Surviving Puppy Biting: Structured Play for Puppies
Continuing the Puppy Biting series, today we’ll look at how to play with your puppy in a way that minimizes biting and maximizes good behavior.
Last year, a puppy client told me she recognized her puppy needed something to do with his energy, but she couldn’t figure out what to give him. Structured Play is a wonderful option to include with training games and enrichment feeding.
Not only does Structured Play give your pup a physical outlet, but it also teaches your pup to calm down and listen after getting excited—this is such a crucial skill for successful adult dogs!
What Is It?
In a nutshell, Structured Play mixes play with training to keep things from getting out of control.
One of the reasons your pup may bite your arms or hands during play is because her excitement level is very high. By incorporating some training games into the playtime, you can interrupt your puppy’s excitement level before it gets too high.
How?
Structured Play is very easy and nearly every puppy can do it regardless of prior training.
Whenever you’re playing with your puppy, stop every few minutes and wait for her to look at you, Sit or lie Down and then resume the game.
Fetch, Tug and Flirt Pole are the three non-training games I play most often with puppies.
Fetch/Chase
(1) Play with two toys
Instead of fighting to get her to drop the toy, play with two toys!
Toss Toy 1 while holding Toy 2
When she returns with Toy 1, silently wait for her to drop it and then toss Toy 2
While she’s chasing Toy 2, grab Toy 1
Repeat.
Use toys of roughly equal value or there won’t be any reason for her to drop the special toy in favor of the boring one.
Incorporate Structured Play by waiting for Eye Contact, Sit or Down before tossing the toy.
(2) Keep it brief
Long games of fetch are tough on your puppy’s body and behavior. Toss it 1-3 times and then break for a mini training session. You decide when it’s time to stop!
Tug
Yes, Tug is okay to play with your puppy! It won’t make her aggressive or dominant.
(1) Use an EXTRA long toy
The longer the toy, the further your hands are from her teeth. Look for something 2+ feet long, OR create your own by tying a plush toy to the end of a leash.
(2) Let the puppy do all the tugging
Puppy bodies are still developing and need extra care. Rather than tugging back against your puppy, simply hold the toy and let her decide how much effort to exert.
Note how Rosebud’s head is level with her spine and all four feet are on the ground while she’s playing Tug.
(3) Keep her head in line with her spine and feet on the ground
Be gentle to protect her growing body! You’ll likely need to sit on the floor to keep the toy low enough that her head stays level with her spine. No acrobatics, flips, or “air” for puppies!
Incorporate Structured Play by trading the toy for a treat and offering the toy back after she Sits or lies Down.
Flirt Pole
Think giant cat toy. Watch Jovie play in this video.
(1) Play before mealtime
Any high activity games need to happen before mealtime as a precaution against bloat and gastric torsion.
(2) Short bursts of running
Only one to one and a half revolutions at a time, and give puppy plenty of opportunity to rest between bursts. Puppies do have energy and are active, but it’s not safe to push them to a level of activity they wouldn’t choose on their own.
(3) No sharp turns
Once you’ve started rotating, continue moving that same direction. Puppy joints aren’t ready for sudden changes of direction.
Incorporate Structured Play by trading the Flirt Pole for a treat and waiting for a Sit or Down before animating the toy again.
A Caution
There’s a fine line between adequately stimulating a puppy and over-stimulating a puppy. Both the over-stimulated and under-stimulated puppy will turn into biting land sharks.
As important as Structured Play is, adequate sleep is important too, and most puppies don’t give themselves enough sleep. I recommend several crate naps throughout the day—especially if you have a busy household.
