Winter Olympics for your Dog
Does your
dog have the winter blues? Is he/she jealous of the attention paid to
the winter Olympics. Teach your dog some new fun games that can be
played inside.
Fetch - An Old Favorite
Some
dogs have a natural inclination to retrieve, but other dogs, even those
in the sporting group, may initially have no interest or merely run off
with the object. Teaching a dog a solid retrieve takes three to for
weeks, longer for a competition quality retrieve. First choose an
object that is easy for your dog to hold. While balls make great toys,
they are not a good choice for teaching the retrieve. I use a training
dumbbell, but other choices are stuffed toys or the hard Nylabones.
This is a trained retrieve, so the first step is teaching the dog to
hold the object. Begin by having the dog sit in from of you and holding
the object in front of the dog’s nose. If the dog looks at or touches
the object, reward. I recommend using a clicker for fast timing of the
rewards. Increase the difficulty over several days until the dog is
grasping the dumbbell in his/her mouth. If your dog will not grasp the
dumbbell, try putting a little peanut butter on the dumbbell.
The
next step is holding the dumbbell. This is the most difficult step of
the process. For a dog with an excellent stay, you may get a hold of
the dumbbell by coupling it with stay. For a dog without a stay, begin
by stroking the dog under his/her chin for a few seconds. Reward and
take the dumbbell. Gradually increase the time to thirty seconds. Then
give the dog the dumbbell and take one step back, encouraging the dog
to carry the dumbbell towards you. Have a big party when he/she arrives
with the dumbbell.
Now
that your dog is carrying the dumbbell it is time to teach the actual
retrieve. Hold the toy or dumbbell in front of the dog. When he/she
grabs it, step back several steps. Reward your dog’s arrival with the
toy. Place the toy at a short distance for him/her to get it. The final
step is teaching your dog to go after a thrown toy or dumbbell. For a
trained retrieve the dog should remain at your side and only leave for
the item at your command. For fun it makes no difference.
Find the Toy
This
is a variation of fetch. Start with your dog at a stay or with a
assistant holding your pet. Place the toy within sight and send the dog
to get it. Work up to the toy being hidden throughout the house.
Fancy Games with Fetch
The
directed retrieve is when the dog is directed to retrieve one item
within a set of items. In competitive obedience, it is done with
gloves. Any object can be used in play. Start with two identical items
in opposite corners of the room. Align the dog with one item, and send
him/her to get it. Repeat with the other article. The dog should follow
the line of your arm towards the article. Most hunting dogs do this
naturally. For the non hunting dog, this game can be started by placing
a small morsel of food on the correct article for instant reward. Keep
your dog on a leash so he can’t cruise to every article, searching for
the food.
Dogs
can be taught to identify named articles and retrieve them. Start with
an item the dog likes. Send him/her for that item, naming it clearly
during the cue. For example, “Bring the ball.” Gradually add other
items of lesser value around the named toy. Change to a different toy
and repeat the process. Now for the moment of truth, have both items
out. Make the desired item closer and easier to retrieve so the dog has
success.
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