In this chapter
Sometimes it sounds like having a dog is nothing but work,
but nothing could be further from the truth. Dogs provide comfort,
companionship, protection, and, most of all, lots of fun! You will no doubt
come up with your own set of custom games that only you and your dog share. To
get you started, though, here are a few that you may not have thought of.
Finding Hidden Treasure
Shepherds have always been prized for their scent-finding
abilities — they love to use their noses to sniff out all kinds of treasure.
You can even play this game indoors on rainy days.
To start, let your dog watch you hide a treat. Start with a
simple hiding place, such as under a chair or in tall grass. Then say, “Find
it!” and let him go find the treat right away. Of course he gets to eat what he
finds! Practice this until he knows what the game is about. Up the ante by
asking him to sit and stay, and don’t let him see you hide the treat. This
time, he has to search for it with his nose. You can give him a few hints at
first, but in no time he should be using his nose to ferret out the goodies.
Keep hiding treats in harder and harder places; your dog will enjoy the
challenge — and the rewards!
Testing Your Dog’s Memory
Here’s another rainy-day game that can entertain your dog.
In this game, you let your dog watch you hide a treat in a sealed plastic bag
(to prevent — to some extent — your dog from finding it by nose). At first,
make him wait only about 30 seconds before saying, “Where was it?” Gradually
stretch out the time and add distractions. For example, you can train your dog
to sit or catch for ten minutes before you let him go find the hidden treat.
Feed your Shepherd the treat from the bag so that he doesn’t eat the plastic by
mistake.
Retrieving the Right Object
Have you ever wished that your
dog could find your car keys? Although that may be pushing it, you can teach
your Shepherd to find and retrieve items that you’ve handled. This fun game
might come in handy one day.
Some dogs are naturals at this game. If you throw a rock
onto a pile of rocks, they’ll come up with the right one every time. All you
have to do is teach them a command word such as “Find mine!” and practice.
Other dogs need some work to understand what you want. You
can train them by using several identical items that you handle with tongs and
tie down to a piece of pegboard. Start by teaching your dog to retrieve your
item (which you’ve scented by rubbing in your hands) when it’s the only one to
choose. When he gets the idea, throw it in the middle of the other items, which
are tacked down to the pegboard. If he tries to pick them up, they won’t budge.
He’ll soon learn that the only one he can retrieve is the one with your scent.
Now comes the fun part — testing him with all sorts of items
in all sorts of places. Always be careful to keep your scent off the other
items, and give your dog lots of praise and treats for his hard work.
Following Your Trail
If you’ve ever wanted a trailer, here’s your chance: You can
train your Shepherd the same way Bloodhounds are trained. One way to teach your
dog to trail you is to show him that he can find treats along your scent trail.
You need a large field that doesn’t have your scent in it.
Take careful note of where you step, because you will be asking your dog to
follow your scent trail. It’s easier for dogs to follow your trail on moist,
grassy surfaces, and also easier at night or first thing in the morning.
Have a helper hold your dog back while you walk about 20
feet away, dropping small dog treats every few feet. Retrace your steps
exactly, and when you get to your dog, tell him, “Track!” Practice this many
times, gradually making longer trails with longer intervals between treats.
Once your dog appears to be using his nose to trace your
path from treat to treat, place a right-angle turn about midway in the trail.
(Place a marker there so that you can remember the spot.) Eventually, your dog
will master that turn, and then you’re home free! Now you can add more turns
and take the track across various surfaces.
Dancing with Your Dog
Does your dog have a talent for obedience, and especially
for heeling? Do you like to dance? Have you ever dreamed of being in the
limelight? Then why not teach your dog to be your dance partner?
Musical freestyle is the latest craze to hit the dog world.
No more boring heeling in a square and sitting! In freestyle, dogs heel on both
sides; weave in and out between the person’s legs; go forward, backward,
sideways, and in circles; jump, spin, and take bows — all to the tune of music.
Dances can be elegant or lively, and in competition, handlers (and sometimes
dogs) dress in costume to enhance their numbers.
You can get started in your own home by teaching your dog
some basic commands, such as Heel Right, Heel Left, Back, Forward, Around,
Spin, and Weave. Then pick a tune, choreograph your number, and get dancing!
For more information, contact the World Canine Freestyle Association at P.O.
Box 350122, Brooklyn, NY 11235; 718-332-8336; or on the Web at www.woofs.org/wcfo/.
Playing a Game of Catch
You can teach your Shepherd to catch treats, balls, toys,
and Frisbees, all using the same basic concept. Catching treats is the easiest
to teach. Start by tossing a treat in an arc over your dog’s head. Aim so that
it would land on the top of the muzzle about midway down. If your dog misses,
grab the treat off the ground before your dog can reach it. Don’t try this with
a possessive dog that might become protective of the treat, however. You don’t
want to risk getting a dog bite!
Most dogs will figure out that the best way to get the
object of their desire is to snatch it out of the air before it hits the
ground. After they do so a few times, they seem to enjoy the challenge of
catching, and they’re better prepared to start catching inedible items.
If your dog has a favorite stuffed toy, it’s a good choice
for a second catch item. Not only is such a toy easy to catch, but the dog
isn’t intimidated by it hurting when it hits him on the head. Use the same
method you used with the treat: Throw the toy so that it arcs down toward your
dog’s muzzle, just behind the snout. Once your dog has the knack of catching a
toy, you can back away and practice throwing it higher and from greater
distances.
