Spring is the best time of the year to get out and about with your dog! No matter what part of the country you’re in, spring is the time we all just want to soak in the sunshine with our dogs. It’s not too hot and not too cold. If you’re sick of the same old games you play at the park, why not try some of these on for size. You, and your dog, will be glad you did.
- Get a rope and entertain your dog with some good ol’ family tug of war. You can take turns trying to get the best of your dog, if they’re a sizeable force, or you could have them join you as you take down other members of the family. Just you and your dog strong-arming the rest of your family.
- Vocal games like Marco Polo and Simon Says are dog favorites, especially if you believe they’re getting a little lazy or rusty with their commands. The dog’s version of Simon Says doesn’t involve trying to trick them, per-say, but you can make it difficult by trying to fire off commands and mixing up the sequence to see if they are listening.
- If you’re going to the park with family and friends, have them all participate in the dog’s version of Round Robin. Get everyone to stand about 25 feet apart, in a circle, each holding your dog’s favorite treats. Then, in a zig-zag pattern, have everyone call your dog’s name one at a time to come and receive their reward.
- Teach your dog how to play Frisbee. We mean really play it, not just play keep-away for a few minutes before getting bored or you getting tired of chasing them. You can start by rolling the Frisbee towards them, if they really aren’t accustomed to it yet, then start tossing it for small distances and having them retrieve it. Gradually increase the distance until you have them leaping for it to catch it. Now you’re playing some Frisbee!
- Want to play fetch, but feel like the ol’ ball toss is getting old? Introduce a baseball bat to the mix. You can start with the toy plastic bats to keep things under manageable distances. Hitting the ball with the bat will eventually make your dog less prone to holding onto it, as they know they need to release it if they want you to hit it for them again.
- Play a game of Sherlock Holmes with you dog by creating a trail that they can follow, leading to a big score (their favorite toy or treat, of course). You can do this by taking their favorite toy and dragging it over a patch of grass in a fairly straight course, like a curving arch, which leads behind a tree or a patch of leaves somewhere that you can hide their reward.
So, what do you think about these fun games to play at the park with man’s best friend, AKA your best friend? Give it a go and head on out. Go on, and have ball!
