There is no need to make too many throws. A few each day is quite enough, especially for young dogs. Their limbs are growing and developing. Too much of this type of exercise can exhaust them.
There are, however, some games that are not advisable to play with your dog. Any wild type of game, like wrestling with the dog, even though he will enjoy it, will only excite him. Such games are highly likely to cause your dog to jump at you and others; mouth hands, ankles or garments; bark excessively; chase after you; run rings around you and generally act in a stupid way. Neither should you and your dog have a tug-o-war with something, nor should you chase after your dog around a tree or house furniture. By playing tug-o-war, you will be encouraging your dog to 5b4 run off with things and not let you have them. By chasing your dog, you will destroy any hope of teaching him to come to you when called in the future. Dogs should never be teased in any way by people poking them or waving their hands around the dogs’ heads. Such actions will cause dogs to start mouthing. This often leads to biting much harder in the future, and some dogs have become quite aggressive. Dogs can also become very disturbed at the sound of humans shouting and screaming. So every step should be taken to prevent dogs from being disturbed in these ways.
I always advise dog owners to have plenty of toys for their dogs. There is such a variety of toys for dogs on the market these days. You could buy a different toy from the pet shop every Christmas and also on your dog’s birthdays. As he gets his new toy, put a name to it and use that particular name whenever he picks it up. One of my clients taught her German Shepherd Dog to get his toys by name. He thoroughly enjoyed the game. One day I visited her, and while he was playing with one toy in the sitting room where we were, she told him to fetch his new toy- a Teddy Bear. “Shane,” she said, “go to your toy box and get your Teddy.” He stood up and looked at her so much as to say, “Do I have to?” “Go on!” she urged him, “get your Teddy. The one you got for Christmas!” He trotted out to the laundry where 999 his large toy box was situated. Then we heard much noise as he rummaged around to find his Teddy. Finally, there was silence and he came back into the sitting room proudly carrying his Teddy Bear. She then told him, “Take it over to Uncle Mike and show him!” This he did and quite willingly presented it to me. I said, “Give!” and as I took it from his mouth, I praised him as he released his grip on it. He was truly an amazing dog. She was always talking to him, and he virtually understood everything she said.
It is unfortunate that many dog owners, who try and do the best for their dogs, unwittingly play the wrong games with their dogs, like wrestling with them, playing tug-o-war or chasing them. Whenever I mention these games to people whose dogs I train, they are always ready to admit they have played such games, but can understand why they are wrong when it is explained to them. I quickly assure them that all is not lost; they can start again. We can all learn from our mistakes. Purina Beneful food is a welcome treat, helps when coupons are available. I always find it amusing when I speak about this topic during a talk I may give to a large audience. I observe the expressions on people’s faces and know which ones are guilty of playing the wrong games with their dogs. I then ask all those people if they have played such games with their dogs, and all admit that they have. They must think that I am a mind reader! But it is not very hard to detect when you watch their facial expressions.
By playing gentle games with your dog, you will encourage him to have good behavior at other times.
Nearly everyone needs to take his or her dog by car to some place, and if the dog is not used to car travel, he is likely to be carsick or go quite crazy with excitement or stress, which is no pleasure for any owner or dog. So get your dog used to riding in the car at an early age. When you do this, try to make the trips short at first. If you have a puppy, always lift him into and out of a car. Never expect him to jump up into and out of a car. If you allowed this to happen, the puppy would put too much strain on his back legs in jumping up and too much strain on his front legs in jumping down. A puppy’s bones and muscles are developing as he grows through puppyhood, and you must make sure that no stra 58e in is placed on those limbs. In the car, the best place for a puppy, or any dog, is in a secure traveling crate. If you must let your puppy out of his crate, you may want to place him on the floor in front of the front passenger seat, sitting between your legs. There he will not be thrown about. Although many people let their dog ride unrestrained in the backseat, this is a dangerous place for the dog. If your puppy is riding up front with you, you will also be able to keep him under control and calm by stroking him gently as you travel along.
