Picture-Perfect Dog Photos

Enthusiastic Fetching. Flyball dogs are rapid fetchers. To build your dog's excitement, throw the ball, hold him back for 10 seconds, and then let him sprint after it.

Go Find: Another "Find" Game:

"Go Find" is a more advanced version of the "Find the Treat" game. My very active dog Turbo very badly to learn some self control and focus. This game helped him in a fun way. I started with an ordinary game of fetch . As a separte exercise I introduced "stay". Then I put them together. Instead of throwing the ball I would tell him "stay" and I'd drop the ball. If he stayed I told him "Yes" (my "clicker word") and tossed or kicked the ball to make it move and let him get the ball. If he grabbed the ball without permission I would just turn my back for a few seconds and ignore him. Soon he was waiting for the "yes" then diving for the ball. I started tossing the ball a little bit further each time. The toss was gentle and intended to be not exciting ... at least at first.

Over a period of weeks I gradually increased the distance until he was able to wait while I threw the ball as far as I coud. Next I would tell him "stay" and instead of throwing the ball I would walk ten or fifteen feet, then drop the ball, and then "yes" release him to get it. Working this to a long distance didn't take long.

Next I dropped the ball behind a log, when he waited for the release "yes" I added the cue "Go Find". Soon I was walking 50 feet or so before dropping the ball behind a log and releasing him and saying "Go Find".

Next I played a trick on him. I only pretended to drop the ball. Instead I walked another ten feet and let the ball drop behind the log when he couldn't see the ball leave my hand. He got to the place he thought I dropped it, didn't find it, but only had to search a little to find it. Sometimes I would actually drop the ball, sometimes I would walk a bit before dropping the ball. Soon he got the idea that he had to actually look for the ball. I walked three, four or five different places either pretending to drop the ball or actually dropping the ball. Since he knew some were a trick he learned to check all the places.

The next stage involved leaving him confined out of sight while I put the balls behind the logs. Then I started putting the balls in a variety of places, not just behind the logs but in the fence next to the log, in a bush, or under a cone. This game has developed much more than these quick instructions.

Bobbing-For-Treats

This dog game will give your dog the ability to pick up floating or sunken objects from water, plus it's fun watch with other dogs that join the dog-party! It is basically the canine version of bobbing for apples. Since no self-respecting dog is going to get his muzzle wet for an apple, all you need to do is substitute dog biscuits, hot dog slices or other treats. Experiment to find some that float on top, some that float just below the surface and some that sink.

If you're having a summer pool party, you can use a child's wading pool and let each dog splash around after the treats. For more formal affairs you can use a large bowl or pot. There's a reason you don't just fill up your bathtub, though: One sight of it filled with water and all your doggy guests will head for the exit, sure you have a dreaded bath planned!

Fill your pool or water bowl with lukewarm water. If you're using a bowl or pot, change the water between contestants; if you're using a pool just empty it after the entire contest. Let each dog

have a practice bob until he gets one treat. Then start the clock and see how many he can grab in two minutes. Can anyone get them all?

A variation on the theme for a ball-crazy puppy is to fill a kiddie pool with tennis balls. See how many balls each dog can pick up and give to his person in one minute. The person is allowed to get in the pool and encourage the dog in any way, and she can take each ball from the dog as soon as the ball is totally out of the water. The person can even help by picking up balls herself - of course, using only her teeth.

Enthusiastic fetching. Flyball dogs are rapid fetchers. To build your dog's excitement, throw the ball, hold him back for 10 seconds, and then let him sprint after it.

Looking for a fun activity with your Norfolk? Whether you are a spectator or participant, Dock Diving can be addictive!

The Recall Game

The Muffin Tin Game
Amy Samida, of the Naughty Dog Café, in Ann Arbor, told me about the “Muffin Tin Game.” Amy found it online and we’d both love to hear from its inventor, so we can sing his or her praises. Take a 6-muffin tin and put a treat in each cup. Place tennis balls in about half the cups. Once a dog has found the uncovered treats, he usually figures out that knocking away the tennis balls reveals more goodies. As your dog gains experience, you can start hiding treats under only some of the tennis balls and using a 12-muffin or 24-muffin tin. Some dogs, Amy tells me, find it’s the most fun to smack the muffin tin and send all the balls and treats flying -- which you could go with, assuming your breakables are somewhere else. Or you could take Amy’s suggestion of screwing the muffin tin to a large piece of plywood. Keep your dog hard at work!

Tunnels: Norfolk LOVE to play tunnel. You can buy an inexpensive children's expanding nylon tunnel which can easily be stored. Secure the tunnel initially so that your dog can see a toy or treat just a short distance from the entrance.  Run alongside the tunnel or sit at the other end to persuade him through. Reward your dog with toys or food at the end.

