Play can be trained much like any other behavior. Today, I’ll share with you some great resources you may find helpful in teaching your dog various types of play (and also, because I know a few of my fellow behavior-nerd colleagues pop in and read the blog occasionally, I’ll throw in a few resources for you as well!). We’ll start out with a nice video from a great dogster featuring her lovely Jack Russell on teaching your dog to have interest in a frisbee:
This video from Zak George focuses on how to teach your dog to bring you things.
One of my favorite trainers, Emily Larlham of youtube “Kikopup” fame, also has a fantastic video available on how to train your dog to work for food and toys – this video is available for a small rental fee ($4.99 USD). Another great kikopup video that you may want to check out is tugging with your dog.
I’m also a big fan of youtube user “supernaturalbc2009” – here’s her video on Clicker Training a Bird Dog Retrieve to Hand Part I (and Part II: Finishing Touches.
ARTICLES
The Clicker Retrieve Explained – a nice series on using a clicker to teach the behavior chain of fetch
Susan Garrett’s How to Create a Motivating Toy
Teaching Your Dog to Play ‘Tug-of-War’
Games Dogs Love by Stacy Braslau-Schneck of Stacy’s Wag ‘n Train
Games to play with your dog from www.dogplay.com
Dog Training – one great workout that teaches your dog to fetch and come to you enthusiastically by Neil Sattin
Teach Your Dog to Play with Toys from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers
BOOKS
Learning Games by Kay Laurence
Play Together, Stay Together – Happy and Healthy Play Between People and Dogs by Karen London, PhD, and Patricia McConnell, PhD
Play with Your Dog by Pat Miller
*** Play-Training Your Dog by Patricia Gail Burnham
*** Schutzhund Obedience: Training in Drive by Gottfried Dildei and Sheila Booth
*** Natural Dog Training by Kevin Behan
NERDERY
For my colleagues that just love this stuff.
Animal Play: Evolutionary, Comparative, and Ethological Perspectives by Mark Bekoff and John Byers
The Genesis of Animal Play: Testing the Limits by Gordon Burghart
Canine Fear, Aggression, and Play multiple disc DVD set by Jean Donaldson
Dog Play: Understanding Play Between Dogs and People dvd from Patricia McConnell
Canine Play, Including Its Relationship to Aggression dvd from Karen London
