Dogs and Kids – Games to Strengthen Their Bond
The will to play is something that unites dogs and children. The traditional dog activities of tracking, searching, and retrieving can easily be transformed into enchanting adventures that bring laughter to both you and your human companion. Shared adventures strengthen our bond, and fun and games are at their best when fairness, joy, and harmony prevail. This requires effort from us humans, as it is our responsibility to set the stage for play with fair rules, ensuring that everyone has fun. So, if you have a human and a dog, venture into the forest, and allow the magic of the trees to adorn your playing field. Let's try out some exciting activities!
Trail training and treasure hunt for dogs and children
Make tracks and hide treasures
You, my furry friend, will follow a trail on the ground and find a treasure. Your human has prepared a beautifully decorated box filled with goodies for you. We will lay the track together by walking in a line, and I'll hang colorful ribbons in the trees, just like Hansel and Gretel, so we can find our way back if we get lost. I'll bury the treasure among moss and leaves, leaving it to its fate in the whispering, mysterious woods. While you wait patiently, I'll hang an extra treasure (out of your reach) in a tree, a small symbolic gift for us humans.
Fill the waiting time with coffee and learning
While the track settles into the ground (about 30-60 minutes), we'll take a little break. I'll explain your incredible sense of smell to my human, as tracks are barely noticeable to them but fully perceptible to you. There's magic in that, isn't it? I'll also tell them how scent tracking works, the track start, and how we'll communicate during the adventure. They'll be eager to see you in action!
How to start tracking
Now it's time for scent tracking! I'll walk with my human towards the starting point. If they can, they'll let you harness yourself, attach the long rope, and hold on to it. If they need to help you, they'll hold the long rope and your hands for safety reasons. Then they'll point to the ground, sniff at it, and tell you to "track." Off we go on our exciting journey!
For less experienced tracking dogs like you, I'll encourage you with gentle praise and reinforcement by following along in the track to ensure your success. For confident trackers like you, it's important to reduce the speed so my human can safely follow. When you find the end of the track, we'll become a cheer squad, and then I'll help my human take down the treasures from the tree, shifting focus from you, who might want to enjoy the treasure alone.
Practicing tracking in everyday life
If we don't have much time or the opportunity for a long adventure, I'll lay the track myself and let it settle while my human does other things. Then we'll go out together, and they can follow the track with you. Sometimes, the motivation and curiosity of humans increase when the end of the track is uncertain. We can leave a dog chew and a deck of cards as the treasure at the end. A dull weekday becomes fun with a card game in the forest, accompanied by the sound of you, my loyal friend, crunching a bone. It can be as easy as that!
- If you're unsure of what to do, I'll drag a treat along the track to reinforce your interest in sniffing along the ground. After 3-4 treasure hunts, you usually catch on.
- If you easily find your treasure, I'll make it more challenging by laying a long track, with the time between laying the track and you following stretching to an hour or two. We'll zigzag, jump on rocks, go around trees, or climb over a mountain to challenge your nose even more.
Necessary track equipment
- Harness
- Long rope
- Clothespins with colorful ribbons
- A box with dog treats/chew toys
- Small treasures to hang in the trees
The dog game where children hide
Introduction to paging with dogs
Where did you go? Stay close, don't let go of my hand, walk straight home. Your disappearance is my human's worst nightmare. Search and Rescue is quite often a dog's job. So, let's turn it into a game! At the same time, we'll teach my human something that can calm their worried minds a bit. Your ability to find them can be of great value if someone wonders off.
Preparing for the search activity
We'll head to the forest, choose a clear area with moderate hiding places, perhaps a beautiful flower-filled meadow. We'll walk through the search area together, zigzag, chase each other, and have fun. My human will let me burn off some energy before the stillness and silence of hiding take over. This way, it will be harder for me to track them; as Search and Rescue is about searching via airborne scent.
Then I'll be tied up under supervision while my human instructs them on where they can hide within the search area. My human will provide them with my favorite toy or tasty chew toy and ask them to go hide, but not too far. They'll tiptoe to the hiding spot from the back of the search area, so they don't walk straight out from the starting point with me, as that usually results in scent tracking instead of search.
Let the dog search in the right wind
I'll make sure my human positions themselves downwind, so their scent easily reaches the path from which I'll be released, a so-called baseline. When they are in place, giggling and whispering turned into thrilling anticipation, I'll be at the front of the search area with you, waiting for the signal.
