Puppies love to play; children love to play – what could be a better match? Although puppies and children playing together may seem like the perfect idea, the types of games played should be seriously considered to ensure no one gets hurt. Here are some fun and safe game ideas for children to play with pups:
Find It:
Start with 3 or 4 plastic cups or rubber containers. Turn them upside down and hide a treat under one cup. As Rover begins sniffing, say ‘Find It”. If he doesn’t seem interested, try using a stronger smelling treat. As Rover gets good at this, you can start to hide the treat under different objects. Hold onto Rover while your child hides the treat in another room (give Rover a good sniff of the treat before hiding it) and then asks him to ‘Find It’. As you teach him the names of his toys, you can also hide these.
Hide and Seek:
You can also teach your pup your kids’ names. Every time your puppy sees your child say the child’s name. After doing this for a while, hold onto Rover while your child runs away and hides – then say ‘Find Junior!’ The first hiding spot should be fairly easy so the pup can feel successful right away. Your child may need to make some encouraging sounds to help Rover find him. Remember not to say too many other words as this will only confuse Rover. As soon as puppy finds Junior, he should be rewarded with love and treats (no rough games). As Rover gets better at this, the hiding spots can become more difficult.
Follow The Leader:
This is a great game that puts your kids in charge as the Leader. You can even set up obstacles for your child and pup to go around, over or through. Your child may need to hold a treat or favourite toy to entice Rover to follow at first. There should be lots of praise when he does follow.
Fetch:
This may be a difficult game to teach if Rover is not a natural retriever and should therefore be taught by an adult before getting the kids involved. Using a favourite toy, hold onto it and wave it around, getting Rover enthusiastic about getting it. Drop it only a foot or so away from you and say ‘Go Get It!’ If Rover grabs onto the toy, say ‘Yes – Good Boy!” As he gets good at this, you can start to clap your hands, run backwards, and tap the floor or any other movement that encourages Rover to move back to you with the toy. If he does, show him a treat and say ‘Give’. Reward and start again, gradually incorporating a little more distance as Rover catches onto the game.
Games to Be Avoided:
Keep Away:
This is a favourite game of both puppies and children and while it can be useful to get your dog excited about a toy, there are a few pitfalls to be avoided. Children often end up teasing the dog and/or Rover may decide that he wants to play keep away. Unless your kids understand the difference between teasing and just getting the dog enthusiastic over something before allowing him to have it, discourage this game. And until Rover is reliably releasing toys when you say ‘Drop’, we don’t want him to play keep away. If this is the case, you should strongly discourage chasing your dog when he has something until he is more reliable.
Rough Housing:
Puppies need very little encouragement to play roughly and will always end up using their teeth. Until Rover has more control over his jaw strength (i.e.: has excellent bite inhibition), wrestling type games should be avoided.
Tug:
While this may be an excellent game for adults and dogs, young children will have a tough time following the rules of the game and maintaining control while playing.
