Dogs are naturally very playful and energetic animals. Having a pet dog means you’ll be on your feet for most of your days. Games can be a fun and creative way to keep your dog busy and active, as well as sharpen your dog’s senses. Whether it is a simple game of frisbee-fetch or a full-blown agility course, games will help your dog with its anxiety, stress, and boredom while keeping it out of trouble.
What Games Can I Play with My Yorkie?
We’ve made a list of some very creative games you can play with your dog.
Play with a Flirt Pole
If you have an unusually active and energetic dog breed like a Yorkshire Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, or Siberian Husky, you would want to invest in a flirt pole (also known as a flirt stick). It’s a stick attached to a rope that has a dangling lure at its end. Because of its innate instinct to catch things, your dog will want to chase around in circles to get to the lure.
A flirt pole is an amazing toy to engage your dog both physically and mentally. Your dog will also quickly run out of energy in a quick game of flirt poles. Because the lure is in constant motion, making sharp turns and leaps will improve your dog’s motor skills as well.
The game also offers an excellent outlet for your dog’s frustration. It’s a healthy way to channel their drives and instincts, which would otherwise get them in trouble. Intense physical activity will also keep your dog active and strong and is essential in preventing obesity and lethargy.
But a game of Flirt Pole can get annoying for your dog if it’s not “winning” like most things do for us as well such as in solitaire masters. So an occasional easy lure for your dog can be an excellent way to keep them interested and excited.
It’s also crucial to pace your dog with a flirt pole without getting too intense early on. This is particularly true if your dog isn’t accustomed to intense physical activity. So start with slow and short games and increase the difficulty and duration gradually. This way, you can make sure that your dog’s joints aren’t stressed too much.
What you should look for in a flirt pole is durable and exciting for your dog at the same time. The Meieke flirt pole (also known as the pet teaser wand) is a great option. It comes with a flirt pole, nylon string, and a colorful bundled and knotted super dog bitter rope. The comfortable grip paired with the robust and durable steel rod will sustain any force your dog applies.
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Play Tug of War with Your Dog
Tug of war is another high-intensity, exhilarating game for your dog. There is a common misconception that a game of tug makes dogs more aggressive and that letting your dog win can make it dominant. Tug of war is actually a great way to bond with your dog and let it know that you’re a fun person to be around.
However, it’s essential to establish that the game stops when your dog’s teeth touch your hand. This is a natural part of the game because dogs (especially more energetic puppies) get too excited in the moment and might bite your hand. But it’s easy to train your dog to be mindful of not hurting you.
Whenever your dog’s teeth touch your hand, stop the game. After a couple of tries, your dog recognizes that once it mouths you, the fun of the game ends. Like with the flirt pole, it’s essential to get a toy for a tug of war that is durable and safe. Your dog will be using its teeth to hold onto its end, and the wrong material can injure its mouth.
The Chuckit! Medium ultra duo tug is one of the best options out there. It’s very durable and made out of rubber that is safe for your dog’s mouth. It is also a great option if you have two dogs because both of them can play tug with the Chuckit duo tug.
You can also consider the Well love dog toys collection, which includes tug-of-war balls, among other things like chew toys, squeaky toys, dog bones, and plush dog toys.
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Get Your Dog Into Frisbee
Frisbee is another one of our favorite picks that your dog will love to play with. The reason why frisbee works excellently with dogs is similar to why fetch and flirt poles do: Dogs love to chase things.
Frisbee can be even more fun because it engages your dog more. It’s best played in wide and open fields or parks where your dog can run around freely and carelessly. We won’t advise playing frisbee games in closed spaces like your house because your dog may run into some furniture in an attempt to catch the frisbee.
This is also true because you can’t precisely predict where the frisbee would end up hovering too. But it’s essential to be mindful of the type of frisbee you are using and how difficult you’re making it for your dog to catch the frisbee. Teaching your dog how a game of frisbee works with short and light throws is important because if your dog gets hit in the face with a stronger throw, it won’t want to continue.
The frisbee’s material is also important because a hard plastic one can be unpleasant for your dog to chew on. We highly recommend the Chuchkit! Zipflight medium frisbee.