A ball is the next challenge. Use a tennis ball or a soft
rubber ball. Start close again and use the same technique as before. When your
dog gets adept at catching the ball, add variations, such as bounces.
Frisbee catching is the most difficult to teach. Start with
a soft flying disc that won’t hurt your Shepherd when he catches it. Let your
dog get the feel of the Frisbee by holding it and catching it when you roll
it on its side. Then start from only a few inches away and encourage him to
grab it by the edge. Next, back up and throw it from a few feet away. Continue
to increase the distance. The transition from facing you in order to catch the
Frisbee to running after and jumping for the Frisbee will take time and a dog
who is naturally enthusiastic. If your dog is a Frisbee addict, start
practicing your throws! If not, there are plenty of other ways to have fun.
Teaching Your Dog Tricks
Dog tricks, another rainy-day activity, are a fun challenge
for you and your dog. All these tricks are easy to teach with the help of the
obedience concepts outlined in Chapter Training
Your Dog.
- Play Dead: Teach Play Dead by teaching your dog to lie down from a standing position. You do so by guiding him with a treat. Require him to drop quickly in order to get the reward. Then lure him over onto his side, requiring him to stay down for longer periods before getting the reward. Getting his head down is the hard part. You can try placing the reward on the floor and not giving it unless the dog puts his head down, but you may have to use your hand for a little extra guidance.
- Roll Over: Teach your dog to roll over by telling him to lie down, saying, “Roll over,” and then luring him over onto his side with a treat. Once the dog is reliably rolling onto his side, use a treat to guide him onto his back. Then guide him the rest of the way, eventually giving a treat only when the dog rolls all the way over.
- Shake: Teach your dog to shake by having him sit. Say, “Shake,” and hold a treat in your closed hand in front of your dog. Many dogs will pick up a foot to paw at your hand. These dogs are the naturals! With others, you have to nudge the leg to get it up or lure the dog’s head way to one side so that he has to lift his leg on the opposite side. As soon as the paw leaves the ground, reward. Then require the dog to lift his paw higher and for longer.
- Speak: Teach Speak by saying, “Speak,” when it appears that your dog is about to bark. Then reward. Don’t reward barking unless you’ve first said, “Speak.”
- Count: This is a fun trick you can use to convince your friends that your dog is really gifted. Once your dog knows how to speak, change your command to an imperceptible tap of your foot, a nod of your head, or a twitch of your finger. To do so, you have to start with a more noticeable movement, of course. Now you want this movement to tell your dog that you are about to command, “Speak.” Each time you make the movement command, follow it immediately with the verbal command. Eventually, your dog will realize that the gesture is also a Speak command. Then you can reduce how noticeable the gesture is. Finally, teach your dog to bark each time you make the gesture. Your dog should continue to bark until you stop, so you can get your dog to bark however many times you want.
Tip
If your dog can do something physically, you can teach your dog when to do it. Just use your imagination. Rin Tin Tin, look out!
Conquering a Backyard Obstacle Course
You don’t have to have a military dog or even an agility dog
to appreciate the challenge of an obstacle course. Nor do you have to have
fancy equipment. Here are some fun obstacles you can make or buy fairly
inexpensively.
Square hay bales make the best and most versatile dog
obstacles. You can stack and restack them in all sorts of configurations,
making pyramids, steps, high jumps, broad jumps, narrow runways, and even
tunnels with twists and turns. You can hide in them and behind them. You can
teach your dog to weave in and out of them. Use your imagination, make sure
that they are securely in place, and then have fun.
You can also make a hoop jump with an old tire. Tie it
between two trees or posts so that it is secured on four sides. Then teach your
dog to jump through it.
Tip
You can find a lot of neat dog obstacles at large toy stores for children. Admittedly spoiled dogs often appreciate children’s tunnels, sand boxes, and even playhouses. And don’t forget the number-one accessory: a children’s wading pool. It’s perfect for both of you to cool off in after playing on your obstacle course.
Chasing a Pole-Lure
Not all dogs like this game, but many dogs who enjoy running
and chasing will take right to it. The pole-lure is the same way many racing
Greyhounds are introduced to racing. It’s a great way to give your GSD a
workout, but don’t overdo it.
You need a pole about 4 to 8 feet long with a 4- to 6-foot
string tied to the end of it. (A horse-lunging whip works great.) Tie a rag,
plastic bag, rabbit skin, or toy to the end of the string as a lure. Then run
around the yard and let your dog chase the lure. The longer your pole and
string, the faster it will go.
Warning!
It’s easy to overdo it with this game. Be careful not to make your dog make turns that are too sharp, and also be careful not to inadvertently lure your dog into hitting a tree or other obstacle. Also, don’t encourage your dog to leap too high. Most of all, don’t let your neighbors see you. They’ll be sure that you’ve lost your mind.
Playing Tag
Sometimes the basics are the most fun. All you need is a big
yard and a lot of energy. Most dogs love a game of keep-away, tearing around
you in gleeful circles as they stay just out of reach.
Warning!
A word of warning: Your dog should know that it’s just a game. You don’t want him to get the idea that he can run away and ignore you whenever he feels like it, so once in a while, add a serious Come command and make sure that he obeys it. Then release him and get back to playing.
While you’re at it, don’t forget the other basics: throwing a ball, splashing in the water, taking a walk, and sharing a sunrise. You don’t need fancy games to have a good time with your dog — you just need each other.
by D. Caroline Coile, PhD
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