Pure joyful play is so very important for
our dogs and puppies. They have a natural inclination to play – just like
children. Perhaps as adults we don’t perceive play as important – but how good
do you feel after hearty laughter?
During the holistic behaviour process, play
is one of the areas that is reviewed when considering the balance of day to day
life. Here’s why.
Many (of course not all) dogs and puppies don’t play if:
- They are anxious, stressed or fearful
- They’ve been told off for stealing socks
- Another dog in the house always steals their toys
- Another dog in the house always wins the fetch game
- Another dog bullies them
- They’ve been bullied as a puppy
- They’ve not had good quality contact with people when young
- They’ve not had good quality contact with dogs and puppies when young
- They’ve become depressed from spending time in rescue or perhaps even from having lost a favourite person or dog
- They’re ill or are in pain
- They are not allowed toys because they destroy them
- They simply never had toys as a puppy so don’t know what to do
- They don’t get the opportunity to play with you (perhaps they’re a bit mouthy…)
Perhaps you are beginning to understand the
importance of play? And why analyzing lack of play helps with the diagnostic
process. (Ironically, some dogs are too playful – email me if you’d like the
blog link for hyper-social dogs).
So does it matter? Well, that depends on
how you think your dog or puppy is feeling. Are they happy? Hopefully. Could
they be happier? Possibly. Reviewing the quantity and quality and improving
their play can do wonders to help with all sorts of behavioural problems –
including reactivity. (There will be more on this at the Reactive Workshop on
the 31 March).
However, for those who don’t play, we need
to take things slowly to help them to understand that play can be enjoyable. If
we do too much too soon (just as with any other dog or puppy training or
interaction), we can put them off. They
can become confused or frustrated or scared.
So, 8 top play tips
- If your furry friend is a little timid, then start off encouraging play just for literally a few seconds. Use a big soft toy or raggy. Be happy and joyous with them - but be calm. Repeat several times a day.
- Don’t ignore your dog or puppy when you come home. It’s natural for them to have a playful greeting. Set things up so that you can have “hello” interaction with them.
- If you have more than one dog, make sure that you have some personal time with them, playing with just the one dog / puppy on their own.
- Build play into your training sessions. Have a little play, and then a little training.
- Destroying toys is fun. Dogs are not deliberately breaking toys – they’re just having some fun. Make sure the destroy toys are safe and get a needle and thread!
- Rough and tumble play is great fun for many, but always use a toy and don’t put your hands into your dog’s mouth.
- And finally, of course before your start playing with toys, you may need to teach “Give”
- And finally, finally, don’t chase your dog – encourage them to chase you.
Of course these are only tips and tips are
not always appropriate nor as easily introduced to all dogs and puppies. So, if
you’d like to chat about this more, then please get in touch via PawsAbility.co.uk.