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Episode #293 Play as a Training Tool · The Puppy Training Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Play is not a break from training.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: For many puppies, it is one of the most powerful training tools we have.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: Today I'm going to talk about how to turn the games your puppy already loves into better focus, stronger skills, and a relationship that makes learning feel like fun.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast, the show designed to help you raise a confident, well-behaved puppy using positive practical training methods.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Each week we'll explore real-life training strategies, break down common puppy challenges, and give you clear, step-by-step guidance you can start using right away.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Whether you're dealing with potty training, biting, jumping, or just want to build a stronger bond with your pupp as their handler, you're in the right place.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome back to the puppy training podcast.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: Today we're talking about one of my favorite topics, play.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: Play is one of those tools we have as trainers that sometimes I think gets overlooked or underused.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: So let's talk about all of the things that play can bring to training, right?
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: So often we think of training as the serious part sit, stay, come, leave it, and play as the reward we offer when the work is over.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: But actually, play can be the work.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: It can teach your puppy to focus on you, release an object, come when called, manage big feelings, solve problems, and choose you over distractions.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Now here's the best part.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: When you use play well, your puppy may not even realize a lesson is happening.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome, right?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: They are simply just having a good time with you.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: And that matters because we want training to build more than obedience.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to just build a robot.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: We want it to build a puppy who enjoys engaging with me and that we have a relationship that can carry us through actual life.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Now, before we get into specific games, I want to make one important point.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: Play is personal.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: One puppy may light up when you bring out a tug toy, and another would rather chase you.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Another puppy loves searching for food in the grass, while some puppies enjoy retrieving.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: Others might grab the toy and parade around like they have won a trophy and they just want to hold on to it and let you see that they have it.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: There is no single best game.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: The best game is the one that your puppy genuinely wants to play with you.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: So pay attention.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: What makes your puppy's eyes light up?
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: What gets that loose, wiggly body going?
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: What makes them come back and ask for another round?
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Those answers tell you what is valuable to your puppy and value drives training.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: Now, when you know what your puppy loves, you can use it to reinforce the behaviors you want to see again.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: All right, so using play as training does not mean that we are controlling every second or turning every game into a drill.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: That's no fun.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Free play matters too.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: We're simply just going to add a little structure so your puppy learns that listening makes the fun continue.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to start with a clear cue that tells your puppy the game is beginning.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you say, Ready?
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Are you ready?
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: Or let's play, or go get your toy, and then play for a short burst, maybe 10, 15 seconds, pause, ask for one simple behavior that your puppy already knows, and start the game again.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: Now that pause could be something simple: a sit, look at me, a hand target, or even just keeping their forepaws on the floor.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: That prevents jumping.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this lesson is simple.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Responding to you does not end the fun.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: It actually unlocks more fun.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: It also helps to have an ending cue such as all done, right?
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: Because then your puppy knows that play training, whatever you want to call it, is over.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to say it calmly.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to put the toy away and help your puppy transition to something quieter.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's a food scatter.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's time for a drink and we go outside to go to the bathroom.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's uh chew time, maybe it's nap time.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: So beginning and ending cues are going to help your dog know and have more clarity around what's happening.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: And clarity helps puppies settle because they do not have to keep guessing whether the game is still on.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now keep your rounds short.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Puppies do not need a 20-minute play marathon to learn.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, one or two minutes of focused, happy interaction may be more useful than playing until everyone is tired and frustrated or wild.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes play can ramp a puppy up.