Play Silly with a Small Dog

Posted on Mar 24 in Having Fun with A Small Dog, The Small Dog-Human Bondby Jeff K.Print

“People tend to forget that play is serious.”
David Hockney, British painter

“The opposite of play is not work. It’s depression.”
Brian Sutton-Smith, American folklorist

“Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.”
Stuart Brown, M.D. psychiatrist

photo courtesy of Airbeagle @ Flickr.com

Puppies awaken the child in us. Watch a person play with a puppy and what do you see? You see a person acting silly. I mean that in only the very best and affectionate terms. The person will speak to the puppy in a high-pitched tone, often repeating nonsense words. There is usually some hand clapping; goo-goo eyes; a lot of smiling; and an impromptu game of chase or follow the leader or rolling around on the floor together. Silly stuff. It does wonders for the person’s spirit and the puppy benefits too.

Fast forward a few years and take a look at the relationship between the former puppy and the person. The mood has changed. Dog ownership is serious.

“Bobby, sit. I said sit!!”

“Bobby, come! COME!!”

“No Bobby! Stop that! Get off me. I’m busy.”

What happened to the joy of puppyhood? Where is the fun of dog ownership? It is down the toilet. Don’t get me wrong. It is very important for your dog to respond to you correctly. It is important for a dog to know boundaries and limitations. I am afraid we have taken the notion of dog obedience so seriously, that our lives and the lives of our pets have been thrown out of balance. In the name of dog obedience, we have either forgotten about or discounted the importance of letting our guard down so our dogs can have a little fun. Or, we are so busy with our day-to-day work routine, that no time is set aside to have some fun with the dog. Or, the “down time” we do spend with our dog is so structured, it is devoid of spirit:

PDA Schedule Entries for Monday:

5:30 Arrive home from work

5:35 Check mail

5:45 Walk dog to end of block and back.

6:00 Prepare dinner

There are a host of studies that show how play is vital to the social development of all thinking creatures. Play-deprived animals grow up into socially stunted, emotionally withdrawn beings. Later in life, lack of play can lead to a variety of psychological and even physical problems. Since this is an article about having fun, I won’t bog it down with quotations from these studies. If you would like to check the literature, you can go here, here and here for starters.

We really don’t need formal studies to tell us play is important to a dog. Look at a dog that never gets an opportunity to let loose and play. The word that comes to mind is “dour.” We occasionally see a dog at Kelsey’s Dog House that probably has not done much more than get in an occasional walk with its owner. The dog seems lifeless and devoid of personality. If we try to play with it, it looks at us like we are crazy. If other dogs approach, it retreats.

On the flip side, adult dogs that frequently play with their owners or dog friends seem to thrive. They are more alert, happier, generally healthier and more energized than their play-deprived cousins. Here is an added benefit of play that is hard to quantify, but you will notice right away. If you precede and follow your formal training sessions with play, your dog will respond to your obedience commands with more enthusiasm than a dog that never plays with its owner. Whenever I plan to train a dog, I begin with some sort of informal game to energize the dog and get him to focus on me. After training is over, I finish with play because it is an added and much appreciated reward for a job well done. In fact, if I do my training work correctly, the line between informal play and formal training should be rather blurred. I want my dog to feel training is just another form of play—something to look forward to rather than dreaded.

Get silly!
(photo courtesy of wanderingone@Flickr.com

I know there are people who thrive on structure. Any form of play, even structured play, is good for a dog. There are many ways to engage in structured play with your dog. I’m talking about formal activities, such as flyball, agility competition, and even freestyle dancing, (which is not really all that freestyle when you consider that it requires forethought, a suitable location, and some equipment.) I love doing certain structured activities with my dogs; but we don’t do them very often because they take time and effort to put into motion. For a long list of structured activities with your dog, you can go to this website as a resource. Even better, take a look at The Little Dogs’ Activity Book: Fun and Frolic for a Fit Four-legged Friend. This is fun read and a get-started-immediately type book. I have written a review of it here.

Having fun with your dog can be extremely informal. If you have ever played with a puppy, you already know how to play with a dog: Make silly sounds. Run and jump around the house or yard. Get down on the floor and tickle your dog. Let loose for goodness sake. Your dog will be happier, healthier and more spirited. So will you!

Up next, a series on intentionally crossbred dogs, including Puggles, Goldendoodles, Labradoodles, Peek-a-poos and other poos.

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