Yoink a puppy1/31/2024 ![]() Every interaction is an opportunity for your puppy to learn, so make sure you keep your playtime fun, upbeat, and rewarding for your pup! You can also incorporate basic commands during your play sessions, like asking your puppy to 'drop' a toy or 'sit' before you throw the ball. Playtime is a great time to incorporate some positive reinforcement training into your puppy’s daily routine. Many pet owners think of training as being boring, tedious, or time-consuming. (Image credit: Getty Images) Teach your puppy new tricks Also, children are less likely to be able to read your pup’s body language and are at greater risk of a nip, so make sure everyone stays safe. Supervising children when they play with your puppy is important, to ensure they are giving out consistent messages and are not accidentally encouraging any bad behaviors. Finally, your puppy must learn that any contact of his teeth on you or your clothing – even accidentally – ends the game immediately. While it’s fine for your puppy to 'win' the game of tug and wander off with the rope dog toy, it’s important to also teach your puppy a basic 'drop' or 'give' command so that you can take away any inappropriate items he may find without seeming like you’re initiating a game of tug. This means that your puppy is not allowed to start a game by tugging on you or your clothes, or by keeping things away from you. Make sure you’re always the one who initiates and ends the game. Contrary to popular belief, this type of play won’t cause behavior problems, but it is important to establish some ground rules to teach your puppy good manners. One common myth among pet owners when it comes to how to play with a puppy is that you should never play tug-of-war games or allow them to 'win' the game. If he seems lively and wants to engage with you, then go for it! Teach your puppy good play time manners If you are unsure, then follow your pup’s lead. Similarly getting him all wound up just before bedtime may not be the best idea either! Try and avoid distracting him around mealtimes and give him a bit of time to digest his food before playing. Don’t disturb him if he is having a nap, rest is important to puppies. Try and play with your puppy when he is feeling energetic. With patience and consistency, your puppy will learn that playtime ends when he gets too rough! Your puppy will soon get bored with the lack of attention. If that doesn’t work, put your hands behind your back, or simply get up and walk away. Instead, if your puppy gets nippy during play, redirect your puppy onto a more appropriate chew toy. Doing so will teach them that it’s okay to use your body as a chew toy. Never play with your puppy using your hands or body – including wrestling, roughhousing, or hand-chasing games. To help your puppy learn to play more appropriately, make sure you aren’t sending mixed signals. Although this is normal play behavior, it still hurts, and is definitely not something we want to encourage! Whilst small puppy bites are tolerable you will feel quite differently when your dog is fully grown, so it's important to set boundaries early on. Your puppy may try the same approach with you, nipping at moving hands or legs. If you’ve ever watched a group of puppies playing, you may notice that they jump on each other, nip, or tug on each other’s ears, tails, and limbs as a way to initiate play. One of the most common complaints from new puppy owners when figuring out how to play with a puppy is nipping or biting during play. Avoid games involving your hands and body Stick to dog-safe toys and check them regularly for wear and tear to keep your pup safe. Avoid sticks and stones too and these can lead to serious injury. Make sure you never use non-toy items though like shoes as this will cause confusion and may lead to your possessions being chewed and broken. ![]() Swap them every couple of weeks to stop your puppy from getting bored. Rotating his toys, by only keeping a small number of them out at a time, will help keep things fresh and interesting. Try hiding toys and treats around the house or garden to make your own doggy scavenger hunt, or have a go at making an obstacle course. So try a variety of different toys so that you can work out what your puppy enjoys the most! You could also experiment with puzzle toys and slow feeders, which will help to get their brains really working.
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