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15 Fun Ball Games To Play With Your Dog+Dog Training Tips
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Want To Know Some Fun Dog Games To Play With Your Dog At Home?
Playing with your dog is a fun way to bond with your pup and even provides opportunities for training. Moreover, playing games with your dogs is a great way to keep them active and out of trouble.
Dog games are also a fun way to celebrate your dog's birthday.
You can play hide and seek, teach them nifty tricks, or play DIY games with balls.
When playing with balls, however, try not to use tennis balls or hard balls.
According to AKC tennis balls can damage your dog's teeth. Tennis balls are not designed for dogs so they may split apart becoming a choking hazard for dogs. Instead, go for safe rubber dog balls such as these durable rubber dog balls.
Once you select a safe ball to play with, you are all set to play some fun ball games!
We aren’t talking about old-school fetch; there are plenty of new fun and interactive games you can play with your furry friend. Take some inspiration from some of our personal favorites!
First, let's start with the FAQ
Do Dogs Need To Warm Up Too?
Yes, your dogs need to warm up and stretch out before they exercise, just as you would.
This reduces the chances of injury, especially if they participate in strenuous activity. You can take your dog out on a five-minute walk, or you can have them stretch out before you begin.
Do Dogs Get Bored?
Yes, your dog gets bored just as you might!
To keep your dog healthy and happy, you must put their brains to work. Give them fun interactive activities and games to play with you. Keeping them busy and entertained will boost your pet's happiness!
Do Dogs Get Bored At Home?
Sitting around all day with nothing to do will get your pet dog bored eventually. Always try to offer a fun routine to your dog, take him out for walks or play some nice ball games together to fight away the boredom.
How to Entertain a Bored Dog?
You can entertain your dog by mixing in a variety of toys, and rotating them around from time to time. You can add plush toys, chew toys, ball toys, etc.
Make up fun and engaging activities using these toys to keep them up and about. You can also use more stimulating activities that train your dog's senses and provide mental stimulation.
Why Do Dogs Like Balls So Much?
Have you ever wondered how versatile balls truly are? They are easy to catch, easy to chase, and easy to spot and can be used in a variety of activities. It's no wonder dogs like them so much!
How Often Should You Play With Your Dog?
You should play with your dog at least twice a day for 15 minutes or so each. Don’t just use the same games and toys to keep them entertained. Be sure to rotate around for more stimulating fun.
How Long Should Dog Play Sessions be?
Mary Birch, PhD believes you should spend at least 30 minutes to one hour playing with your dog. You'll also want to give them your attention now and then throughout the day, but an ideal 30-minute play session can be healthy for your dog.
How Long Should Dogs Wait To Play After Eating?
You should wait at least two hours after your dog has had his meal before going out to play. This will reduce the risk of bloating and GDV (gastric dilation volvulus) in your pet and let their bodies gradually break down food.
How Long Should I Let My Dog Play Outside?
Try spending at least 30 minutes to an hour outside with your pup daily. Letting your dog out in the backyard doesn't qualify because your pet needs variety. Take them around the block or to their favorite park instead!
Easy Tricks for Dogs to Learn
Here are some simple steps to basic commands that will help your dog play games more effectively.
Simple Dog Training Steps To Sit
Start by getting your dog into a sitting position. Once your dog is sitting, give the command "sit" in a firm, authoritative voice. Repeat the command several times until your dog seems to understand what you want them to do.
Now, begin offering your dog a treat while saying "sit." Hold the treat close to your dog's nose so that they can smell it, but don't let your pup eat the treat just yet.
As your dog smells the treat, slowly move it back towards the tail, using the treat as a lure. As your dog follows the treat with his/her nose, their bottom should naturally start to lower into a sitting position.
Once your dog's bottom is sitting, say the word "good" and give the treat.
Repeat this process several times until your dog is consistently sitting on command.
Once your dog has mastered the basic sit command, you can start to add some variations, such as asking them to sit while you are standing up or sitting in different places around the house or yard.
Dog Training Simple Steps For Stay
Start with the basics. The first step to teaching your dog to stay is to get them used to the command. Start by asking them to stay for a short period, like one second. Once they have mastered that, you can start asking them to stay for longer periods.
