Dog Health Questions: What would be a fun game for puppy class?

I have puppy graduation tonight and I'm wondering what kind of game I could have the students do with their dogs... I usually do the musical chairs of dog training (where basically owners have to walk the dogs around the class room and when i say stop, they stop and whoever sits fastest wins) ..

anyone done another game in class or while teaching class?

Common Gun Dog Training Equipment

Recommended Answer:
If recalls were part of the class, having recall races is fun. That is what we did on the last day of a beginner obedience class.

They set up those movable gates so that the dogs had a little "guidance" towards their owners so they wouldn't get mixed up and start playing.

Have two go at a time and then the winners compete, and then the winners of the winners

Using Body Language in Your Dog Training

• Lots of games, always games espeically for puppy class.........one good one is pass the puppy ( pass the parcel) depends on the age of the puppies, these can be passed around a circle to each handler.......teaches socialisation skills with people
  or walked around on lead, music stops or better is a noise CD, which then teaches them not to be noise sensitive, which also teaching owners to realise it is often them which make their pup fearful of noises like fireworks, thunder etc...by not telling them until after that that is what the use of the CD was for and they are so busy consentrating they don't react...so pups don't react, puppy sits and stays, handler walks to next puppy in front and music starts again, teaches socialisation skills, also appreciation by handlers of not only their pup, but also other pups, teaches sits and stays, or down stays and separation from their owners, easier if the handler goes in front, but can go behind which is harder for the pup, but then teaches concentration & handler motivational skills and not pulling on the lead


• Puppy tic tac toe. Divide your class into two groups. One group is x the other o. Fastest puppy to sit, down or stand (you pick the command) gets to pick a square. Teams in the squares try and keep their puppy in the position that got them there to start with. If puppy breaks position then they have to leave the square. Three team members in a line wins.
  
  Puppy relay races. Each owner is given a spoon with a toy or treat. The spoon must be carries in the same hand as the leash. Puppy and owner walk a short obstacle course with loose leash expectations. If the treat or toy drops to the floor the team must start over. Team with the shortest time or least drops wins.
  
  Set up a short easy rally course with signs. I use the sit, down, forward, halt, left turn, right turn and serpentine signs. The team that gets through with the fastest time and least mistakes wins.
  
  Simon Sez is quite a big hit because people actually have to listen and pay attention to the commands.
  
  Fastest recalls. Takes a timer and a holder. Holder holds puppy while owner goes 30-50 feet away. Owner has to stay in a circle and get the puppy to come to her. Holder lets puppy go as owner calls puppy. Puppy must go up an touch owner so that the puppy can be leashed. Fastest puppy wins. Don't discount the small pups as they can run really fast for the treat.
  
  Have treats for the puppies (high value treats) and chocolate bars for the owners after all they deserve it.
  
  Have fun at your puppy graduation. I'm having mine in two weeks.


• Maybe:
  
  1. An obstacle course (as mentioned by someone else, good idea)
  2. An obedience competition. Whoever does the task for the longest, best form, etc. gets a treat!
  3. You could pass out forms that have interesting tricks rather than regular commands such as Sit, Lie Down, etc. you could have people teach their dogs, for example, whenever they say "Walk" the dog would get the leash.
  4. Do a Trick-or-Treat game. Have all the dogs line up and choose a random command. If the dog does it correctly, then he/she gets a treat!
  
  Good luck! These are only some games, so I hope you can find more!


• Obstacle course? Like do a little bit of walking, then like add in teh musical chairs and then move on to tunnels and easy stuff like that, my dogs loooove the tunnel, cant get them out of it. A corgi and an aussie play in there the second they see it. Any ways I love doing the obstacle courses, it promotes alot of master/puppy communication


• tag or fetch or a opsicale court