Progressive Dog Games

Dance
This trick is easiest to teach to a dog that jumps against people. The advantage of teaching this trick is that once the dog 'dances' on command, he doesn't put as much weight (maybe none at all) on people as when jumping against them, thus it is a very good replacement behaviour for a dog who jumps too easily.

When the dog is excited and jumping around you, tell him to 'dance!' and gently hold his front legs and lift them up so that he stands on his hind legs. Then praise him and give him a treat and gently put him back on the ground.

Once he knows how to do this, you can see if he can do it without your help. Small dogs seem to be able to balance themselves better than large dogs -- with my Belgian Sheepdog I just hold his front paws and we dance together, because he doesn't seem to be able to stand up on his hind legs very well without help.

Jumping. Make your own agility or flyball hurdle by placing a broom or PVC pipe across two plastic buckets. Hold a treat on one side, and encourage your dog to jump over.

Hand: Hand is a Dog-Game that involves a dog retrieving an article 51ft/15.3m away and coming back through the start/finish poles to place it in the handler's hand. The retrieve article can be a tennis ball, a toy, a gundog dummy, plastic bottles - in fact anything that the dog enjoys retrieving (see Equipment needed). In the interests of simplicity, the retrieve article will be called a "ball" throughout the Hand section of the website, but please feel free to use any object you wish.

Two people are needed to train and play Hand - the handler and a trainer or helper (who stands behind the black rubber mat throughout the Game, and places the "ball" on the mat just before the dog is due to run). A complete Hand run would be for the dog to be sent by its handler through the start/finish poles, pick up the "ball" off a black rubber mat that was 51ft/15.3m past the poles, and return through the poles to place the "ball" in the handler's hands in return for it's motivator.

Backyard tunneling. Using a nylon pipe tunnel, coax your dog inside it with food. Run alongside the tunnel or sit at the other end to persuade him through. Reward your dog with toys or food at the end.

Jump, sit, stay. Create an agility pause table by placing a bench, ottoman, or piece of carpeted plywood on four cement blocks. Teach your dog to jump onto the low table, then sit or lie down for five seconds, then jump off. Ta-da!

Jumping. Make your own agility or flyball hurdle by placing a broom or PVC pipe across two plastic buckets. Hold a treat on one side, and encourage your dog to jump over.

Agility: Agility is a great companion activity for you, your kids and your dogs whether you plan to compete or just enjoy the thrill of the game. You can do an online Search for Agility with your city and state to find your local Agility classes. So remember, Agiity is for the fun of it, not just for competition.

K9 Nose Work: A site dedicated to a new urban sport.

Hula Hoop:

Buy an inexpensive Hula Hoop and begin by encouraging your dog to jump inside the ring while it's on the ground. Mark his success with praise and/or a treat when he is inside the circle. Next, with one hand hold the hoop vertically so that it makes a ring the dog can jump through, but again hold the bottom of the ring on the ground. With your other hand, reach through the hoop to encourage the dog to jump through the ring. Then raise the hoop a few inches off the ground and encourage the dog to jump through it again, gradually raising the hoop to (for a Norfolk) no more than 8" off the ground. Once your dog has the idea that it can jump through the hoop at differing levels and angles, the game provides great exercise for you and the dog.

Keep Away Like tug-of-war, this is a fun game your dog will enjoy while you continue to establish control. Again, choose one item. Give it to your dog and give some cue like "keep away!" (Jean Donaldson and I use"I'm gonna GET ya!"). It helps to use consistent body language, too -- exaggerated stalking or reaching pose. Chase your dog, repeating your cue. End with an "OK, good dog!" and then ignore any of her or his attempts to get the game started again. Remember, you start the game and you end it. So this is how it goes: you say, "I'm gonna GET you" and you chase the dog for a few steps, and the dog runs away laughing. You then call the dog to you and reward him for coming, then say "I'm gonna GET you" again and chase him. After a few repetitions you might ask for a "sit", "down" or other command instead of "come". It's another impulse-control game, with the reward being the chase-away. If he does not respond to your command, you say "oh well" and walk (or run!) off to do something else. Of course when you really do want to get your dog, or take something from him, you use a different command (I use "give me that!") and different body language (I stand up straight and walk like I mean business).I

Interactive Dog Toys make training your Norfolk fun.

Get it! Run to a baited target (or that toy squirrel) from increasing distances, starting at about 18 inches (or less if need be) and working up to 6 or 8 feet or more.  Don't increase the distance until he is confident and driving toward the target at the current distance.  And only increase the distance by a foot at a time.  Any time his enthusiasm lessens, shorten the distance so he can be successful.

