How to Play with a Puppy

Playing with puppies seems simple enough. However, if you don’t know how, you can be too aggressive or play for too long, making the dog uncomfortable or grumpy. If you don’t prepare before having fun, you can cause behavioral problems like snapping or biting. However, with just a few simple steps of preparation, you can adopt a variety of puppy games and develop your relationship with your pet.

Table of Contents

Ready to play

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Choose the right time to play. You should choose a time when the dog is full of energy and has not eaten. You should wait at least an hour after your puppy has finished eating if you want light play, or 90 minutes if you want intense activity. If you let your pet play right after eating, they may have an upset stomach or health problems (gastric torsion) when the stomach turns and rolls. ^{[1] X Source for Research in Small Animal Internal Medicine. Nelson & Couto. Mosby.}

If you have children with you, make sure they have adult supervision. Puppies may not be able to distinguish between play and teasing. When angry, your dog may bite by mistake. ^{[2] X Research Source The Happy Puppy Handbook. Pippa Mattinson. Ebury Press.}

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Find out your pet’s preferences. Not all dogs have the same interests. Some birds like to run after and catch objects, while others like to chew on objects or explore scents. You should observe to recognize what pets like as well as their natural instincts. It takes time to learn your puppy’s preferences.

For example, if your dog is sniffing on the floor, they may like to follow scent trails. Also, if puppies often just sit and watch the ball drop, they’re likely not interested in throwing objects.

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Training while playing. Add some imperative sentences during leisure time. For example, if your puppy enjoys catching a ball, they will be interested in learning the “release” command to release the ball for you to throw again. Or your dog may obey commands like “sit” and “stay” if he knows you’ll reward him with a game of throwing objects. In addition, you can combine the clicker (a tool when training the dog when clicking makes a sound) to train the dog while playing. For example, you can click the clicker just before throwing the ball, ask them to “sit down” and click again when they are on the ground. The dog will then associate the action with the object throwing game as a reward. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Note that it is not necessary to reward the dog with food. You can give them more time to play and care for the pet to create a strong motivation.

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Know when the game is over. Puppies are usually quite active, so you often don’t notice when they are exhausted. The bones and ligaments of a puppy are in the developing stage, so they are quite soft. If your pet is exhausted, they can move around irregularly and suffer joint damage, so you should make sure your puppy doesn’t get too active, and stop when they still have some energy left. ^{[4] X Small Animal Internal Medicine Research Source . Nelson & Couto. Mosby.}

When you stop playing, you should finish so that your pet wants to play again instead of exercising to the point of exhaustion. Otherwise, the dog may become irritable due to fatigue.

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Recognize the benefits of play. While play may seem like entertainment, in reality it plays an important role in acclimatizing your pet. Dogs that get enough play and follow basic commands are more friendly and sociable. You can learn pets and their personalities through playing games. You will also learn what makes your dog uncomfortable or scared.

Play not only helps you bond with your pet, but it is also an opportunity for both of you to exercise. Play is also mentally stimulating for the dog. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Game selection

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Playing tug. Use dedicated zippers and do not use furniture such as shoes. If you use furniture that isn’t a toy, your dog will assume they’re allowed to play with things in the house. You should only pull on the string lightly, or the puppy’s teeth may be damaged. If the dog is under one year old, you need to be very careful while playing. The top of a puppy’s head has soft cartilage that is very vulnerable to injury.

Some people believe that playing tug of war makes pets possessive. Therefore, you should not play this game with large dogs with protective guard characteristics. Bodily strength and protective instincts can cause them to engage in dominant behavior. ^{[6] X Canine Behavioral Research Resources : A Guide for Veterinarians. Bonnie Beaver. Saunders.}
Playing tug of war is beneficial for dogs who are shy or anxious. Let them win the game to boost their confidence. ^{[7] X Canine Behavioral Research Resources : A Guide for Veterinarians. Bonnie Beaver. Saunders.}
Another alternative to the game of tug of war is the high jump. You will hold your dog’s favorite toy/food high above their head and say, “Jump! Jump up!” After the dog jumps, you must give the item to him to avoid making him angry.

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Play hide and seek. Ask the dog to “sit” and “stay still.” Put the reward in front of the pet and hide it. Call your pet’s name while you’re hiding. They will search until they find you. This game trains puppies to come close when they hear a call and how to find a hiding owner as well as train their sense of smell.

If the dog doesn’t obey the “stay” command before you reach the hiding place, you can use the “wait” command. ^{[8] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

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Play collect objects. Hold the ball or toy in front of the dog and ask to “sit” or “wait”. Throw the ball a short distance and encourage your pet to run to pick up the toy, but bring it back to you. Train your dog’s skills by chanting “take away” and “bring back here” and praise them after each successful performance. Finish the game while the pet is still interested to assert your control.

The object throwing game is used to train pets to return objects on command, an important skill to help ensure their safety. After the dog holds the picked up toy, you can give a reward with a high value. Give the “release” command as soon as they release the toy and reward the pet. ^{[9] X Research Sources The Happy Puppy Handbook. Pippa Mattinson. Ebury Press.}
Do not throw sticks while playing throwing objects. Puppies can accidentally hit the stick leading to serious injury. ^{[10] X Source of Research in Small Animal Medicine. Nelson & Couto. Mosby.}

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Teach your puppy a few tricks. After your dog has mastered basic commands, you can teach him some tricks like rolling around or pretending to die. Give each session about 10 minutes and reward when the puppy does the right stunt. ^{[11] X Research Source} For example, you could make a request, such as a handshake, and reward your dog every time they perform the correct action several times in a row. You can then start giving the “handshake” command.

The shows work to train the puppy’s brain, increase concentration and develop the bond between owner and pet. You shouldn’t let your puppy do a certain thing too much, just practice regularly and finish the training session at the peak.
Alternatively, you can use mind games such as instructing your puppy where toys, family members and their nests are located, then hiding objects, such as car keys and love. Ask the dog to “find”.

Steps

Ready to play

Game selection

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