Fun and fitness can go together safely during puppyhood with these tricks. Our Basic Fitness Tricks and Games are:
- Downward Dog is also known as bowing
- Truckin' Dog is when you teach your pup to back up on command. Most dogs love this game!
- Then be sure to add in Adventure Walks and Swimming/Wading
Watch the videos below to learn to teach your pup how to do each trick and then go to work!
1. Downward Dog
Downward Dog is not only a fun trick but it's a great stretch, especially if you teach your pup to hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Once your pup knows how to do the bow, you can start to cue it with a word like "Yoga Dog" or "Take a Bow." (We try to avoid the cue "Bow" by itself because dogs often confuse it with "down.") You can also use a physical cue like bowing to your pup.
2. Truckin' Dog
Truckin's Dog is fun and useful, as you teach your pup to back away from you. It's also great for developing coordination! You can cue this trick with a word like "trucking" or "back up", or you can use a sound like the beep-beep of a backing truck. Some people also use a physical signal like shooing your pup back. NOTE: If you have a retriever puppy that you plan to run hunt tests with, do not use "back" as the cue for this trick.
3. Swimming or Wading
Swimming is a great way for our pups to use their growing bodies safely and get tired out! And we all know that a tired puppy is a good puppy. Look for safe swimming places in your area, such as pools, streams, lakes, or beaches but if you don't have those available, more and more dog-friendly pools are opening. Check out Swimply and search on dog-friendly or google "dog pools" near you. This video talks about the benefits of swimming. If you want to learn how to teach your pup to swim, go here.
4. Adventure Walks
Off-leash or long-leash walks in open spaces are important opportunities for our pups to just be puppies, and for them to fill their souls and ours with the joy of exploring the world. These walks also develop your pup's body, brain, coordination, confidence, problem-solving skills, and rapport with you. All good stuff! Watch this video for the basics and then take the Adventure Walk class for more on how to use these walks to teach your pup to follow you.
