When you think of training your new puppy,
Fun isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, Is it?!
But does it have to be that way?!!
Hell, No!!
Using Dog Training Games can make your puppy’s training process a lot more enjoyable and especially, a Lot Less Boring for You!!
Barking, Digging, Whining, Pulling on the leash, Jumping on strangers, stealing food, chasing squirrels, and Humping the pillows are among the troubles that poorly trained dogs with poor impulse control get into
But you can’t just label your dog impulsive and give up. You need to train them or they will grow up to hazardous creatures.
Then, what to do, you might ask
Bear with me,
For most dog parents, training their fuzzy faced friends can be time-consuming and boring.
I know, For the most part, they are tired when they get home and the last thing they want to do is to go into the backyard and train for obedience in the classic, instructional way.
Don’t worry, I got u covered,
All it takes to reverse the mundane training experience is to Spruce it Up! Make training all about Having Fun! When dog parents are playing Dog Training Games with their puppies, they tend to be Happier.
Believe me, Using games to teach your dog impulse control is much more Effective than yanking them away from that rotting pigeon on the trail or kneeing them in the chest when they jump.
These are not just games,
I like to label them as a unique method of training.
The following Dog Training Games are simple and easy. You can set them up in your backyard and have your family join in on the fun. You also can share this fun experience with a few friends and their dogs, just invite them over to participate in a game of dog training baseball or musical training chairs.
The only limit to training fun is your Imagination and Creativity!!
Here are The Best 8 Dog Training Games you will enjoy with your pooch!!
Table of Contents
Top 8 Dog Training Games
Game 1. Walking Leave It
Pioneered by the great Sophia Yin, this game focuses on teaching your dog to ignore distractions while on walks.
How to Play The Walking leave It Game:
- Have your dog on a leash. Toss a treat out of his reach.
- Wait for your dog to stop pulling and straining towards the treat.
- once he stops pulling, give him a treat for looking at you.
- afterward, you can walk towards the treat. Make sure to keep a loose leash while you do so.
- Repeat.
As you repeat the game over and over, you’ll start noticing that your dog automatically will not pull you towards tempting items on walks.
Practice in a variety of locations with a variety of temptations to solidify the skill.
Game 2. The Come Here Game/Pass The Puppy
Now I know what you’re thinking,
How is teaching my dog to “Come here” a game?
The truth is teaching your dog to reliably come when called can be a challenge, but turning it into a fun game can help reinforce the behavior. And if you can get the help of a few friends you can turn the “come here” game into a game of “pass the puppy” for some extra socialization.
How to Play The Come Here Game:
- Sit on the ground with a few treats or a toy
- Tell your pup to “come here”
- When they do come, praise them like crazy and give them the treat/toy
- Wait for your dog to walk off and repeat steps 1-3 (you can move spots/change rewards to keep it interesting)
The Come Here game is one of the easiest dog training games to play, and the best part is it’s a nice way to teach your dog that good things happen when they “come here.”
If you’ve ever dealt with an adolescent dog you know how challenging it can be to get their attention.
That’s why teaching your dog at this stage when he is a puppy that “come here” equates to “yay fun times!” can help out later on.
How to Play Pass The Puppy:
- Have a couple of people sit around the room or yard with treats/toys in hand
- Have one person at a time call your puppy with “come here” command
- When your pup reaches them have the person praise your pup like crazy and give them a treat/toy
- Repeat steps 1-3 with a different person calling your puppy
Just the same as The Come Here game, Pass the Puppy will help reinforce a reliable recall. And since it relies on more than one person, it’s a good way to get in some extra puppy socialization since it’s a fun and positive way to introduce your pup to new people.
Game 3. Doggy Musical Chairs
Another great game is musical training chairs.
I’m sure all of you has some sort of idea about what I’m gonna say here
How to Play The Musical Training Chairs
- In this dog game, you and your friends would walk your dogs in a circle around enough chairs for everyone except one while music is playing.
- As soon as the music stops, you must put your dog in a sit/stay, and then get to a chair and sit down before someone else takes the last chair.
- If you are left standing, then you would be out of the game.
- If at anytime your dog breaks his sit/stay, you must get up and go to your dog, get him back into a sit/stay, and hope that someone doesn’t get your chair (or you will be eliminated from the game).
- Again use a timer to see how long it takes you to get your dog to comply and work on improving your times.
This will benefit your dog’s learning abilities and will let you know that he is getting better and having a better response time. And, it will indicate to you that your skills are improving with time as well.
Game 4. The Which Hand Game
This is one of the simplest Dog training Games you can play with your puppy. It’s a mentally stimulating nose work game that’s good for teaching your dog some basic manners when it comes to dealing with treats.
The only thing you need to get started is some dog treats; if you don’t have any on hand, you can use some chopped up fruits and veggies (that your dog likes) or make some of your own homemade dog treats
How to Play the Which Hand Game:
- Place a treat in one of your hands.
- Make two fists with your hands and hold them out in front of your dog.