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: So stop while your puppy is still successful and still wants more.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I'm going to teach you three games.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Game number one, chase me.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: Notice I said chase me.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not chasing the puppy.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: If you run toward your puppy, many puppies hear, great idea.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_00: Catch me if you can.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, make yourself exciting and you move away.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to clap your hands, use a happy voice, call your puppy once, and jog a few steps in the opposite direction when they catch you, celebrate with praise, food rewards, or another burst of play.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: This game teaches your puppy that moving toward you is exciting.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: You can practice first in a hallway, a fenced yard, or inside with a very few distractions.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: I like the hallway because it's narrow and your puppy, when they run to get whatever it is that they're trying to get, when they chase you, there's not a lot of different directions to go.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: You can have two family members take turns calling the puppy back and forth, or even five to six people in a circle calling your puppy back and forth between people.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you reward generously when they come to you and keep the distance short and the energy upbeat.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: You can lengthen that out as your puppy gets better at this game.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, a quick reminder: I want you to protect your recall cue.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't want you saying come, come, come, while your puppy ignores you.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to say it once when you're fairly sure, like 90% sure they can succeed.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Then use your movement away from them to help them make the right choice.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: Do not go towards them, you go away from them.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: So do not call them to you only for things they dislike.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: That will definitely ruin the cue, such as ending the fun outing or getting their nails trimmed or putting the leash on or going inside, that kind of thing.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: Coming to you should have a long history of good things.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I like to call them to me and then release them to go check out whatever it was they were checking out.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: So if they're out sniffing in the yard and they come to you, you reward them and then say, okay, go play again and send them off.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: And then you can have another opportunity to practice that recall again as you run away from them.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, game number two is tug.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Now, tug is a wonderful way to practice impulse control, cooperation, and letting go of an object.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now there are rules to tug.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Tug can go wrong, so we want to make sure we follow the rules of tug.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to choose a toy that's long enough to keep your hands away from those puppy teeth.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: So begin with your start cue, move the toy along the ground and let your puppy grab it.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Keep the motion side to side.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: We're not yanking upward or um aggressively, it's very calm and gentle, and we're matching the intensity to our puppy's size and comfort level.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: So after a few seconds, make the toy very still.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to say your release cue once.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe that's drop it or give, and place a food reward near your puppy's nose.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, the moment they let go of the toy, I want you to mark that choice with a yes, give them the food reward, and then restart the game.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: I like to even say get it.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: That's the start cue to this game.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Now, very quickly, your puppy begins to understand that releasing the toy does not make it disappear forever.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: Letting go is actually how we start the next round.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: And they'll love this idea.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: As your puppy improves, you can sometimes reward the release by bringing that toy right back to life instead of using food or other rewards.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Now that's a powerful lesson for your dog.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: Cooperation is what keeps this game going.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if your puppy's teeth touch skin or clothing, just pause.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: You do not need to scold or turn it into something big.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: The fun simply stops for a moment and then resumes when your puppy's ready to engage appropriately.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now, not all puppies can handle this game, and you need to do it at a level that they either can handle or try a different game.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: But tug can be really fun for lots of dogs.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now, tug should look loose and playful.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: If your puppy becomes stiff or frantic or unable to pause, I want you to lower the intensity or end the round.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: The goal of this game is not to wind your puppy up as high as possible.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is to practice moving from excitement back to thinking and then into excitement again.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: All right, the third game is find it.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: This is my dog's personal favorite.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: If your puppy loves food or sniffing, find it is going to probably be their favorite too.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to start really easy, okay?
