STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Metric · Gucci

dog games?

halleybird · Hermes

I have a couple. I don't know how stimulating they are, though. (we do them for fun )

1. My mom used to do this with our dogs when I was little -- our dogs loved it. She calls it "Let 'em go." Have one person hold your dog while you go hide somewhere in the house. Before you hide, show your dog that you have a treat (something he/she really likes) and say things like "bye bye." Once you get to your hiding place, yell "Let 'em go" (or whatever you want). The other person then releases the dog and he/she has to find you. It takes a couple of tries before they figure out what to do, so you can hide in more obvious places, or call out more often. Once they find you, they get the treat and lots of praise.

2. Sit on the floor with your dog's favorite toy. Tease him/her with it, moving it around on the floor just out of reach. Eventually (obviously) you let them catch it. This won't work if your dog is aggressive with his/her toys, though.

3. (This one has to be done in an open space with no obstructions the dog could run into. Also, don't do this with puppies, and watch them carefully.) Take a blanket or cloth a little bit larger than the dog and place it over his/her body, then see how fast the dog can get out from under it (it usually takes about 5 seconds with mine). There are some dogs who won't like this game, though, so if after 3-4 tries, it doesn't look like it's having fun, I'd scratch that one.

4. Also, there are toys at Petsmart that can be kind of fun for dogs. I guess they're sort of scent-focused, but probably more treat-focused. One of my friends' dogs (a terrier mix, I think) has one she loves: it's a ball with small treat-shaped openings on some sides. You put the treats inside and the dog has to figure out the right way to roll the ball so a treat falls out. My friend's dog is obsessed; it plays with it for hours.

Oh, and a terrier would probably really like those little stuffed toys with the squeakers inside (my dogs eat them). You could come up with some fun ways to play with those.

I hope that's what you wanted. I would love to know of more games too, if anyone has any.

Deuce · Dooney & Bourke

my trainer recommended to take a sock and put a treat in it, tie a knot and another type of treat and so on. this is supposed to make them work for their toys or treats and when they get bored of on they can work for another. I havent tried it cause I have a pit bull and it would only take her 2 seconds to get through it. I would spend more time making it than her destroying it.

There also toys that they have to roll around to get treats out of. My trainer suggested when I have to leaver her alone for a long time to put her daily food it it so she has to spend a long time eating, thus less time to get bored and start to think that my shoes are looking good.

We have had good luck with kongs, jolly balls, and tennis balls. If you allow bone type treats in your house and your dog is not too big a bully stick could be your best friend. It is a type of a bone/chew treat and when my dog was younger and smaller they were a lifesaver. I always suggest them. I wont tell you what they are made from cause it is gross but I say try them my dog loves them.

Most of these are ones that I used for when my dog is home alone. I just noticed that that may not be what your were asking but hth anyways

-- Edited by Deuce at 01:18, 2005-08-23

halleybird · Hermes

Deuce wrote:

my trainer recommended to take a sock and put a treat in it, tie a knot and another type of treat and so on. this is supposed to make them work for their toys or treats and when they get bored of on they can work for another. I havent tried it cause I have a pit bull and it would only take her 2 seconds to get through it. I would spend more time making it than her destroying it.

My dogs looove socks. I used to do that with them, but my puppy decided to start eating the socks whole, which was not good news. Now, treats or not, he is obsessed with socks, LOL.

Is that your dog in your profile? Cute!

(I hope I didin't hijack thread, BC )