Beyond Fetch: Fun Games You Can Play With Your Dog
Throwing a ball for your dog over and over again gets boring — for you and for the dog. That is, unless you're our family's 13-year-old, blind Golden Retriever, Shakira. Her heart is set beating by the throw of a tennis ball. She turns down kibble, petting and even the tastiest treats if there's the possibility of the ball being thrown. Being blind doesn't inhibit her fetching a bit. She uses her senses of hearing, touch and smell to her advantage, hunting down the ball over long distances to find it buried in tall grass, beating out the five younger and more physically capable dogs.
Not all dogs are as focused and disciplined as Shakira, though, and play can turn boring fast. My family'sAmerican Pit Bull Terrier, Gracie, is one of those dogs. Gracie has the attention span of a 2-year-old at the zoo during naptime. She will run after the tennis ball two or three times, and then all of a sudden, it's as if she cries, "Chipmunk!" and disappears after a smell or something she has glimpsed in the distance. While it would take a seismic event to deter Shakira's attention from a ball, it takes less than a fruit fly landing to distract Gracie and end the game. To keep Gracie's attention without going to the extreme of wearing a hot dog suit with simulated chipmunks on my shoulders takes creative genius and exaggerated excitement levels.
Even for already-focused players like Shakira, the basic games of tug and fetch can be improved upon to increase the level of challenge and further stimulate the brain. For dogs who are easily distracted, varying the types of games and upping their intensity can get even the most lethargic or unfocused dogs performing like seasoned agility pros playing tug at the end of a successful run. Of course, before embarking on any high-energy exercise with your dog, make sure your veterinarian examines him to rule out any underlying health conditions that would preclude him from such activity.
Whether you have a play-crazy canine, a distractible dog or a couch potato, there are games you can add to his play repertoire to challenge his mind and get his body moving.
Here are some fresh ideas to add to your play routine with your pooch.
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| Zinia Corely |