Use positive reinforcement. When your dog does successfully stay, be sure to give them plenty of praise and treats. This will help reinforce the behavior and make them more likely to do it again in the future.
Practice in different environments. Once your dog has mastered staying in one place, start practicing in different environments. This will help them generalize the behavior and stay even when distractions occur.
Be consistent. The key to teaching your dog anything is consistency. If you only ask them to stay sometimes, they will get confused and won't learn the behavior as well. So, be sure to always ask them to stay before you leave them alone and give them plenty of praise.
How To Train Your Dog To Drop A Ball?
Get your dog's attention by calling their name or offering a treat.
Hold the ball in front of your dog's nose and say, "drop it."
Wait for your dog to drop the ball into your hand.
If your dog doesn't drop the ball, gently push it down with your thumb until it falls out of your pup’s mouth.
Reward your dog with a treat or verbal praise.
Repeat this process until your dog consistently drops the ball when you say "drop it."
Fun Games To Play With Your Dogs Indoors
If you plan on staying indoors during bad weather or winters, here are some games to keep you and your dog well entertained.
Find The Ball
This is another fun and easy game you can play indoors. This is the same game as magic cups but done by hiding the ball under the box.
All you will need for this is a couple of boxes and a nice dog rubber ball. Here’s how it is played:
Start by telling your dog to sit and watch as you lay out the boxes.
Place the ball under one box and shuffle the boxes randomly.
Tell your dog to find the ball and wait for them to sniff and nudge the box they think has the ball to uncover it.
You can encourage your dog by pointing to the correct one until they get the hang of the game. It is best to rub your dog's favorite treat on the ball to help your dog out.
When they find the hidden ball, reward them.
Find That Toy-A Game That Train Them To Track
For this game, you'll use a particular squeaky dog ball toy and make your dog familiar with this toy.
Before you start, make sure you give your pup ample time to familiarize with the toy.
You can name the dog toy “ball” to ensure the dog recognizes what you mean when you ask them to fetch the right toy.
Once that’s done, hide the toy under a blanket and have your dog find it using his senses.
If he finds the hidden dog toy ball, give him a nice tasty reward!
Busy Box-Surprise Gifts
The busy box, also known as an “enrichment” box, is a homemade box meant to keep your dog busy. It is also a fun way to present new or old toy gifts to your dogs.
For this activity, you’ll take a cardboard box and some of your pup's favorite toys, treats, and a hand towel. Get a cardboard box. Scatter your dog's favorite treat in the box. Add his favorite toys.
To make it more enriching get a small hand wash towel and your dog's favorite treats.
Lay the towel flat.
Add 4 or five treats across the towel and roll up the first row of treats. Then add another 4/5 treats. Keep doing this until you can't roll up the towel anymore. Place in the box.
Then call your pup over.
You’ll then allow your dog to get busy as he forages through the items, searching for his favorite treats and toys!
DIY Mental Stimulation for Dogs
Mental stimulation is a way to enrich pets’ lives by giving them something meaningful to do. A mentally stimulated dog is a happy, full of energy dog.
Such activities keep their stress levels low and have a calming effect on the brain. There are plenty of mental stimulation games you can play with your dogs.
Paw Basketball-Dog Game Played Indoor Or Outside
For this game, you'll need a ball. Fetch toys such as thesedog rubber balls from Sheraton Luxuries will work just fine.
Start by placing the basket at a comfortable height your pup can reach.
Let your dog practice dropping the ball with the tips we learned earlier. Hold the treat over the basket and tell your dog to "drop it" (in case you missed the tips-See how to train your dog to drop the ball.)
Give him his well-deserved treat every time your dog drops the ball in the basket!
Practice Skills Using Balls
Letting your dog practice his skills using balls is a great mental stimulation activity. There are plenty of ways you can use balls for these activities.
You could have your dog learn to catch balls thrown mid-air.
You can teach them to learn to carry balls and drop them into a bucket or through a mini-hoop.
