5 Dog Training Games That Make Learning Fun and Engaging

Dog training is well worth all the effort put into it, but it can feel like a chore at times. What if there was a way to make dog training fun and engaging for pooches and hoomans? The team at Hounds Lounge has grreat news for you: Dog training games are the pawfect way to play with your pooch while sneaking in learning!

Besides being fun, there are loads of benefits of using games to train your dog. During training, your pooch gets to burn off energy, flex their brain muscles and bond with you! And the results of training are even more beneficial. 

A trained dog is a safer dog. If Fido knows to respect and listen to his owner, he will be better protected from cars, skunks, aggressive dogs and any other potential threats! Plus, a well-trained dog has a better experience in Arkansas social settings, including at dog-friendly places in Little Rock, Fayetteville and Bryant, or at Hounds Lounge doggy daycare.

Keep reading to learn why play-based training works, and get a play-by-play on five dog training games you can easily try at home. You and your dog are in for a treat!

Why Play-Based Training Works

Play-based training is effective because dogs love to play! Why not take an activity they enjoy and turn it into a learning experience? 

Play keeps things light and pawsitive – and dogs learn best through positive reinforcement, which involves rewarding your dog’s cooperation and success with praise and treats. This method helps create a strong bond and trust between you and your dog! Positive reinforcement translates pawfectly to dog training games, as you can reward your dog’s wins. Play-based training also makes training more enjoyable for you, making you more likely to stay consistent.

Dogs are smart and deserve the opportunity to learn in a fear-free, interactive way. Now, let’s look at the five dog training games you should try at home!

5 Dog Training Games to Try at Home

When it comes to fun and games, we’re the experts! Hounds Lounge is known for our leash-free, all day play. We even have a blog about 30 dog games to play with pups young and old, indoors and out! However, for this blog, we’re focusing on five games that strike a balance between playing and learning. 

Game #1: Play Hide and Seek

How to Play: Have your dog sit and stay while you go find a hiding place. (If your pooch hasn’t mastered “sit” and “stay” yet, check out our blog, 5 Cool Tricks to Teach Your Dog, to learn how to teach these commands in just three easy steps.) Once you’re concealed, tell them to “come” and find you! Reward Fido’s search skills with treats and/or attention. 

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This game can be played indoors or in your Arkansas backyard – as long as it’s fenced for pet safety!

What Dogs Learn: This game reinforces the essential commands “sit” and “stay,” and it helps your dog practice reliable recall (coming when you call) in a safe, controlled environment. 

Game #2: The Shell Game

How to Play: You will need small treats and three plastic, opaque cups to play this game. Sitting on the floor with your dog, let them smell one of the treats. Then, place that treat under one of the cups while they watch. Place the other two cups upside down on the ground, and shuffle all three to put them in a random order. Now, it’s up to your dog to find the treat! 

Once they’ve recognized the right cup and are lingering on it – by either sniffing or pawing at it – lift the cup so they can eat the treat, and reward them with praise! If they pick the wrong cup, show them where the treat was and try again.

You can increase the difficulty of this game by adding more cups and/or shuffling the order without your dog watching.

What Dogs Learn: The shell game is mentally stimulating and helps boost your dog’s scent detection skills. It can be a great training exercise if your woof is involved in dog sports like nosework or duck hunting, which is wildly pawpular in Arkansas! In general, playing this game helps improve your dog’s focus, memory and problem-solving skills.

Game #3: Tug-of-War with Commands

How to Play: Typically using a rope toy (make your own with an old t-shirt!), you and your dog can play tug-of-war inside or outside, and little space is needed. To play, you grasp one end of the rope, then hold it up to your dog. Use the command “take it” when you want your dog to grab it. Reward them when they follow your command!

Next, the tug-of-war battle begins. You want to challenge your woof but also allow them to win on occasion! (It’s no fun if you win every time!) 

If your dog’s teeth get close to your hand while playing tug-of-war, stop playing immediately. This will teach your dog that they are not allowed to nip at you and, if they do, the fun is over. It’s also important to train your woof to release the rope with the “drop it” command, rewarding them with a treat. Tug-of-war is a dominance game to them, and they need to know that you’re the boss.

What Dogs Learn: This is one of those dog training games that definitely doesn’t feel like training! Tug-of-war with commands inadvertently teaches pooches that they are not top dog – you, the owner, are! It also teaches the “take it” and “drop it” commands that can be used in everyday scenarios… like when Fido tries to eat trash. 