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: Let your puppy watch you toss one piece of food a few feet away and say, find it.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: When they eat it, wait for them to turn back to you, mark that check-in with a yes, and then toss the next piece in a different direction.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: This little pattern gives you so much.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Your puppy gets to sniff and move and then practices reorienting to you.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I toss it away because that gives that puppy an opportunity to then look back at me and win again.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: And puppies love to win.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: You can use it as a reset when they're distracted.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: You can use this game as a warm-up before training.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: I like to use this when there's somebody that my dog wants to greet.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: If they get excited about a person, I can even have that person play this game with them.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_00: This can also be a calm activity after a more energetic game.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: So as your puppy understands the cue, make the search slightly harder by either tossing the food into grass or maybe you're hiding it under a cup or you're placing it behind some furniture, whatever you deem appropriate.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: It can be really fun to help them go find their food.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: So make sure you keep the difficulty appropriate.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: Again, we want the nose to work, but we don't want frustration.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: If your puppy gives up, make that next search easier.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: And you might need to help them a little bit to figure this out.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: This is a great way to feed them their meals if you want.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: You can actually put their food into small containers and hide that around the house and have them go find it.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: All right, the next game is hide and seek.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: This combines recall with problem solving and having fun as a family.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: So have someone gently hold your puppy while you hide somewhere super easy.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: This is maybe behind a doorway or around the corner, and then call your puppy once.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: When they find you, throw a party.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: You can reward with food, a toy, affection, or just even that little party could be enough, depending on what your puppy loves.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: Gradually choose harder hiding places, but keep the game fair.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: If your puppy's confused, you just make a sound or let part of you show.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: We're trying to build confidence.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: We're not trying to frustrate them.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: This is a great rainy day activity or a cold weather activity, and it teaches your puppy to listen for your voice and then actively find you.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: And those are useful habits long before you ever need them in an actual real life recall situation.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, game number five is fetch.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Many puppy parents accidentally teach keep away during fetch.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: We throw the toy, the puppy grabs it, and then we reach, chase, and we pry it away from them.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: But from the puppy's point of view, the best part of the game becomes avoiding us because that's super fun.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, have two very similar toys.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to throw the first one a short distance.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: When your puppy picks it up, show them the second toy and move away.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: As they come toward you, praise them.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: And then when they release the first toy, you toss the second.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: So if you can get them really excited about that second toy, they'll release that first toy.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: And then that's when you toss the second toy.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: So now returning to you again makes that chase happen and they love that part of the game.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: You can also trade the toy for a food reward and then give the toy back sometimes.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: I like to do this with my dog so that it prevents the idea that human hands always take their treasures away.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: We want our dog to learn that bringing things to me and releasing them is safe and rewarding.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: And that's a lesson that becomes especially valuable when they pick up something that they shouldn't have.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Now, once you start looking at play this way, training opportunities are everywhere.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: Before you toss the ball or the toy, wait until they have four paws on the floor or wait for that sit to say please.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: Before you open the gate to the yard, wait for a brief pause.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: And then during tug, practice take it and drop it.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: During chase me, you can reward your puppy for responding to their name.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: And during a sniffing game, you can practice waiting while you hide the food.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great way to practice stays.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now the key is to ask for skills your puppy can actually do in the moment.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: If your puppy is highly excited, this is not the time to request a long downstay or introduce something completely new, right?
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: We need to get them moving.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: But you can ask for one small success, like a sit to say please or a look at me and reward it with play and repeat.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: Now, over time, our puppy is going to learn that self-control is not the opposite of fun.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: Self-control is actually part of how the fun happens.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Play can also help with confidence.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: If you have a puppy who is unsure about a new surface, they might follow a rolling food reward onto it.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: Or a puppy who hesitates in a new room may loosen up during a familiar game with you.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: We never want to use play to lure a frightened puppy closer to something they are trying to avoid, but familiar, low pressure games can help them feel more safe and comfortable enough to explore.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: It might help them be a little more brave.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: Now always let your puppy choose distance and watch their body language.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: So here's your challenge for the week.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to identify your puppy's top two favorite kinds of play and then choose one everyday skill to pair with each game.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe tug becomes your way to practice drop it.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe chase me becomes your recall game.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe find it becomes the activity you use to help your puppy reconnect with you on walks.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: Now keep the session short, just a few minutes, and pay attention to what your puppy tells you.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: Are they happy?
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: Can they pause?
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: Do they come back for another round?
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: If the answer is yes, you are in a great learning zone.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: If not, I want you to make the game easier, lower the energy, or try a different kind of play.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now remember, you do not have to entertain your puppy every waking minute, and not every play session needs a training goal.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes play is just play, and that's okay too.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: But when you intentionally use a game your puppy already loves, you gain a reward that is interactive, portable, and deeply connected to you.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's a great way to build your relationship.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: All right, you guys, that's it for this week.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Happy training.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for tuning in today.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe so you never miss a training tip.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're enjoying the show, leaving a quick review really helps other handlers find us.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: For more training resources, tips, and support, visit me Amy Jensen at baxterambella.com.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, happy training.