The Art of Toy Play
We get our dogs to be our companion and friends, so we need to treat them like we would our friends. They’re not robots. Dogs have interests and values just like us. Some dogs are driven by food, while others are more into toy play or social interactions. We cannot force our dogs to want or like something just because we think they should.
Observe your dog to learn what is important to him. Interact with him to figure out what he enjoys. Does your dog like to play fetch? Does he like to play tug? Does your dog prefer to be in movement? Is he a heavy chewer? Is food his favorite thing? Is he picky with what he likes for treats? Does he just want to be with you for cuddles and attention? Does he like a combination of the above? Keep these questions in mind as you experiment with the best way to motivate and play with your dog.
There are things you can do to build your dog’s drive towards personal play, toys, tug play and food. It’s nice to have options when you are trying to teach your dog new behaviors or bring them into new places. Not all dogs will be motivated by all these things. What motivates your dog will depend on his personality and can change situationally.
Make play time fun for both you and your dog. If you’re not feeling up to playing or you’re unfocused on the session, try again later when you’re able to give your full attention to your dog. If we want our dog to be focused on us, rather than distracted by other dogs or smells, we need to give him the same respect. Most of us find it frustrating and rude to be out with a friend who spends the whole time distracted with their phone rather than socializing with you. Don’t be that friend to your companion.
Thinking in terms of friendship, consider the way you play with your dog. When playing tug, do you always win and take the toy away? Do you overstimulate him with rough play and get angry when he won’t give up the toy? These common mistakes create conflict and reflect negatively on the relationship with your dog. If you always lose at a game, you’re likely to quit playing. Games should be challenging enough to be rewarding and fun for both players.
When working to build your relationship through play, you must put forth an effort and challenge your dog at the level he is at. To build the desire to play tug, allow him win more than he loses, but don’t make it too easy. If he loses grip of the toy, tease him a bit by having him chase it rather than shoving it back at him. Structure the game causing him to have a near miss or two before resuming a tug session. The game should be challenging for him, but not so much that he quits. We want to play at a level that inspires him to return with more intensity.
To build on prey drive, the toy should be in motion moving away from your dog. If your toy is still or jumping into your dog’s mouth, he is going to be less motivated. Imagine a dog hunting a bunny in the wild. They would chase, catch and shake the prey. The prey would run away trying to escape, not jump in the dog’s mouth. Once caught, the prey would struggle, possibly play dead to trick the dog into loosening his grip, then try to escape again. We want to simulate this prey behavior to bring out the dog’s natural instinct. A wild animal is not going to lay waiting to be caught or jump in a predator’s mouth to be eaten. Keep this idea in mind while you’re playing with your dog.
Toy play can be conflicting for some dogs. If we try forcing them to play, they are likely to become resistant. Pushing the toy towards them places a lot of pressure on them and may create avoidance. When we are playing with our dogs from the front, we tend to hover over them, which is very challenging to them and many dogs are intimidated by that type of pressure. Think how you feel interacting with a person who doesn’t understand personal space. When you back away, they just keep coming towards you. This is very uncomfortable for most of us. If the dog is not taking the toy, try turning your body to the side and crouching down to be more inviting. Keep the toy in motion moving away from the dog or move it in figure 8’s on the floor. If your dog doesn’t want to hold the toy while you’re holding it, try adding distance by using a flirt pole until they build confidence. Be aware of your body movement that may be causing conflict while you play. Moving towards them, standing over them, over excitement, pushing the toy at them, staring at them and becoming frustrated can all be very intimidating.
A few rules to tug play:
- Keep play at a rational level by using small movements and a neutral tone.
- Keep dog safe by keeping their spine in alignment and moving toy at the level of the dog.
- Move toy side to side, not up and down.
- Avoid overstimulating play.
- Move toy away from dog in quick, small jerky motions.
- Incorporate control and obedience into play once their confidence is built.
- Avoid conflict in “Outing” by using two toys or treats to teach.
- Avoid conflict in “Outing” by making the toy go dead, waiting for release, then rewarding immediately with more play.
- Offer toy parallel to the ground.
- At the end of play, allow the dog to carry the toy, but don’t let them take it to the ground to chew. Keep them moving. If they drop the toy, they lose it. Put them away and go back to retrieve the toy.
- Keep a lead on for better management.
- Steal the toy if the dog loosens grip to chatter up and down toy and make them earn it back.
- Interactions will vary depending on the confidence level and drive of the dog. Adjust accordingly. The same dog may interact differently on a different day.
- Let the dog pull against you rather than thrashing the dog around with extreme movements.
- Let them win a lot but focus on reengagement by moving away while encouraging them to bring it back. Use a lead to prevent them from running off with it to chew.
- Have fun!
