Practice Presence with Your Dogs
With some dogs, it can be all about the face-to-face play. With others it is connection, touch and the sound of your voice. Often, the more involved you get in the play and with them, the more fun and present you are with them.
If your dog is new to the household, it may be trying several different things to find those one or two that are the ultimate winners. For those who have been a mainstay of your family, it is gearing the play around his/her/their favorite things by creating a modified version.
Short-Range Ball Roll
If you have ones that love to play a great game of fetch with a ball, then you may want to try this game that can be played inside or out. When done inside, it can be done in a relatively small living or family room. All you need is one ball and your
Dog(s). You can do a slow roll, add sound effects, count them down to the roll – all of which make it more difficult than a simple roll of the ball as it is asking your dog(s) to focus on more than one thing. So not only are they focused on the ball, what you are doing with your hands, the timing of the release, but also the music your singing, and the sounds you are making.
This one gives you the opportunity to get creative as no roll has to be the same. The more fun you have, the more fun they have as you are being present with them. Short-Range Ball Roll is one that can be fun for the entire family. Don’t be surprised if your dog asks for it again and again.
Brushing
As you may know, brushing is good for many things. This version of brushing opens the door for you to sink into a deeper level of presence with them by becoming immersed in the activity, offering gentle and calming strokes with the brush and fully connecting with your dog.
If you think of non-therapeutic massages, they tend to be relaxing and often have music to set the mood. Likewise, adding pet-friendly music can add to the relaxation for your dog along with create a very present encounter for you.
Hide and Seek
Yes, this fun childhood game can be played with your puppies as well as your fun-loving dogs. The key for you is to make sure you are not focused on your surroundings when hiding.
Your dog Is going to tune into their senses and focus on what clues or images you are giving out as you wait for them to find you. When just starting play, you can focus on an item in your space as a clue to them. As you do additional rounds of play, do your best to keep your focus on something not in the room or place you are hiding. If you have a second person in the house, this person can act as the distractor until you have had time to find your spot.
Toss and Roll
If you have two or more dogs and one tends to think all balls are theirs, you may need to get more creative. One way to do this is to toss a ball into the yard for them to chase and then roll a ball in the other direction for the other dog. Or the other way around, roll to the attention seeker and toss to the other.
This allows both to play with you and have face-to-face attention and interaction with you which keeps up the level of presence. Whether you toss the ball or roll it, you can make the games more difficult by slowing down your movements to be almost a slow-motion type of toss or roll with your hand. As these games go on, often the players begin to anticipate your actions, speed of release, and other aspects – so changing it up will keep it fresh and fun!