You could scatter the balls on the floor and have your dog either pick them up when you say "take it" or drop them when you say "drop it."
This can train them to follow your commands. There are plenty of variations of these activities you can make. Remember to treat your dog well after each activity for more fruitful results.
Be sure to use dog-friendly ball toys such as these blue rubber balls from Sheraton Luxuries instead of tennis balls. And remember to treat your dog well after each activity for more fruitful results!
Work On Basic Obedience with Your Dog
As mentioned earlier, you can have your dog learn to fetch and drop rubber balls on command. This simple training can help teach basic obedience to your dog.
Such activities are also great for a rainy day indoors. You can go on to more complex commands, such as practicing sitting down and staying on command. And as always, remember to make this activity fun by adding in treats!
Games to Play with Dogs Outside
Dogs don’t like being cooped up indoors. You’ll want to take them out every once in a while. When out, there are plenty of games you can enjoy!
The Digging Box Game
Your pet dog loves digging! But what can be done if they are meant to stay indoors? In that case, you can use the digging box game to keep them engaged. For this,
Create a digging box with wood and add some sand inside.
Hide some small dog balls like these rubber dog balls or toys inside the sand to make the game more entertaining.
Let your pet explore the box and dig through until they find the buried toys.
You can also give your dog some nice treats whenever they find a toy to encourage them!
Easy Games for Dogs
If you’ve got a new pet at home that is generally untrained or if you’re looking after a growing pup, you might want to start with easier, simpler games. Sometimes simple games can also keep your dog busy and out of mischief!
Ball Pit Enrichment
This game is so simple and yet so fun! For this, you'll need a nice round ball pit and some round balls to fill it with.
Fill your ball pit with the balls for dogs.
While you do that, hide some treats in the ball pool.
Now, let your dog use his sense of smell to find the treats on their own.
This is a fun, simple activity and is also a great way to train your dog's senses.
Hard To Get
Hard to get is another game that is actually not hard at all!
Use a squeaky ball or toy to grab your dog's attention and run away from them just when they notice.
Your pup will get excited and run after you.
However, be careful while playing this game. You don't want to frustrate your dog, so give your dog access to the toy soon.
Ball Games To Play With Your Dog
You’ll find that your pet canine specifically enjoys playing ball games. Here are some interesting ball games you can play with your pet dog.
Include Your Dog in a Ball Game for People
There are plenty of ball games you probably play that you can include your furry friend in.
You can have your dog play a baseball game by hitting the ball far and letting them fetch it for you. Just remember to switch out the baseball with a more dog-friendly rubber ball.
Or you can practice tennis together, allowing your dog to again fetch the ball from further and further back. You can also let him pursue a moving ball that you kick as if playing soccer together.
Fun Dog Games for Party
Having a dog party is a great way to let your pet socialize! So holding a party for them is a given. Here are some games you can play at your party.
A Dog Pool Party Game
Nothing beats the summer heat more than a pool day! Your furry friend feels the same; trust us!
This next game works best if you've got a pair of dogs at home or holding a small party. You will need two kiddie pools, some floating balls, and some tasty treats!
Fill the kiddie pools with water and toss in some floating balls
Let each dog go and fetch a ball and return the ball to their owners.
The first dog to successfully bring back a ball wins!
Start by placing these treats and toys around your home or backyard.
Next, let your dog sniff them out one by one.
You can also invite other dogs and turn this into a wider treasure hunt competition!
The Toy Toss
For this game, each owner will have a different toy or rubber ball for each pet. Once your pet familiarizes himself with the toy, the game begins. It is better to bring a toy that each dog previously has so it is easier for them to know what’s their toy.
Everyone will throw their toy across the room or the yard and have their dog fetch their specific dog toy ball. The first to bring his back wins!
Tug-Of-War
Hold a tug of war between the furry friends!
Simply gather 2 dogs, show them the toy and wait for both to grab a toy. You can use toys, rope, and even t-shirts for this game. Take a look at these soft mouse plushies you may put to use here.
Now leave the toy and watch who wins.
I you enjoy the games we listed. This is another fun way to bond with your dog and get your dog some exercise while having fun.
