Five Fun Games to Play with Your Dog

A bored dog is a naughty dog, so it’s important to keep your dog entertained and engaged at least some of the time. Fortunately, playing games with your dog is a really fun activity. Here are my five favorite games to play with a dog.

1) Train dog tricks. I love training dog tricks, and because of the treats involved, it’s fun for both of us. Plus, it keeps his brain super active and engaged which has the added benefit of wearing him out a bit ;-). So, a 15 minute trick training session means he’s a lot less likely to get up to mischief when left alone. Some fun dog tricks: spin, roll over, play dead, get the mail, get my slippers, bow, shake, speak, and crawl.

2) Play “What Can You Do with a Box?” In this dog game, you need a box and a bunch of treats. Then, every time your dog comes up with something new to do with the box, you give a treat. It’s fun to see what your dog will come up with as he starts to learn you’re looking for variety. For instance, my dog put his tennis ball in the box, he chewed the box, he carried the box over to his bed, and he put his foot in the box–and each time, he got a treat. The trick to playing this game with a dog is to make sure it’s something new each time–that’s how you encourage your dog to get really creative.

3) Play Frisbee. If you’ve taught your dog to fetch, it’s time to teach him how to play with a Frisbee. Start by just having your dog learn to chase the Frisbee and pick it up–both are trickier than playing fetch with a ball. Then, start positioning your dog to catch the Frisbee.

4) Play “Find the Cookie.” With a collection of treat toys, put a treat in just one of the toys. Then, put all the toys back in the toybox and instruct your dog to “Find the cookie!” This one’s great fun to watch because your dog will be really excited about finding the cookie as quickly as possible. Once your dog has gotten the hang of the game, put all the dog toys in the box on top of the toys with the treat (so, any stuffed animals or other toys, go on the top). Sure, playing this game with a dog is messy, but it’s also really entertaining and you can play it again and again.

5) Play, “Put away your toys.” Once your dog’s made a mess with his toys, teach him to put them all back in the box and pick up after himself. This is a fun game to play with a dog because it means less pick up time for you. You may find your dog (like mine) putting the toys back in the box, taking the cookie, and promptly taking the toy out of the box again, so be patient as you’re playing this game with a dog–it’ll take time before he learns he only gets a cookie for putting the toy *in* the box, not for taking it out again.

What great games do you play with a dog? Of these five, which one are you most looking forward to trying? I’d love to hear from you about the dog games you play!

Natural Treatments for Dog Anxiety

Are you looking for a natural way to treat your dog’s anxiety? I was too! I mentioned the dog toys that help relieve separation anxiety a few days ago, and today I wanted to post about two great, natural treatments for separation anxiety.

The first is a treat (that the dog says is very yummy–I just got up to get the bag and bring it back to the computer and he’s now staring at the bag, waiting for one) called Comfort Calm Doggie Bites. They’re made with chamomile for a natural calming effect and they really do help when we leave the dog alone. Sure, he’s got peanut butter to dig out of his Kong but we definitely notice he’s calmer with the treats than without.

The other one is something I haven’t tried yet but have been wanting to. I do know people that it’s worked for, so that’s why it’s on my list of things to try. Jess mentioned it in the comments of the “Fun Toys Help Treat Separation Anxiety” article. It’s called Rescue Remedy and you can get it from Bach Flower Remedies. Thanks, Jess, for reminding me that I’ve been meaning to try that! (You can find information on the Bach Flower Remedies and how to use them here: http://www.herbalremedies.com/bacflowremfo.html.)

So, what do you think about using natural remedies for separation anxiety? Do they sound like something you’d try? Have you tried any of these remedies to treat your dog’s separation anxiety? I’d love to hear about your experiences!

Dog Health Insurance: Pros and Cons

Something a couple of people have written in to ask me is whether or not dog health insurance is worthwhile. While it can be a cost-effective way to prepare for potential emergencies, there are some things you need to consider before signing up for a policy.

First, know that if your dog is of a breed that’s predisposed to certain problems (like hip dysplasia in German shepherds, for example), those problems are usually not covered with a dog health insurance policy.

Second, policies vary in what they cover. You want to protect the dog’s health. Insurance policy regulations can be different by state, and so just because a friend loves their company, you’ll still want to read the policy you’ve been offered very carefully.

Third, while dog health insurance is very affordable, the hope is you’re buying insurance you’ll never need (just like any insurance policy). This means that if you’re really good at saving, you could certainly open a savings account and sock away a few thousand dollars for any potential dog health expenses.

Now, for the reasons you probably want to take out a dog health insurance policy. Before I go on, you should know that I’m not affiliated with any particular company and I’m not going to try to sell you one policy over another. I just know that having insurance helps us all sleep a lot better at night.

First, dog health insurance is really, really affordable. Policies usually run a few hundred dollars a year. This is definitely easier than keeping that savings account I mentioned, and like all insurance, it will probably ease your mind about your dog’s health.

Second, vets sometimes offer discounts on your dog’s care if you have a dog health insurance policy. Ask first, but I’ve yet to use a vet that didn’t offer a discount.

Third, veterinary care can be unexpected and expensive and it really never hurts to be protected with a dog health insurance policy. If something were to happen and your dog needed emergency care, having the policy in place lets you make those decisions much more quickly than if you needed to consider the cost before saying yes.

So, I highly recommend you just check into policies, see what’s available for your dog, and consider it. I think you’ll be glad you did! Do you have a dog health insurance policy that you’re especially glad you got? Please feel free to share.