Wait! Making "WAIT!" a game can be enjoyable to both you and your dog. Start with treats in your pocket and an area your dog can easily define - one side of the door or the other, inside the crate with the door open for example. Use a combination of a hand signal and firm but pleasant "WAIT!" and if necessary place the open hand against the dog's chest repeating the command until the dog stops resisting and "waits". Immediately offering the treat with an enthusiastic "GOOD PUPPY!!" Repeat the exercise until the puppy has successfully waited for 3 times (don't extend the wait time yet). Use the same scenario in each training session, slightly extending the wait time for each session until you are confident the dog understands "WAIT!". Then move on to another scenario (if you used the open crate door the first time, maybe move to the door of another room for the 2nd level) and repeat the training sessions - the dog will more quickly understand what you want in the 2nd level. Gradually work your way around different scenarios, but be sure you keep it a "game". The Norfolk is easily bored and you are looking for a quick, consisdtence response in this game rather than the competitive obedience "down" exercise.

Soccer
Did you know you can teach your dog to play soccer? Start the game by gently kicking the ball along the ground toward your dog. Encourage him to get it. The ball is too big to pick up with his teeth and it will take him a few minutes to figure out that he must push it with his nose or bat it with his paws. Give him lots of praise as he begins to catch on. As he gets better at it, you can include more people in the game. For breeds too small to handle a soccer ball, soft rubber balls can be found at petstores.

Fetch
Some dogs are natural fetchers, others are not. All can learn to enjoy this game. Be sure to teach and practice "drop it" first. If your dog refuses to return the ball (and this is pretty instinctive!), or drops it too far away, end the game in disgust. Don't turn "fetch" into "keep away"! "Fetch" can be shaped by rewarding interest in a toy, then approaching a toy, then touching it, then mouthing it, then picking it up. Use a clicker to click-and-treat faster retrieves, catches in the air, or a neater return.

Touch
Shop your local thrift store and garage sales for interactive toys for young children. A toy piano works - I found a plastic turtle with colored buttons that when touched lights up and plays a tune. Puppies are fascinated by the game - get the puppy's attention and have it follow your hand to touch the button. The puppy will soon get the idea that when it touches the object you point to he is praised and gets a treat;PLUS the toy!

Sit and Shake Hands:

This is one of the easiest tricks to teach to a dog. First you must teach your dog to sit on command. Probably the easiest way to teach a dog to sit on command is to have a treat (dog biscuit, piece of cheese, etc.) on your hand, lift it up above the dog's nose and say 'sit!'. If the dog is standing and tries to grab the treat, don't let him get it, but repeat the same maneuver again. When he sits, immediately give him the treat and praise him. Repeat the trick a few times.

Another way to teach a dog to sit on command is very simple but takes a little more time: each time you see that your dog is going to sit, tell him to 'sit!' and praise him when he does that (+ give a treat). It doesn't take very many repetitions for the dog to realize what the command is for, but this still takes longer than the above mentioned method.

Some poeple suggest you to teach a dog to sit on command by pressing his butt on the ground while saying 'sit!'. I suggest you first try the other two methods though, just to see how easy it is to teach a dog even without using force. Later, once he has clearly understood the meaning of the command 'sit!' you can use this method if he doesn't obey you. Try to be gentle though, there's no point in causing the dog pain when teaching him tricks.

Once your dog has learned to sit on command, you can proceed to 'shaking hands'. Give him the command ('say hello!' or whatever), and gently hold his paw with your hand and give him a treat with another hand. Repeat this a couple of times -- most dogs learn this very fast, if your timing (the command + the praise and treat) is right.

Dock Jumping
First things first. before you take your dog up to the dock, you will want to introduce them to the exit ramp. This will help them understand how to get out of the pool and helps you gauge whether the dog is comfortable and ready for the dock or not. When it is your turn, let the pool "wrangler" know that you would like to let your dog go up the exit ramp and into the pool before attempting to jump off the competition dock. If there is no "wrangler", just let the person behind you in line know what you will be doing so that they know what is going on. MORE >>

The Find It Game

The easiest doggy game of all may be “Find It” -- you can’t go wrong when sniffing and food are involved. Show your dog a piece of dry food or a tiny treat. Say “Find it!” and toss the food on the ground. If your dog doesn’t quite get the idea of hunting outside the bowl, start her off by dropping the treat right in front of her. Then at each repetition, toss it farther and farther away. You can feed your dog entire meals by playing Find It; for some reason, dogs rarely seem to get bored when looking for food. Make the game more challenging by asking your dog to stay while you hide the treat behind a piece of furniture or in another room. Come back, release your dog from the stay, and wish her happy hunting. I do not suggest using the couch cushions as a hiding place.

