIMAL TISSUE CHEWS:
There are a variety of ears, snouts, trachea, etc., that are produced for chewing.  Similar to rawhide chips, they may not give a great chew.  They are meant more as an edible treat than a solid chew.  I find chew hooves too small for many dogs to safely have and would avoid them except with smaller breeds.  Again, make certain your dog does not wolf them down and choke.

EDIBLE BONES:
There are many bones out there made from natural materials such as pressed cornstarch, vegetables, etc., impregnated with flavours.  These bones are pretty solid and can give a decent chew.  However, they can become gummy and sticky and a mess in longer coats.  Also, an aggressive chewer may eat them like regular dog biscuits.  Some brands are harder than others so look for the strongest bone you can. 

NATURAL BONES:
Natural bones can give a great chew and last for quite sometime.  There are many out there.  I prefer the bones that are from shanks (look like tubes) or the knucklebones.  Look for bones that are thick and free from cracks.  Avoid the ones that are full legs – often from knee down to hoof.  The smaller bones in the "ankle" region can be a choking hazard.  Also, make sure the bone is fitted to your dog; a really large dog with a smaller bone can be a bad thing.   Natural bones can also be stuffed with soft dog treats, cheese or peanut butter to encourage more chewing.   However, very aggressive chewing dogs can wear down and even break teeth.  Monitor these bones as they can wear down, crack and break up.

RUBBER AND NYLON:
Bones of these materials are generally pretty rugged and safe.  However, again you must know your dog.  A really aggressive chewer can bite of chunks of rubber.  Rarely do you hear of a dog snapping a nylon bone but they can splinter them.  Many dogs do not like chewing rubber or nylon – it is just not a natural thing for them to chew.  However, the rubber toys you can stuff with peanut butter or cheese can help entertain a bored dog.

FLEECE AND CANVAS:
Fleece and canvas toys give dogs something they can sink their teeth into and really shake around.  A good quality toy is pretty rugged.  I have had some that have lasted years through dogs playing tug of war, fetch, etc.  However, I have had some that have lasted only a couple hours.  Look for toys that have eyes that are stitched and not buttons or things that can tear off.  Look for sturdy construction and durability.  Some have squeakers in side that a dog may decide to go for.  If you notice your dog doing this, look for a sturdier toy (I find canvas lasts longer than some of the fleece and fabric toys) or one without that elusive squeaker.

ROPE:
Rope toys can be great toys as well.  A well made one will be thick and rugged.  However, watch that your dog does not shred the fringe off the ends. 

OTHER NOVELTIES:
There are also a variety of plastic and hard rubber balls, blocks, odd shapes and such that are great for putting treats into and encouraging your pet to dig them out.  They can be wonderful for a dog that gets bored quickly and you want to keep busy.

The big thing with any toy is to know your dog.  If you notice he can easily shred or eat a toy, take it away and use something different.  What is fine for one dog may not be with another.  Make certain the toy is an appropriate size.  A Lab could easily swallow and choke on a bone meant for a Pomeranian.  Conversely, a Pomeranian may not be able to get his tiny mouth around a Lab sized bone.  When you buy rawhides, try to find ones made in the USA or other country that regulates processing of rawhides.  Some countries may use harmful chemicals in processing the rawhide.  

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Dog Tricks
 Brain Toys
 Stick Injuries


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