It’s aerodynamic and buoyant to allow for long and high throws. It also comes in bright and vibrant colors, which are easy to spot in the open. Most importantly, however, it is made of soft materials that are safe for your dog.
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Make your DIY Agility Course
An agility course is an excellent combination of sharpening your dog’s mental skills (e.g., motor skills) and giving your dog a physical outlet. An agility course can get your dog the same amount of physical exertion as a long walk can, so it’s great for the days you are not in the mood for a walk.
While you can buy plenty of agility courses from stores and online, they are much more expensive than the ones you can build yourself, using the materials you already have. The process of making an agility course is a fun one in itself, and if you can get some extra pair of hands from some family members, it’s a pretty easy task.
It’s also a great opportunity to get creative with what you have. Whether it’s reusing a hula hoop or making an obstacle course out of bottle towers, you can design the course to your liking.
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Use Food-Dispensing Toys
Food and games are the two things dogs like the most. The food-dispensing toys combine your dog’s two favorite things and make for a great game. Kong classic is one of our favorite food dispensing toys, along with Star Mark’s Bob-A-Lot interactive dog toy. You store some treats in these safe, dog-friendly containers, and the toy’s structure makes the journey of getting a treat exciting.
It’s also a very useful distraction strategy when you’re leaving the house and want to get your dog busy.
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Teach Your Dog to Chase Bubbles
Chasing bubbles is an easy and convenient game to get your dog busy. It’s a great quick fix to when your dog is feeling frustrated and flustered. But with bubbles, you will have to teach your dog to chase after them.
For the first time, your dog may either get very excited about the bubbles or get scared off. If your dog is hesitant in catching the bubbles, start slow.
Too many bubbles can be overwhelming for your dog. You can also show your dog that the bubbles are safe by seeing the bubbles in front of it. With the right amount of encouragement, your dog will get comfortable around the bubbles and love chasing the bubbles.
If you are worried about the bubbles not being good for your dog, then you should use bubble makers that kids have. These are non-toxic and won’t harm your dog because the bubbles are made safe for kids.
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Play Some Water Games With Your Dog
Dogs may not always be fans of baths, but they do love going to the beach and splashing around in the water. If you’re going to the beach, though, make sure you have an inflatable life jacket for your dog.
You can also bring the water sports to your backyard. You can get a small-sized plastic kid pool and get some water in and bring some toys to play with.
When you’re bringing the toys into the water, make sure the material is right. Bright and rubbery, plastic toys are ideal. Our personal favorite is the ST&C In. ‘s natural rubber toys because of their soft and bendy plastic. For squeaky toys, we recommend Outward Hound’s Squeaker Ballz & Tennis Ballz. The Chuckit! Petmate fumble fetch toy is another great option. Not only is it structured to float, but it’s in a classic football shape with a grooved exterior that your dog can easily chew onto.
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Play Find the Treats With Your Dog
Find the treats is another game that involves your dog in a scavenger hunt for treats. Find the treats is a fun and straightforward game, which your dog would undoubtedly love because of the goodies.
This can also be a very effective strategy to teach your dog to follow voice commands and teach it patience. Tell your dog to sit in a position while you go ahead and hide the treats. Only allow your dog to start searching for the treats once it obeys your command.
You may be hesitant to give your dog too many treats, but there are healthy options available. We would recommend the Milk-Bone MaroSnacks Dog treats. These treats contain real bone marrow and are rich in calcium.
Like the flirt pole, it’s important to pace your dog gradually into a higher level of difficulty, or else it will give up.
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Get Your Dog a Digging Box
If you’ve ever had a pet dog in a house with a backyard, you must know how much your dog loves to claw deep into lawns. With a filled-up digging box, your dog can quench its need to dig holes without worrying you about an uneven backyard.
You’re going to have to give your dogs an incentive to use the digging box instead of the lawn. Placing bright toys in the box or hiding treats will do the trick.
Read more about how to stop your dog from digging the garden here.
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Hide & Seek
Hide and seek is a game most dogs love because they win a lot. Their natural scent-tracking nose gives them the edge here.
Although you will be the one hiding here.
Games can be a great bonding experience for you and your dog. Especially when you adopt a dog, and it’s hesitant around you, games can be a great way to get them to like you. Try out our list with your dog and check if your dog has a favorite.
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