Getting Started in Dock Dog Training

Simon Says:

If you have the right attitude, you can make obedience training a game. Let your dog prove how clever she or he is by sitting when you say "sit", lying down when you say "down", etc. Try it when your eyes are closed, your back is to the dog, or you are in a different position like lying down or even standing on your head! Mix up "drop it", "take it/get it", "hold it", and "leave it".

Wobble Wobble:
Make a Wobble Board from wood: On the bottom of a wooden square painted with a nonslip surface. In the center, on the bottom of the board, screw in or glue a ball (tennis ball or small round cabinet knob, depending upon the size of your dog). Encourage your dog to step on the Wobble Board , stand on the center and walk around its perimeter. The Board will "Wobble" and teach the dog that wobbling surfaces are a game rather than to be feared.

Clean Up Your Toys:
Get a box or bucket and collect a number of toys and other dog-safe items (don't start with things your dog likes to hoard or that you don't want them ever touching). Scatter the toys in a small pile on the floor. Through shaping and teasing, get the dog to pick up the items one at a time, and place them in your hand. Once the dog is lifting the items high enough to get your hand underneath to receive, you are well started. Be sure to reward each "gift" with a food treat. Make it harder and harder to put stuff in your hand, while maintaining the fun of this "return for refund" game. Each item retrieved is dumped into the bucket. The dog will leave harder ones for later, so over time make substitutions that make the items increasingly difficult for the dog. Some dogs take the leap and start putting things directly into the bucket themselves. (Thanks to Diana Hilliard for this one!)

Follow the Leader: I set up lots of puppy obstacles and traffic cones in no particular order and give each handler the opportunity the chance to be leader. All you need are three dogs and handlers. In the summer (actually most of the year here in Florida) I include a shallow wading pool, also some piles of balls or Frisbees. Well, you get the idea.

Recall -- from the Dog-Games.co.uk site

"Nose-Ball" -- teach your dog to push a tennis ball to you with his nose. This is a great 'living room activity' for rainy days!

\Hide and Go Seek: When you are out of sight of your dog, call her to you. You can either use your normal "recall" command or just her name. Be very excited when she arrives. Start making it more difficult by "hiding" behind doors, couches, etc. If she doesn't find you at first, call her again. If your dog is very good at "stay" you can use this to keep her in place while you hide. Some dogs will use their noses for this task, others will just look. Most of them will learn a faster recall. This is a great game for kids to play with dogs, as long as the kids don't encourage the dog to chase them

Canicross: Visit this site for a unique way to jog/run/race with your dog.

Flying Disc Games: This site is a great link for a game dogs LOVE to play!

Bone Hunt (like Easter egg hunt, but Milk bones that are decorated so no one can add in their own) Areas must be clearly defined and supervised.

Treasure Hunt in teams....dog and handler combined to promote team work. Teams (dog from one hat, handler from 2nd hat) drawn from a hat.

What To Wear: A pile of "extra" clothes to be put on over their own clothes (obviously sizes must be larger) never letting go of leash. Owners choose from the pile what to wear. Outfits become a real joke and pictures are taken of "What not to wear" and posted. Owners are told to wear the minimum of clothes but must have all limbs covered to participate. IE jeans, socks, sneakers and long sleeved T shirt to participate then they have to put on a sweater (buttons are undone if present prior to donning) skirt or pants, and shoes if you want to go that far.

EGG RACE
Contestants with their dogs race with hard boiled egg balanced on spoon with dog's leash in same hand.

MUSICAL CHAIRS
With dogs on leash and dog must be in the lap (or at least all fours off the ground) - last dog off the ground is eliminated.

BOWLING
Make a bowling alley (narrow lane) with 2Liter coke bottles with sand in the bottom, lined up as pins. Dogs are released on the far end of the alley and the contestant calls their dog to run through the pins and knock them over. (90% JUMP over the pins....it is a riot to watch. If a dog knocks down 3 pins it is a lot!

WATER RACE
A great FUN thing is to change dogs with the kids and have them do a race with a glass of water in the same hand as the leash. Of course, they would need time to get the dogs dry if being shown in Jnr or other classes. The owner of the dog has to race in the opposite direction. The contestant with the most water left in the glass is the winner.

SOCK RACE
Place infant socks on dogs and let them race to the owner - the dog with the most socks on when it reaches the owner wins the race.

PLAY DAY BLIND MAN'S BLUFF
Do you know your dog? Blindfold the owners and have them go over a dog and see if they can recognize their own dog.