# what are good games to play with a 9 week old puppy?



## Setter (May 5, 2009)

Hi, I wonder if anyone can tell me some good game ideas to play at home with my 9 week old puppy? As he can't go out yet he needs to burn off some energy. We play with his toys and avoid doing tug of war and he also gets really nippy with my 4 yr old.


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## lifeizsweet (Jun 7, 2009)

I play hide and seek with Bramble, tag (Although if he's nippy maybe not the best idea) and fetch


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## Nonnie (Apr 15, 2009)

Hide and seek is a great one. Helps build a good bond aswell.

Hiding treats under things and in various places can get them thinking.


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## Bex190 (Jun 30, 2009)

Otto is very food driven so that's what most of his games revolve around.

I throw small handfuls of his dry food onto the lawn for him to sniff out, hide pieces of apple around the room for him to find and do lots of basic training with him which he enjoys.

He also has a football with ropes round it that we play with outside as well as playing fetch with smaller toys and he loves to catch bubbles when I blow them for him.

I hope that gives you a few ideas you could try.


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## lemmsy (May 12, 2008)

Hide and seek is brilliant


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## james1 (Sep 21, 2008)

i played games like sit, come and fetch - along with lets get to the door to stop you peeing on my carpet, was his personal fave I think


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## corrine3 (Feb 22, 2009)

i do biscuits on the grass too  also a biscuit ball is good, keeps them going for a while and they can do it on their own. i also hide biscuits round the house to be sniffed out. i think these games are mental so tiring in a different way and it gives u peace for a wee while


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## james1 (Sep 21, 2008)

yes thats always a good one  even better when you ask them to find it after smelling your hand


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## ad_1980 (Jan 28, 2009)

hide and seek is great.

You could teach him to fetch and throw a toy around the house. that'll get him running and burning cals


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## Setter (May 5, 2009)

Thank you everyone. have tried some hide and seek but haven't quite mastered it yet, haha


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## Johnderondon (Jul 6, 2009)

Free shaping with a clicker.


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## Nicky09 (Feb 26, 2009)

Hide food around the house get them to sniff it out, you hide and call him works on their recall which is always good, a few gentle games of fetch


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## sitmeanssit (Sep 2, 2009)

My dog when he was 9 week or so old. Apart from a tiny bit of ruff and tumble, by that I mean just gentle play fighting. I used to play a little bit of fetch with him. Its probably the best game to teach the dog. Reasoning is a dog will nearly always have more energy for play than you. Throwing a stick or ball is easier for you than it is the dog. 

Ps Ruff and tumble has its downsides, bites etc. And can make the dog think biting you is ok. Which is a clear NO.  have fun with your 9 week old fluff ball.


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## xxwelshcrazyxx (Jul 3, 2009)

I was getting Ice Cubes from the freezer for my drinks and one dropped on the floor, before I could bend down to pick it up Crystal (my long haired chihuahua puppy at 10 weeks old) had pounced on it, sending it across the floor in the kitchen, she thought this was fun and started to paw it around then chase it around the kitchen over and over, I had to keep mopping up the little puddles just incase she slipped on it, but she had fun for 10mins, until it started to melt and was half the size it started out at, then she just sat there and looked at it for a while before going back into her bed for a sleep lololololo


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## DebsPink (May 21, 2009)

I would like to play fetch with Ginny, but she doesn't get it yet. She run and gets the ball/toy, brings it back and then just sits and chews it. Sometimes she tries to nip my hand if I try to take it off her to throw again. She's 14 weeks now.

I hide treats (actually the free Science Plan food the vet gave me!) under or wrapped in a tea-towel.



Johnderondon said:


> Free shaping with a clicker.


I'd like to know more about this please!

Debs x


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## Setter (May 5, 2009)

DebsPink said:


> I would like to play fetch with Ginny, but she doesn't get it yet. She run and gets the ball/toy, brings it back and then just sits and chews it. Sometimes she tries to nip my hand if I try to take it off her to throw again. She's 14 weeks now.
> 
> I hide treats (actually the free Science Plan food the vet gave me!) under or wrapped in a tea-towel.
> 
> ...


Yes that happens to me too, Rueben just then chews whatever he has brought back and sometimes he just stares st me when I say fetch, lol


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## Colsy (Oct 3, 2008)

You could start reward training it worked for us.
The basic's ie sit,down and then just continue.
Hunny B was very quick at learning this especially high fives.


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## Johnderondon (Jul 6, 2009)

DebsPink said:


> I'd like to know more about this please!


An advantge of shaping over, say, luring is that the dog exercises its mind a lot more. It is estimated that a 5 minute clicker/shaping session is as draining as 20 minutes physical exercise.

Firstly you must get the dog clicker 'savy'. Click before every meal (handfeeding speeds things up as you can click each mouthful). Once the dog 'gets' the clicker then you can begin to shape the behaviours that you want.

Loads of good info on google and youtube

freeshaping - Google Search


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## Birdie Wife (Mar 30, 2009)

Simple "chase and catch me" is also really good as a recall conditioning exercise to get puppies thinking that running towards you is the best fun ever  you can add in a command afterwards but only when the pup is actually running towards you - don't give the command when they are doing anything else to try and get them to run towards you - it's all about conditioning at this age, not obedience.

They can pick up tricks quite easily too - if you see them doing something fun (and cute ) like pawing the air, give them a command when they are doing the action and then treat them - after a few goes they will associate the comand with the action.


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## Setter (May 5, 2009)

Thank you everyone, I am trying them all


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2009)

How about the recall relay?
You can make it fun and it'll help to burn energy and train him to come to his name as well. You can never start this too early IMO
You will need a friend to help...........simply stand a few meters from each other and call the puppy in turn to come to you and reward with a tasty treat.


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