Name that toy for dogs: how to play
Teach your dog the names of their toys, then ask them to fetch one by name from a pile.
- Time
- 5 min
- Energy
- Medium
- Space
- Small room
You'll need
- 2 to 5 very different toys
- treats
Set up
Your dog already picks up and brings toys to you. Choose two toys that look and feel very different.
How to play
Play with one toy only, saying its name each time you hand it over: "Bunny!"
Put the named toy on the floor alone. Say "Get Bunny". Reward when your dog picks it up.
Add the second toy a metre away. Say "Get Bunny". Reward only for the right toy.
If your dog brings the wrong toy, say nothing, put it back and make the next try easier.
Once they choose right 8 out of 10 times, teach the second toy's name the same way.
Mix the two, then slowly add a third toy.
House rules
- Teach one name at a time.
- Wrong toy means try again with an easier setup, never a scold.
- Make it easier
- Make the named toy much more exciting, or put the other toy farther away.
- Make it harder
- Put the toys in another room, or build a pile of five and name one.
Signs it's having fun
Your dog looks at the pile, thinks, picks one and trots back proudly.
Stop if you see
Your dog grabs randomly, keeps bringing nothing, or walks away.
Safety
Safety- Use toys too big to swallow and check them for loose parts.
Sources
Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.
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