How to keep a dog engaged in play?

The key thing to remember is that not all dogs like the same toy or treats, so just because it worked for your other dog or your friend’s dog, does not mean it will work for your dog. The main thing is to understand your dog’s motivation. Think about making a list of what your dog loves / enjoys / dislikes on a daily basis e.g. if your dog loves to chase things in the park, then it is likely you can think about starting to introduce a chase game but with you involved. When you do start trying to play, begin very, very low key. Don’t have big goals in mind, start by simply aiming to get your dog to touch an item with their foot. Do look at textures of what you are using and items you are trying to interact with. Some dogs can be very sensitive to texture and weight of items. With puppies, I actually often begin with a long, thin piece of ribbon – because it is so easy for them to pick up, to tug on, to touch and it isn’t offensive in any way.

To keep a dog engaged in play, playing fetch can be a really fun game, but it can be quite overstimulating and encourage excessive chasing if you don’t enforce clear boundaries and training. Before you throw the toy, ask your dog for a ‘sit’ or a ‘down’. Once they have responded to your cue, throw the toy as a reward. Throw the toy for your dog and say a cue like ‘get it’ or ‘fetch’. They should only get up from their ‘sit’ or ‘down’ position when you have said your cue word and thrown the toy. Alternatively, tug toys can be a really fun way to play with your dog, but they can encourage some bad habits if played without any rules or boundaries. When you are ready to play, show your dog the tug toy and say a cue like ‘get it’ or ‘tug’. Before allowing them to tug on the toy again, ask them for a ‘sit’ or a ‘down’. They should only break this position when you say your cue word again. The most important thing to remember during constructive play is not to overstimulate your dog too much. We want them to be excited but not so excited that they aren’t able to respond to commands. If your dog is struggling to hold their position, you may need to reduce the length of time you’ve asked them to stay before rewarding them with a toy. Start with just a few seconds and build up from there. Over time, gradually build up holding the toy in front of them and wait a few seconds before saying the cue word.