Play with a Puppy – Tips, Tricks and Benefits

A puppy is a cute, adorable, and friendly dog of less than one year. Puppies like to play, run, and sleep. Puppies use their mouths to play games. Playing games with them is an excellent approach to keep your puppy active, occupied, and out of trouble. The best part is that you and your puppy will greatly enjoy it. Playing games can be a great method to help your puppy learn many of the skills they’ll need in life. It enables you to impart some fundamental commands, enabling them to expend energy while gaining strength and endurance, and will strengthen your relationship.

Is it okay to play with a puppy?

Yes, it is okay to play with a puppy. But playing should have a limit. A newborn can’t handle too much playing because it involves exercise.

You can start basic playtime for 5 minutes twice daily for a 1-month-old puppy.  For a 4-month-old puppy, you should have 15 minutes of playtime, two times a day, then 30 minutes twice a day, for a 6-month-old puppy. You can decrease the exercise time if required.

What game can I play with my puppy?

Puppies are responsive, and they like to play games too. Games encourage their stamina and boost their health physically and mentally. Games teach skills more than any other activity. Games also create a strong bond between you and your puppy. You can play Fetch, Find the Toy, Tug of War, Hide and See, Frisbee, Chase, sprinkler and many more games with your puppy.

1. Fetch

Fetch is the perfect game to teach your puppy to come when called. Your puppy will enjoy running around while learning some fundamental recall skills with fetch. Fetch can at first seem like a hassle. You must begin with a small, soft toy that is portable and doesn’t present a choking risk. You’ll probably need to walk with your dog to the toy, then praise and reward them when they return with it while also praising them for giving it up. Toys help teach your dog to let go of things and encourage sharing if you use them.

2. Find the Toy

In this game, you must find a decent place to hide a toy you think your dog will like. At first, you should perform this while your dog is present but waiting. Verify that the toy is still partially visible. The toy can be partially covered, for instance, with a blanket or towel. You’ll need to motivate them to search for the toy and shower them with compliments when they do. This game enhances dog skills, but if the game becomes too challenging, most dogs will lose interest.

3. Hide And Seek

Hide and seek is one of the most enjoyable games. Your puppy can enjoy using some of their innate scent-tracking skills through hide-and-seek. Have your dog stay while you go find a hiding place to play hide and seek. Once you’re in position, call your dog and reward them when they locate you. You can ask someone else to distract your dog while you hide if your dog doesn’t have a good “stay.”

4. Frisbee

   Playing frisbee is a fun way to exercise and bond with your dog. Start with soft foam frisbees, as plastic ones can hurt if they hit your dog’s face. Begin by gently tossing the frisbee a short distance and letting your dog get comfortable chasing and catching it. Slowly increase the space as your dog’s skills improve. Frisbee provides great physical activity for dogs who love to run and chase. It’s an advanced version of playing fetch that you can make more challenging as your dog gets better at it. Just stop and take breaks so your dog doesn’t overexert themselves while having fun chasing the frisbee. With the right disc and some practice, frisbee can be enjoyable.

5. Tug of war

   Tug of War can be a great game to play with your dog. It’s fun, provides exercise, and helps dogs practice impulse control. Start by letting your dog tug on a rope toy you initiate playing with – don’t encourage tugging on hands or clothing. Choose a durable toy made for tugging to avoid ingestion hazards if your dog shreds rope toys. Tug in short bursts, and don’t overdo it. Let your dog “win” sometimes by releasing the toy as a reward. Play tug properly; it becomes a way to bond, burn energy, and teach your dog to play gently. With supervision and common sense, tug of war is an engaging game dogs love.

Benefits of playing with a puppy

Playing is very important for your puppy’s mental and physical health; it also creates a strong bond that remains throughout your puppy’s life. Regularly playing does not only increase bonds but also provides regular exercise. Playing can be beneficial in the following ways:

• Builds confidence and trust
• Control Obesity
• Increase Affection Between Owner and Pet
• Maintain health and Keep Active
• Strengthens muscles and improves health
• Plays a major role in housetraining
• Reduces behavioral problems
• Maintains digestive system
• Increases agility
• Increases socialization with others

Note: Too much exercise can be bad

Disadvantages of playing too much with puppy

You can play with your puppy within a certain limit, however over playing may lead to many bad habits such as:

• Restlessness at night
• Rough play and biting
• Excessive barking
• Chewing, scratching, or digging
• Raiding the garbage
• Knocking over furniture
• jumping on people (Predatory behavior)

Why is my puppy not playing with me?

There are many reasons for a puppy to not show interest in playing, it may happen due to bad health or lack of attention.

The following are the main reason for not showing a response in playing:

• The puppy is distracted
• The puppy is confused
• The puppy doesn’t know how to respond to a certain event
• There is a competing motivation
• The puppy is over-excited or tired

 

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