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2 Games Your Dog Will Love
from: The Complete DogUnderwater-Scuba-Fetching
Not every dog will take to this fun activity of fetching and swimming at the same time, but those that do, love it! You have to start with a dog who loves to retrieve. A love of water helps, too, but that may develop with experience. Although you can use any sinkable item, the best underwater retrievable is a rubber toy available at most pet stores that is made up of three arches. That means the toy rests on two of the arches while the third one is elevated so the dog can easily grasp it. But you can start with dog treats or favorite toys.
You can use a large bowl as your pool at first, but you'll eventually want to graduate to a kiddie pool and then a real pool or lake. Start with the item in just a couple of inches of water. Gradually increase the depth, giving your dog a chance to learn how to exhale while his nose is underwater. Make sure he's confident at one depth before advancing to deeper water. Several milestones must be accomplished: placing the nostrils under water, placing the eyes under water, placing the ears underwater, and finally, diving underwater.
Different dogs will choose different stopping points, but that's is alright - you probably don't need your dog for an underwater recovery mission. Accept that he may not ever be comfortable submerging important parts of his anatomy. You can add other challenges by combining the underwater retrieve with other retrieving games. Can your dog retrieve several items one at a time? Can he retrieve an underwater item based on your directions? Can he combine scent discrimination with underwater retrieving by choosing which container of water holds the item you've scented?
Racing-To-The-Finish
What dog doesn't like to race? The hard part is letting him know where the finish line is. Most dogs know their home, and if they realize that a treat awaits, you can teach them that "go home!" means to race home. Start just a few feet from home, say "go home!" and run with your dog to the house. Give him a treat as soon as you get there. Increase your distance from home gradually, and then race your dog back home.
Your dog is probably faster than you are, so once he knows the game, it might be more fun to teach him to stay while you walk a little closer to home for a head start. Then yell "go home!" and take off! This game can only be played where its safe to have your dog off-lead and no roads are near.
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