When I was a pup, I liked exercise games. Now I like brain games too. And… always chewing toys.

Hi Folks, it’s Buddy,

As we bid Adieu to our winter furry friends and their Humans, we hope you’ll read our blogs from your Summer homes. Thanks for your friendship and visits to the store this past Winter. Hope to see you again soon!

This month it’s my turn to tell you about something that is right up my alley: How to play together with your Human.

We dogs LOVE to play with our Humans! I would love to play games ALL DAY with mine, well – between naps and my chores… I do like the 15 -20 minutes a couple times a day we have together.

Taylor and I did an unscientific survey amongst our friends to find out which are our favorite games with our humans.

Here are the 13 Best Games to Play with Your Human

Exercise Games

1. Tug-of-War: with a soft rope or stuffed toy. Be sure it’s big enough so you don’t accidentally grab a human finger. And Humans, it’s ok to let us win sometimes! My Human does make me “Drop it”. I’ve learned she wants me to obey right away. (I think her hand gets tired.)
2. Fetch: especially for puppies and some breeds, this game is good exercise for both dog and Human! Outside, you can play with hard rubber toys like balls and dog-frisbees. Inside, we like to fetch stuffed toys. One of our friends said he learned commands while fetching (I think it was his Human who filled out our survery.) Wait, Go, Bring it, Drop it. …Ok, yes, I can see how that works.
3. Chase: another popular game –like chasing an animal toy. Max’s mom puts his stuffed rabbit on a leash and makes it move like a real one outside. Or, he said sometimes they chase each other around the living room, playing “Zoom”. Pancho said he likes to chase bubbles.
4. Agility: our friend Nugget used to go to Agility Class with his Mom. So, his Humans built a few items to play on at home. A fabric tunnel (kids’ toy), weave poles and a jumping bar (made out of PVC pipes) were their favorites. Here’s a link if you’re handy at building.
5. Water fun: several big dogs on our survey said they like to play in the hose spray or a sprinkler. A few said they like to swim in a pool or at the beach. That makes a nice outing with your Human.

Here are the top 5 Brain Games:

1. Hide and Seek: one of my favorites – my Human would make me Stay while she went and hid. She is easy to find because she smells so good – and then we both LAUGH!!
2. Find: another great game. Here’s how it goes – the Human hides your favorite toy or a treat, like a carrot. Then it’s your turn to go find it. You have to use your nose! Start easy until you get the hang of it.
3. Learn a new language: whether it’s a people word or hand signals, it’s cool. With hand signals, you and your Human have your own secret language to talk to each other. ‘O-say uch-may un-fay!’
   By the way – you can teach your Human some dog words too. “I need” is an important one; especially if your water bowl is empty!
4. Puzzles: our store has several types! Balls to roll that drop treats pop out. Sliding doors, that give you treats when you slide them the right way. (I think we call them “busy boxes”, right Mom?)
5. Practicing Commands: sounds boring, but it can be fun if there are treats involved. It also keeps you practiced on some of the safety commands, like Stop or Stay.

One last category of fun – Chewing

1. Hard toys like hard rubber Goughnuts, frozen raw marrow bones, beef or lamb bully sticks and antlers give us some great mouth exercise
2. Soft and stuffed toys are fun too – with squeakers, bells and crinkle noises (Our store has some NEW soft-tuff toys, made in the USA, and not too expensive!)
3. Fillable toys like Kongs and Bob-A-Lots. I like mine with frozen broth and treats. It can keep me busy for an hour. But, Outside (on the lanai), because it’s messy.

A message from my store Human, Nancy: “Toys are important! They help curb boredom, getting into other unwanted behaviors and provide comfort, especially when left alone. They can help you teach your dog commands and games – and strengthen the bond with your 4-legged friend.

Choose toys safe for your dog’s size: while a toy for a large dog can frustrate a small dog, a large dog can possibly choke on a small dog toy.

We have a huge variety at the store and can help you pick out the perfect toy for your dog or a gift for another furry friend.”

Thanks Nancy for your comments!

So that’s it for this month – next month Mango will talk about how Cats have fun.
Play On………. with a wuf, wuf and a meow,
Your friends Buddy, Taylor and Mango

Some resources:
https://www.wikihow.com/Play-with-Your-Dog
https://www.doggiebuddy.com/topics/Trainingtopics/traintopic3.html