Playing with your dog on a regular basis builds good understanding, respect, and communication between you and your pet. Dogs love to play and especially so, with their owner.

Fun aside, games generally help stimulate your dog's mind and provide an outlet for them to burn off their extra energy. Games can also be used to teach your dog impulse control and discipline. Listed below are some common fun games you can play with your dog regardless of breed.

Soccer

To play soccer, you must first teach the dog to dribble the ball. To do so, simply show your dog a food treat, put it just below the ball. When your dog reaches out to get the treat, he will invariably move the ball with his muzzle, simulating a dribble action. Take the opportunity to cue "dribble" the moment it makes contact. Over time, fade off the use of the food treat as a lure (i.e. do not leave it under the ball) and get your dog to dribble with just your verbal cue "dribble."

Fetch

Another common game is fetch. Many dogs instinctive know how to go get an object after you have thrown it. Some though will not return it to you. Assuming your dog is totally clueless, here's a simple way to teach the retrieve. Buy a retrieve object (e.g. a dumbbell) from any pet shop. Coat it with peanut butter, show it to your dog and throw it a distance away. Your dog should run towards the object. The moment he grabs it, cue "come" or whatever cue you give your dog to come towards you. Once next to you, offer a tasty treat in exchange for the dumbbell and cue "give" as you take the dumbbell out of his mouth. Once your dog will come back on its own (to give you the dumbbell) without you needing to cue "come," you can add the "fetch" cue the moment the dog charges towards the dumbbell.

As with the soccer game, you will need to fade off the use of the coat of peanut butter and food treat before the dog becomes reliant on it (e.g. won't fetch an item unless it is coated with peanut butter or won't give you the dumbbell unless you exchange it for food treats).

Finally, a word of caution. If your dog gets aggressive each time you try to remove something from its mouth, you may need to seek help from a professional rather than play this game on your own. You will know your dog best.

Tug of War

To initiate the game you can use tug-of-war toys for dogs and let your dog bite the other end of the toy. While your dog's teeth are on it, you may slowly pull it away from him while giving the verbal cue "tug." Hearing the cue "tug" often will slowly make your dog understand the game.

However, do note that there are lots of debates about whether this game causes aggression issues. Our best advice is not to play this game unless you have full control of your dog. By that we mean you are able to set the rules and your dog abides by these rules 100% of the time. If you are able to, this game is excellent for exercising your dog, teaching him impulse control and building up his drive.

Rule 1

Leave it mean leave it - Once you cue "leave it," your dog has to drop the object immediately.

Rule 2

No tugging unless cued to - If the dog tries to tug an object without you cueing, drop the object immediately and institute a time out. Some trainers even go as far as mandating that tug should be played only with a designated tug toy. Hence for them, their dogs are not allowed to tug unless both the verbal cue and tug toy is present. If one is present without the other (e.g. owner cues tug with a different toy), strictly no tugging is allowed. They do this to prevent accidents e.g. dog jumping on someone who mistakenly lifts up the tug toy or dog initiating tug on hearing someone say out the word "tug" in his normal conversation with someone else.

Rule 3

Game stops the moment dog sinks teeth on you - Even if it is an accident, the game should stop. This will teach your dog to be extra careful when playing this game with you.

Rule 4

Stop the moment he displays any sign of aggression - Growling while tugging is okay as long as you have control e.g. he stops and drops the object the instant you cue "leave it." However if your dog attempts to snap at you at any time when you reach out for the object, it is sign that you are not in control. Stop the game immediately for safety reasons and find a safer game to play with your dog.

Rule 5

Frequent breaks - You decide when the breaks are and if the dog gets too boisterous, take a break. Use the break as an opportunity to practice some obedience cue with your dog before re-initiating the game again.

Do not even attempt to play tug of war if you are already having difficulty taking something out of your dog's mouth or if he is already showing signs of aggression.

Lastly, when playing this game, do consider your dog's safety. Don't jerk his head back and forth too much as it may cause neck problems. Don't tug till all four of his feet are off the ground as well.