Games for Dogs: The Shuttlecock

I have written a few times before about how much I appreciate games and activities we can do with our dogs.  They range from throwing the Frisbee or ball to something that works the dog’s brain, like hide and seek (we call it “find the duck”).

By participating in canine obedience and I can attest to the link between loyalty and overall happiness and with you providing ways to integrate mental work with physical work. Remember that we, mankind, domesticated the dog. In return for food, we asked the dog to work for us in many different ways, and thus the different breeds emerged and mankind and dog became a team.

I tried something new today. I picked up a pack of shuttlecocks in the athletic department. Some people call them birdies and they are for badminton. Over the course of the last five years, my family has thrown balls and Frisbees for hours and hours if you added all the time together. This is a no-brainer for retrieving dogs, which will be most of your sporting group and mixes thereof.  It has been a way to exercise in a pinch, with no time for a walk, to work off excess puppy energy, or to just have a little fun.

Today I tried something different. I grabbed an old tennis racket and my new pack of birdies. I had the dogs sit like they were going to retrieve the ball and launched it out into the yard and sent them out. The texture was different, but they brought it right back. Then I discovered I could launch it high enough that the air would take it and it would change directions. (There is only one in the gutter so far!) I noticed the dogs waiting and watching and mentally working to decide which way it was going to land and how to react. This was more involved than a plain retrieve with a ball which is very predictable, (unless you have experienced the Kong toy, those are great).

The point is to encourage owners to try to find new ways to work your dog, the mental and the physical together. Please share what you have discovered that meets this need and how it worked for you.

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 This article was written by Caroline Oldham of http://dogtrainingonlinetips.com - your online source for training tips, real life stories and advice in dealing with dogs. We ask that you consult with a professional dog trainer, veterinarian or canine behaviorist before implementing any of the advice or opinions contained on this site.