Tuesday Training Byte: Teaching your dog how to play nicely

Healthy puppies naturally tend to be playful. But teaching your pup how to play nice can be a bit difficult. First, if the pup was separated from mom and litter mates before 8 weeks of age, the pup may not have learned bite inhibition. Let's assume that is not the case with your dog. If one family member plays rough with your dog he may revert to being mouthy. Do not allow anyone to tease the dog in play as the pup does not understand this behavior. By tease, I mean growling at the dog, pretending to steal the toy, or shaking it hard while he is latched on to it. Puppies at a young age sleep a lot, but short and gentle periods of play are important to it's development. Avoid extensive or hard tug as it can increase a dog's resource guarding. Instead wave a toy and encourage the dog to get it, then let them have it. Get another toy and encourage the dog to go after the second toy. After a moment, give that toy up. Lastly, offer the dog a tasty treat away from the toys while you pet him calmly. Tugging can ruin your dog's bite (alignment of the teeth), break a tooth, or cause him to get possessive and dominant. A little gentle tugging is fine, but mix it up with a little chase and catch. Never lift your dog off the ground. Another tool is the flirt pole (pictured below).

Gentle tug game

Five minutes of play is sufficient for a 2 month old pup. Gradually you can increase the play as they get older. Playing fetch is fine with a bit older puppy, but always be sure to warm up and cool down your dog. A game of fetch involves lots of jumping, spinning, twisting, and sliding which can cause injuries or joint issues. It can lead to the dog being obsessive and cannot stop even when they get tired or hurt. Teaching your dog to drop it on command is very helpful. Dog's need their owner to call the shots by mixing up the play activity (catch, fetch, tug, then pause) and making sure the dog can leave the toy or game and come get a treat. If my dog begins to get too rough or wild, I say, "game over" and walk away.