There is no denying it: puppies love to play. It seems from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed, your puppy wants nothing more than to run, jump, bite, chase, fetch – the list goes on!
And why not? After all, playing is seriously good for a dog’s mental and physical health, not to mention that of their owners (thank you little fitness machines!).
With this in mind, we thought we would joyfully share what we believe are a pupper’s favourite games, the kind that really lift their moods and make them absolutely stoked to be alive.
There are many things that are important in their lives: good food, cuddles, the best dog insurance, now it’s time to look at their most favourite games:
- Fetch
As smart as puppies can be, let’s face it: they’re pretty silly. Not in a bad way, but more in a super cute, what are they doing? Kind of way. Case in point: fetch. Our canine companions absolutely love to play fetch: all it involves is you throwing them a ball or a stick and they go absolutely wild for chasing it down, having a quick chew on it and then (hopefully) bring it back for another round.
But, truth be told, there is nothing silly about their love for fetch, in fact it is a testament to their intelligence, as many breeds have been trained over the years to retrieve objects in their mouth and bring them back to their owners.
- The hand-gnawing game
This isn’t really a game you want your pupper to play their whole life, especially as their teeth are a lot stronger in adulthood than in infancy, but they just seem to love it!
To be fair, it gets super old quickly for us humans, especially if the pup has a penchant for really locking onto your hand with its teeth, so this is where it might be a good idea to substitute your hand with a more suitable toy.
- Hide & seek
It’s hard to tell if puppies really like this game or not – but we think they do. Why? Because they just get so stoked when they eventually find you hiding in another room.
All you have to do is throw a cheeky little treat into one room and then take off for another, waiting for the moment your pup finally catches on and realises you have taken off upstairs.
The joy they get from finally locating you is immeasurable!
- Up the stairs, down the stairs
Dogs love to chase after their owners, even if that means running backward and forward throughout the house. One super fun game to play with your dog if you have stairs is to get them to chase you up and down them – it’s a great workout for everyone, really!
What’s more, a super fun way to play this game is to also trick them into thinking you’re going up or down the stairs. It’s so cute seeing them run all the way down or up the stairs before catching on that you weren’t actually going all the way up or down yourself – the confusion on their faces before running back to you in irritation is hilarious.
So, there are what we believe are a dog’s four favourite games. We’re sorry if your puppy’s favourite didn’t make this list, and we’re sure there are a few you believe should be up there in place for these, but these are the ones our pups love to play and so they make the list!