Game #4: Find It

How to Play: Find It is similar to hide and seek, except you hide a smelly treat or toy rather than yourself! Show your dog the treat, tell them to sit and stay, then go hide the prize. Once it’s concealed, give Fido the green light by saying “find it,” “okay” or a similar command, and the hunt is on!

Start on an easy level by tossing the treat just a short distance away, then build up to concealing it under or behind items, and eventually hiding it in different rooms.

Take this game outside to explore Arkansas’s natural scenery in your yard, a dog park, a dog-friendly trail or a campground. Just make sure Fido is leashed if you’re not in a contained area!

What Dogs Learn: Like hide and seek, this game reinforces commands, and, like the shell game, it’s good nosework practice. Find It is also a good way to teach impulse control, because your dog has to wait for your command before going for the treat – even if it’s right in front of them.

Game #5: Obstacle Course Fun

How to Play: Test your woof’s agility with an at-home obstacle course! Clear some space in a large room and then use household items to design your course. Your woof could weave around stacks of books, shimmy under chairs, hop over blankets or jump through a hula hoop! Even indoors, an obstacle course offers great mental and physical stimulation.

Introduce one obstacle at a time, using treats and praise to build confidence. When you’re comfortable, you can take this skill outside to your backyard or an Arkansas dog park, some of which offer obstacles on-site!

What Dogs Learn: An at-home obstacle course can be an introduction to agility training. You might discover your dog has an aptitude for dog sports, and this could be their gateway to other skills like dock diving – which they can compete in at Little Rock’s annual Barkus on Main pet parade and dog event! 

However, an at-home obstacle course can also just be for fun! It’s mentally and physically stimulating, reinforces commands, boosts problem-solving skills, enhances focus and more, making it one of the best dog training games for woofs of all kinds!.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Playing Dog Training Games

• Overcomplicating the games: We’ve all zoned out during instructions for complicated board games… and we’re hoomans! For the sake of fun, keep dog training games simple.

• Using too many commands at once: Gradually introduce commands one at a time, and don’t use too many per game.
• Not adjusting for your dog’s age, breed, or energy level: Rather than forcing a game your dog doesn’t like or isn’t comfortable playing, make modifications or choose a different game that your dog enjoys. 

How to Incorporate Dog Training Games into Your Dog’s Routine

• Busy pet pawrents can work in quick dog training games during their morning or evening routines. Think about it – how long does it really take to play a game like tug-of-war? Dog training games are a convenient way to improve a dog’s skills every day!
• If your dog appears to grow bored with a game, switch to a new one! It’s good to have a small lineup of games to train your dog (like the five listed above) you can rotate through at any given time.
• If you have multiple dogs, play games that promote partner or group play! This helps your dogs learn to work together, and it prepares them for group play at Hounds Lounge.

• Seek opportunities to always be training your dog! That could mean telling them to “sit” and take a breather on a walk – this offers a chance to rest, but it’s also command training. When you’re separated from your dog in the house, call for them to come find you – this is a way to show you want to be near them while also practicing reliable recall. Training never stops!

Doggos, Do Your Homework… Then Enjoy Field Day at Hounds Lounge!

Dog training games help dogs become more well-rounded pooches… and playmates! So, you can consider dog training games as homework for Hounds Lounge! We’d love for your pooch to come to doggy daycare and show off the social skills, good behavior, discipline and smarts they’ve learned through games. Partaking in our structured group play is another fun way for a dog to build on their social and behavioral skills… but don’t just take our word for it!

Here’s what one happy customer has to say about Hounds Lounge doggy daycare:

“You put a lot of trust in people to watch your best fur friend and the staff here always honors that trust. My dog loves the staff and used to be picky with people. This was a wonderful place to help my dog become more social with other humans and dogs while I was not around. Best part, he crashes when we get back home.”

Read the full review and check out our blog, 18 Reviews Explaining Why Hounds Lounge is the Best Dog Daycare, for more high praise from pet pawrents!

Aside from (or in addition to) a day of group play, you might also want to reward Fido’s training with a spaw day in our dog grooming salon! We’re here for whatever you need, from daycare and grooming to DIY dog washes and overnight stays. Check out our locations to find a Hounds Lounge near you.

Let the Dog Training Games Begin

It’s time to start playing, learning and bonding! Try one of our dog training games and enjoy watching your dog’s skills progress. And, of course, don’t forget to have fun!