Playing with your dog

Dogs that are very active naturally enjoy hunting, in other words, searching, stalking, chasing, and hunting their prey. One very good game to play with active dogs is "hide and seek" and not only your dog will benefit from this, but you will as well. For this game you should not only be the one who chases the dog, but your dog should chase you as well. Be careful though that to not let the dog get too excited and jump over you, if this happens, ignore him for a little while. There are certain breeds that really enjoy chasing an object (such as a ball) the owner has thrown (fetch). The advantage of these kinds of dogs is that you as the dog's owner can participate in this game without wearing yourself out. For this game you will need to teach the dog to bring the object back to you, instead of keeping it. Use good Dog Toys. Don't get the dog used to playing with sticks or branches because they could cause the dog to get splinters in his mouth. Small balls are also dangerous objects to play with, because they could get stuck in the dog's throat. There are special balls you can buy your dog that do not break and that have an adequate size. Almost all dogs enjoy pulling on a rope with all their strength or on a cloth that does not break. Some dogs though, turn this game into a superiority contest, so don't always allow your dog to win. If the dog starts growling while playing this game, stop playing immediately, and take the toy away from the dog and don't give it back to him.

Questions and answers
Q: My children love playing with our golden retriever Jesse who is fifteen weeks old now. The kids always end up crying when they play with her because she bites them. I am afraid she is going to end up hurting them real bad one day. What should we do?
A: If Jesse is not taught how to play without biting, she could end up biting someone and hurting them. Teach your kids to behave with Jesse the way an adult dog would by yelling and then turning around and ignoring her for awhile. If the dog does not understand the meaning of this gesture, leave her on her own until she calms down. It's also very important you do not let your kids play with the dog unsupervised.