How to Play with Your Puppy!
Puppies love to play! As a new puppy owner, you will be in for loads of playtime -- chase, fetch, tug-of-war, search, there’s a lot of games for your pup and you to enjoy together! But what’s good playing and what’s not?
Puppies play for a variety of developmental reasons that we’ll cover a little later on. But the main thing to remember is that as the owner, your training will help encourage positive puppy playtime manners. When puppies play with their litter mates, it’s normal for them to explore and play with their mouths. Oftentimes when a pup becomes over-stimulated or tired, they can get nippy with each other. But now that your pup is home with you, you’ll need to train your puppy how not to do that with their new family! Understanding your pup’s normal play behavior is very important as you embark on training them what’s acceptable and what isn’t. When you can spot your puppy starting to exhibit some bad activities, like chewing on your hands and not their chew toys, you’ll be able to take certain steps to curb that behavior! Now, let’s dive into how to watch out for certain cues during playtime and how to encourage good manners!
@adatheberner
“Playtime is a great place to establish good habits and expectations with your pup for their future behavior while having fun! Set clear and consistent boundaries so your pup understands what they should and shouldn’t do. ”
Why is Puppy Playtime Important?
Puppies play for a variety of reasons, primarily to learn how to socialize and test their own boundaries. But while some people think it’s just them being “cute”, play activities are vitally important for their physical growth and mental development! During play, a puppy will exercise their muscles, growing stronger and testing out their agility! And, they will work their mental muscles, retaining important obedience commands, social and communication skills.
@jaxandjillthegoldens
Exercise - At The Puppy Academy, our trainers like to say “a tired puppy is a happy us!” Exercise definitely is an important part of playtime. Your puppy can relieve some of their excess energy and boredom in a healthy and productive way. If your puppy becomes destructive, for example, starts chewing up your furniture, chances are they need a little more activity and the appropriate stimulation such as chew toys. But tiring out your puppy should come in moderation. Play with your puppy in sessions no longer than 15-20 minutes.
Note: Even a pup that’s received play and exercise can still get into some mischief if left unattended! They’ll still want to explore and chew on things so make sure that you provide some structure after playing like placing your pup in their crate or a playpen if you can’t monitor them.
Mental Stimulation - Play is a great way to give your puppy something to do and work towards, not just so they’re physically motivated but mentally, too. Some toys and games, like Kongs, are specifically designed to work their brains, making your puppy think and work, followed by a rewarding treat and play! Depending on the type of breed your puppy is, you can also research different types of games to play with them that suit their natural drives. For example, training your retriever pup “Fetch” is an excellent way to stimulate their brain by getting them to listen to your commands while providing adequate exercise. Plus, it’s super fun for both of you! These types of activities really alleviate their boredom and help to preoccupy their time.
Bonding - There’s no question that playtime really encourages a special connection between you and your puppy! Playfulness is one of the main reasons your puppy learns to trust and love you. Playing with a toy with your puppy helps you to bond with your puppy through leadership. You become the provider of the toy and initiate the play which is fun! It’s all an opportunity for you to learn to understand your pup’s little quirks, antics, and their true personality!
Training - Certain playtime sessions are a great way to incorporate puppy training. If your puppy is enrolled in a puppy training class, you can use playtime to enforce commands like “Come, Drop-it, Sit and Fetch” when playing with toys.
Socialization - Of course, if you place your puppy into puppy training classes or even take them on play dates, playing with other puppies helps them establish more social skills. During playtime with other puppies, your pup will start to understand their bite inhibition and other puppies’ boundaries. At times, puppies will yelp if another puppy nips too hard signaling to the nipping pup to stop. This activity is a natural and beneficial learning experience for all puppies to understand good manners amongst each other. Make sure playtimes are monitored and step in to help out when needed.
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Encourage Positive Puppy Playtime
Now that you understand why incorporating puppy playtime is important for your pup’s growth and development, take some time to learn how to manage your pup’s behavior during playtime together!
@ellamaymoments
Sometimes, if your puppy becomes over-excited during play, they might target your hands or feet (they’re like puppy magnets!). Don’t worry, your puppy doesn’t hate you, it’s actually totally normal. Hands and feet move, so they’re very fascinating for your pup! Try to a bigger tug toy and train your puppy to grab a specific spot. TIP: Grab a hold of the tug on both sides and present it to your pup rather than having them jump up. This way you can direct your puppy where to bite the toy.
Puppies with high energy levels might need to learn the “Drop-it” command earlier on. If your puppy refuses to let go of their toy, you can teach "Drop-it" by using another toy or treat they love. With the original toy in their mouth, tell them to "Drop-it" then show them the new toy or food. When they release it, say "Good!" and reward them with that new toy or treat!
Sometimes, we can inadvertently amp our puppies up with our own energy, tone of voice, and movements. They want to do what you’re doing after all!
If your pup is overly-excited, watch your energy level and tone of voice you're using, and be calm in order to help your pup calm down. If that doesn’t work, initiate a play break and let them settle down in their crate or a playpen with a chew toy.
“When playing with your pup, read their energy and adjust yours accordingly. An overexcited puppy needs calmer energy from you, and a more mellow puppy needs higher energy. ”
To help you work on instilling good play behaviors in your pup, here are some dos and don’ts that you can follow to encourage good manners!
DO: Engage in games like fetch to stimulate your puppy’s natural drive. Also, incorporate mental games or toys like Kongs to keep your puppy’s focus and energy engaged!
DO: Encourage your puppy to practice basic obedience commands while playing! This makes learning something new, fun and rewarding for them!
DO: Incorporate playtime sessions as part of your puppy’s daily routine! Making the time will help you maintain consistency with enforcing basic obedience and good behaviors!
DO: Monitor your own energy levels and tone of voice. Be excited if you want your pup excited! Be calm if you want your pup to calm down.
DON’T: Allow bad behavior to continue during playtime. If your puppy starts to chew on you or something they shouldn’t during playtime, simply follow the steps we mentioned earlier in this section! Also, over-stimulation or being over-tired oftentimes is the culprit and a quick nap may be the best trick!
DON’T: Allow your puppy to continue to snap and nip at you! Playtime is valuable socialization and allowing those behaviors will instill that it’s okay for them to do so.
DON’T: Reprimand rough play by getting emotional, yelling or becoming physical. Using a calm, stern "No" is perfectly acceptable as long as it's backed up with training guidance.
DON’T: Leave your puppy unsupervised during playtime, especially with chew toys they can pull apart and ingest.
“Playing with your hands, along with the intensity of play you allow with your puppy, can lead to more problems as they grow into adulthood and get bigger and stronger. Use a toy to play with them instead of your hands, don’t allow rough play, and stop play when it escalates too much to encourage your pup to settle.”
@Fuanography @aliza_eliazarov
Your time with your puppy, especially in their first year, will include plenty of playtime sessions! Take each one as an opportunity to enforce good manners and habits. Doing this now will help you prepare your puppy for a life that is full of good interactions with other dogs and people.
Check out these related blogs on puppy training!
Know Your Puppy’s Body Language!