Play with purpose.

This is a video of my dog Tonks, in which we are practicing switching from high arousal, prey drive into calmer, cooperative pack drive. This is fulfillment—mental, physical, instinctual. This is play with purpose.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbLr9W48iU4&t=81s

Repetitive fetch without any “rules” to the game, such as switching into a calmer state of mind for a moment or two, creates a neurotic/obsessive dog and is physically and psychologically unhealthy. We are keeping the dog in a state of high arousal—flooding the body with adrenaline and cortisol—which makes it more difficult to get them into pack drive in other “real world” situations where they become reactive, such as walking around other dogs, people, or animals. 

Practice when the game isn’t on the line, so that when you feel the pressure to perform, it’s just…practice. Not sure what that means? Reach out to me.

Tug, fetch, and flirt pole are all great games for physical and mental fulfillment. They present an opportunity to practice getting the dog into a highly aroused state of mind (prey drive) and then bringing them down into a calmer state of mind (pack drive). If you’re not playing with purpose, you’re missing an opportunity to create a cooperative relationship with your dog. You’re missing an opportunity to practice going into an intense state of mind without being in the real world with real triggers and then teaching your dog to shift back down into a calm, non-reactive state of mind. 

If you have a dog that enjoys tug of war, fetch, flirt pole or any other sort of play—you have a great opportunity to learn how to use these activities to create a fulfilled, calm, and confident dog. Reach out to us today or find a trainer in your area that understands a dog’s drives and utilizes play to teach and rehabilitate even the worst cases of reactivity and insecurity.

-Tim