Indoor Games

It happens a lot this time of year.  The weather gets cold and dark.  I get lazy.  Spoiled One starts tugging on my pant legs and bringing me shoes while Weasel heaves theatrical, despairing, sighs from whatever dog bed she is curled up in.

They're bored.

Lately, Demon Puppy adds her contribution.  She goes and sits by the back door.   I offer to let her out.  She declines.  Over and over.  Eventually, after a few minutes, the combined telepathic messages of three dogs asking "why do you have dogs if you aren't going to play with us?" wears me down and I start playing their indoor games.

Spoiled One's mostest favortest ever is "Get the puppy."  He bounces around and I chase after him, trying to catch him or grabbing at this legs.  He makes wonderful snarly faces and pretends to bite at me.  Weasel is too soft and gentle to wrestle with people, but she likes a bit of ticklebug. 

Another favorite is "Where is it?"  The dogs have to wait, out of sight, in a sit-stay, while I hide a toy.  Then, I release them and they race around to find whatever it is. 

These games all started out as training games.  Wrestling teaches the dog to have soft mouth around people and to exercise self-restraint, even when excited and involved in the game.  Ticklebug shows the dog that being touched unexpectedly is fun.  Where is It works on sit-stays, keeping the stay when I am out of sight, and competing without aggression.

I want to come up with some games to help teach Weasel to relax and connect with me better at trials, but that may be more of a massage type thing.  I wonder if I can find a book on TTouch.