Play (photos!)

Keeper chases Sunny through snow in the yard.

(This post is part of the April A to Z blogging challenge.)

There are many, many ways to motivate a dog to do what you want. I think a lot of it should be based on the dog's relationship with the handler. For a lot of partnerships, that means that play is a huge part of how we interact.

I use play as a release from the serious work of obedience, or to make a slightly scary encounter more fun. I ask for my dogs to ramp up and wrestle, then settle and be polite to start the play again. I work on what’s allowed- tug, fetch, chase- and what I don’t want- mouthing, barking, nipping- all in the game. If they get to rough, I stop playing. If they keep their teeth to themselves we play and play and play.

I think it’s also good for dogs to get time to socialize with other dogs, if they’re so inclined. Strider loved to chase and wrestle with Sunny. Duncan will play with any dog. Keeper’s a bit more aloof with smaller dogs, I think in part because Sunny’s told her off for being pushy and in part because Keeper knows she’s big. Keeper’s also not at all bothered by Sunny or Penny (the neighbor’s Brittany) trying to bring dominance into their play- K’s big enough to ignore it.

Duncan bites the splashes he made in the kiddie pool.

I’m still building Keeper’s drive to play with humans. She knows how to play with dogs. Tug and fetch are helping, as is just wrestling and gently shoving her aside then clapping to get her to come back. I have also started the same light bopping with things that might worry her that I did with Duncan (though I really need to dream up a better name for this than “beat the puppy”….) That sort of playful desensitization works much better than the “oh, no, you’re scared, let me hide it from you!” I’ve seen other people do. The bop and retreat and bop and run mean that Keeper’s often chasing me/the previously scary item in less than a minute, grabbing it and wagging.

We’re still working on building her drive to tug, fetch, and wrestle humans. She’s much more interested and animated, but there’s still a hint of “am I doing this right?” in her interactions, as she’s inclined to jump and mouth, and her self-restraint isn’t quite second nature, yet.

 

Duncan and 8wk old Strider play biteyface on the couch.

And since this is usually at-home behavior, I do sometimes have people who don’t understand why a SD/SDIT isn’t allowed to be pet or play with them that moment. (Setting aside the whole issue of my service dog being there for my medical assistance, not for public amusement.) My dogs and I play a lot. Just not usually when we’re out and about. When we're out, it's not generally play time. I need them focused and working. My guess is that this is hard for most people to understand because they take their dogs out specifically *to* play and greet people. 

My dogs work hard, and play hard, and have a great pile of toys, because I think play keeps everyone happy. I also try to cater to their styles. Duncan will gladly play with other dogs, and is my go-to dog for puppy sitting, as he's beautiful at playing with them without overwhelming them. However, he is just as happy to be a fetch machine, just him and me. Keeper's much more into chase than tug. Pretty soon we'll be seeing if she enjoys channeling that chase drive into searching so she's running and finding things by sight and scent.

I no longer go to dog parks, as I found the tradeoff between play time with new dogs was not worth the risk of grumpy or aggressive dogs. I miss it, sometimes. We don’t have a lake nearby that isn’t littered with fish hooks, and Duncan does love to play in the water. We make do with kiddie pools and the garden hose.

Keeper goes bounding off into the yard.

I also do my best to make training enjoyable via play. I want them to enjoy the work and I want them to have fun. And, honestly, I just flat out like playing with my dogs, or watching them play together.