Dogs need exercise, play and mental stimulation. In previous posts I've written about safe, fun ways to keep our dogs active, happy and healthy, but in this post I'd like to warn about some games that we should NEVER play with our dogs:1) Laser pens. Using a laser pointer to tease your dog might be amusing for you, but it's no fun for your dog. At best, it builds frustration, and at worst, it can create OCD behaviors like chasing reflections, lights and shadows. If your dog has a strong prey drive, teach him to play fetch, or teach him how to play the 2-ball game - not how to chase laser dots.
2) "Find the Food." This game involves hiding food treats around the house and cheering your dog on as he runs frantically around the house looking for the food - encouraging him to probe between cushions on the couch, crawl under furniture, root around in and under your kid's toys, etc. This game can teach some very bad habits - such as food stealing, tearing up your furniture, becoming possessive of your children's toys, etc. A better idea is to teach your dogs to earn his treats by working with you - learning useful obedience commands like sit, down, come, stay and drop-it.
3) The "muffin pan game" when played with more than 1 dog. Get a muffin pan, put some kibble in some of the compartments, and cover them with balls. Puppy learns to remove the ball and find the treat. Pretty harmless when played by only one puppy, but when you allow MORE THAN ONE puppy to play the game, you're teaching them to compete over food while in a state of high arousal, in effect teaching them to become resource guarders against other dogs (and possibly even against humans) later on.
4) Flirt pole jumping. A flirt pole can be a great way to exercise your dog. But the right way to do it is to allow the toy to "run" across the ground, NOT to make your dog jump up in the air after it, risking serious leg injuries.
5) Playing tug the wrong way. Tug of war can be a great game. But there are rules! Playing it the right way builds a strong bond and provides plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. Playing it the wrong way creates bad habits. Here's a video showing the right way to play tug:
6) Allowing play among unfamiliar dogs at dog parks. Dog parks can be fun if you know the other dogs and if you supervise the activity. But I do not recommend allowing dogs to play with unfamiliar dogs at dog parks. (In a previous post I warned about the risks involved. Since then, I came across an excellent DVD by Sue Sternberg that I highly recommend if you go to dog parks regularly: "Dog-Dog Engagements Between Unfamiliar Dogs - Why It's So Risky.")