- Let the dog choose which hand it’s in.
- Once your dog sniffs or paws the correct hand, open it up and give them the treat.
When it comes to the last step, it’s up to you to decide what sort of signal you prefer from your dog, Whether it’s a gentle sniff or paw.
Game. 5 Relax on Your Mat
This is one of Those Dog Training Games that is more for you than for your pup,
you will see what I mean,
How to Play Relax on Your Mat:
- Pick out a blanket, towel, or mat. This should not be a dog bed.
- Place the mat on the ground in front of your dog.
- Treat and reward your dog for having any interest in the mat like looking at it, moving towards it, sniffing, paws on it, etc. Further treating your dog if he stays on the mat.
- Gradually narrow your criteria. Start by only rewarding your dog for lying down. You just cut to the chase and cue your dog to lie down, if you’d like.
- Use This Relaxation Protocol as a way to solidify mat training.
- As soon as you realize that you’re doing well, try new places and distractions!
I absolutely swear by this training method. With this game, you can teach any high-energy dog to lie at your feet for up to 8 hours a day while you are busy doing anything.
Don’t worry, we get up for plenty of walks and potty breaks!
Game 6. Doggy Baseball!!
This game is the best way to enjoy a sunny summer day. Invite some of your friends with their canines to a park near you or your garden and have fun!!
How to Play Doggy Baseball:
- Place 4 mats or bases in a typical baseball field fashion.
- The first person and their dog would walk or run to the first mat, and there would be a card with instructions on what they need to do in order to be safe on that base.
For instance, The first base card might read, “have your dog in a sit/down and stay while a child or adult runs around the dog singing ‘All around the Mulberry bush, the doggie chased the weasel, the doggie stopped to scratch a flea, pop goes the weasel!’.” - Have the rules state that the person must have his dog stay in the down/stay until someone has completed the song, or has tried two times.
- If you don’t complete the task in two tries, you are out and must wait your turn at dog bat.
- Use a stopwatch and time these events. By doing that, the owner can see that it took three at dog bats for someone to finish the song, and then he can work on making it on the first try
- You see, when people are competing, no one wants to be last, so they will work twice as hard to place better.
- Then the person moves on to base two, then three and each time the card will have an increasingly difficult pattern of training to complete.
- If someone says, “I don’t think my dog will do that”, then they better teach their dog quickly or they will be out of the game, and no one wants that.
You can up The competitive spirit of the dogs by having ribbons for the winners and tasty dog treats for the winning canine competitors.
Game 7. The Eye Contact Game
Teach your Pup to give you eye contact
How to Play The Eye Contact Game:
- Hold a treat to your forehead or by your eye
- Ask your dog to look at you.
- Slowly, fade the food to use a hand signal and a verbal command to ask your dog to look at you.
- Repeat
This is one of the Useful Therapeutic Dog Training Games as This basic behavior will not only help you get your dog’s attention when he is distracted, but eye contact also triggers a release of Oxytocin in both you and your dog.
Oxytocin is the hormone for attachment between parent and child. Scientists call these “Eye Hugs.”
Game 8. Treasure Hunt
This game is all about getting your dog to use his nose to find a hidden treasure!! which is a great way to stimulate his brain and teach him to use all his senses.
Starting out, you’ll want to set your dog up for success so he understands the game and doesn’t get too discouraged. Begin with something simple.
How to Play The Treasure Hunt Game:
- Have your dog in a sit-stay position
- Hide a treat or his favorite toy somewhere obvious, even letting him watch you hide it.
- Give him the release cue or command to go find the toy.
- Once he finds it, Reward your dog big-time for his success
Once your dog gets the game, turn up the Difficulty.
- Hide the treat or toy in another room or someplace where other scents mask the treat or toy, like the bottom of the laundry bin or under the food dish.
- You can also make the game really hard by using cardboard boxes.
- Try to have 10-20 cardboard boxes of different sizes set up and, without your dog seeing, place the reward in only one box.
- Let your dog have his time investigating all of them and provide the reward or a jackpot treat when he selects the correct box.
There is a lot of variations of this game that it will have the two of you playing different versions for years to come.
That’s it.
That was our Top 8 Fun Dog Training Games for you to play with your pup, I hope you have enjoyed this post
If you liked this post, share it with a friend.
He might be bored out of his mind training his pooch
So, What sort of Dog Training Games do you like to play with puppies? Did I miss any of your favorites? Let me know in the comments below.
Remember, Love is the best medicine and the ultimate answer to all Problems. Love yourself and love your dog. Once he feels your love, you can train him anything
What did you think about this article?
Whatever you think, comment below and let me know!
If you liked what you read here and want to read more check out my other articles on Top 10 Dog Breeds That Are Amazingly Like A German Shepherd or The Top 10 Easy to Train Dogs For You
If you have any questions or further tips on fun simple Dog training games that I might have missed, Feel free to tell us in the comment section, We are all here to learn for the sake of our beloved furry friends
Have a nice day and Read you next time.
