Clean Run - July 2018 - 40

PLAY'S
FORSAKE
By Tammy Moody, photos by Heather Christenson

My work desk sits beneath an east-facing
window in a rural area. There's a house
across the street from us that I can see
from my oﬃce. I find it funny that as I
sit down to write this article on playing
with our dogs, there are two young children and a Pug dancing in the yard of that
house across the street.
She's that type of Pug-extra little, squiggly, friendly, and cute. The dance the kids
are performing isn't an ordinary dance,
it's retro at times, urban at others, and
there is some hip shaking, arm sweeping,
face framing, and serious snapping going
on-think Beyoncé + Elvis dance fusion.
The little Pug is 100 percent invested in
this dancing thing and wants in on the
action. She is chasing the kids as they
perform their Beyoncé bend to sweep
the flowers move, and the kids are sure to
sweep the Pug's back as they move across
the lawn. When the kids are knocking
out their pelvic rotations, they are singing to the little dog who in return runs
circles around them. When the dance is
over, the two kids look at each other, say a
few words I cannot hear, and run into the
house. The little Pug follows close behind.

From where I sit, the kids didn't seem to
be asking the Pug to play, but they certainly included her. In agility, we are told
(and most of us believe) that we play
games with our dogs to build motivation, focus, and drive. While it's true that
spending time with your dog will build
on all these skills, what we tend to forget,
or not think about, is how playing games
with our dogs can be all-out fun. Playing
should not be another training exercise, it
should be something we create with our
dogs. It should be play for the sake of play.
A common definition of play is "to engage in an activity for enjoyment and
recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose." A-ha, "rather than a serious or practical purpose" is key. So, how
do we play if we have forgotten how, or
if we are more inclined to be a "serious"
person? Just like with any other improvement in our agility skills, getting better at
play takes time and practice. It may sound
strange to advise practice at being spontaneous, but yes, practice is what is needed
to find the playful side of yourself and the
right energy that matches your dog. Following are some games and ideas to help
you practice play.

There is so much to discover about our
dog's likes and dislikes. I know, through
many hours of play, that each of my
dogs has a favorite type of toy. This was
most apparent when they were younger.
Now they tend to play with almost anything because it's not so much the toy as
it is the game. But in the early learning
stages, they had definite favorites. One of
my dogs preferred football-shaped toys,
and that was all he wanted. The footballs
had to be flexible rubber or vinyl with a
squeaker. One of my other dogs preferred
round, furry balls-all sizes-squeaks
preferred, but not necessary. Another of
my dogs loved ring-shaped toys. Rings
with dangling fleece or crinkly sounds
were "out of this world." Discovering your
dog's likes and dislikes is time well spent
and will help foster a playful attitude in
your dog.
Many games that are played with toys can
also be performed with food. Do you have
a dog who tends to be more serious than
playful and who won't tug due to pressure
but is highly food motivated? Use a bully
stick or a food-filled sock to play. If your
dog doesn't chase thrown toys, throw food

DisCoVer your Dog's
likes anD Dislikes
Knowing what toy or food to choose
in your games is a game in and of itself.
When I ask students to tell me what their
dog's favorite type of toy is, I usually receive generic answers like a ball, or tugs,
or plush toys. A ball? There are so many
types of balls out there. Texture, size, material-it all makes a difference. Experiment! If your dog likes chicken, does he
prefer chicken thighs to breasts freshly
cooked and sliced or freeze-dried chicken
hearts? Test it out.
40

Clean Run | July 18

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - July 2018