To develop understanding, respect, communication and love with a pet, owners often play games with their dogs. Even though dogs are not humans, they are social creatures and playing is an important for developing social relationships and not to feel lonely and captured inside dog houses. People find it natural and easy to play with a dog, but for a new owner or someone who is afraid of dogs some tips could be useful.
While playing, the owners should stimulate and entertain the dog in order to show him that he is also important. And it is not recommended to play with some household objects, such as old shoes or belts, because dog will learn that those things are toys and he would not be able to tell the difference between old and brand new shoes. It is good to know that dogs will eat anything they can, so the owners should buy some toys especially designed for their pets. Dogs do not require many different toys to play with, in fact, having more toys can be confusing for them.
“Tug-of-war” could scare an owner, because of some growling, but if the dog’s tail is wagging, it means that he is happy and enjoys the game. It depends on the dog’s temperament if it is good to allow him to win or lose. If the dog is scared and anxious, owner should allow him to win in order to encourage his pet. If it is a confident and brave dog, there is need to win, but the owner should allow him to win sometime, because it is not useful and amusing to play the game that a dog always loses.
Generally dogs enjoy fetching, but some breeds like it more than others. It is easy to play, because open space an tennis ball or a frisbee is all you need. Children’s soap bubbles can be entertaining, too, because some dogs love chasing the bubbles, jumping and catching them in air.