When my human feels I'm focused and eager, they'll release me and say "search" (they might also add their names) and let me loose. I'll then rely on my amazing sense of smell to find them.
Get the dog to show where the children are
When I find them, it's their task to praise and reward me. Once I'm satisfied, my human will call me back and leash me while they sink back into the hiding spot. Now it's up to me to show them where they are. They'll say "show me" and follow me to their hiding place.
If I hesitate, my human will ask them to call me; that usually gets me going. We'll practice search every other weekend, and soon my ability and interest in the task will grow, putting us on the path to having a superb child-rescue dog in the family.
Regular search training for dogs and children
Using my ability in critical situations when someone is lost is a given; today, there is no technology that beats my nose in these situations! But my motivation to perform the task may vary, so we'll practice in a playful way to encourage it.
My human won't make it more complicated than it needs to be. They'll let you hide my food in their pockets instead of the bowl. They'll hold the collar and sip their coffee while sitting with a crossword puzzle while you hide. Then they'll let go after 2 minutes and let me do the work. We can mix hide-and-seek games with more formal Search and Rescue; I know that when my search harness is on and the forest becomes the stage, the learned concept of finding and showing them prevails.
- If I'm inexperienced, my human will have you hide at a short distance from the baseline and coax me a little at first. I usually catch on quickly, and then we can make it more challenging with longer distances and trickier hiding places.
- With my human's company or walkie-talkies, the hiding places can become more challenging for both you and me.
- When I become confident in the task, my human will let you hide as you wish (as long as it is safe). You can climb up a tree, bury yourselves in a pile of leaves, or anything creative!
Equipment for search activity
- Search harness (I'm loose or on a long rope during the activity)
- Rewards
- Long rope if needed
The dog as a messenger in fun games
Sending messages between camps
This game involves camps and secret messages using me as the courier. To make it all more enjoyable, we'll create two campgrounds, Camp A and B, at a suitable distance from each other. We'll start preferably in an open area, so we can see each other.
My human will decorate your Camp B with colorful flags, a cozy blanket, a basket of dog treats, small pieces of paper, and pens. They'll tell you the story of how dogs were once used to send important messages. A tale from a time when dogs were not only humans' best friends but also their most important guardians, sharpest hunters, and their mobile phones!
Then, I'll be equipped with a message-collar around my neck, an elastic band equipped with a small tube with a lid. In the tube, they'll put secret messages to each other, small drawings, a flower, or a fun quote. If I like to carry things, a box of surprises for you might also suit this activity well. My task will be to run to your Camp B on a given signal, taking the shortest, safest route.
Release the dog and give the signal
When it's time to start, my human will raise their hand to catch your attention, shout "Camp B, are you ready?" and let you answer "Yes, we are!". They'll give a thumbs up, and you'll give thumbs up in return. When they feel I'm focused, excited, and eager, they'll release me and say "go" and point out your Camp B. If I'm unsure, they'll have you cheer and wave with the rewards until I head out in the right direction.
Safe arrivals in bidding games
I usually love being a messenger. When I grasp the concept, I might come into camp at high speed, so my human will practice "Sit/Down" as the final behavior upon arrival to avoid collisions and accidents. They'll simply ask you to cue me to "sit" or "down" before rewarding. If you're small, you can throw the reward to me to slow me down when coming close.
Send the dog back to the camp
When I've enjoyed the reward, it's time to open the tube, take out the message, and put in the reply. An older child can leash me and deal with the reply, focus me, and then send me back to Camp A, my starting point. While a younger child may feel more comfortable skipping the process and instead pointing and shouting "run to mom/dad" and sending me back directly.
When I'm confident in my task, and if you feel safe, we can increase the distance between the camps and introduce terrain between us. Removing the sight of Camp B makes the task more challenging for me.
Report training in everyday life and excursions
I usually learn to be sent between family members relatively quickly if you add everyone's names to the cue "go" early on. Stand in a large circle, with everyone having dog treats in their pockets, then send me from one person to another by pointing and saying "go" + the person's name. With time and practice, I'll learn who I act as a messenger for and can then be used to send messages and items between you on future outings or in everyday life.
There is excitement in hearing the sound of my determined paws when I come rushing and sit in front of you. Revealing a message on a piece of paper in the tube, you'll know what to do next. It's hard to resist doing what I tell you to. Have fun!
- Your Camp B can also be moved during training; that is, when you send me back to my starting point, you can sneak away and set up camp at a new spot a little further away. This further challenges me as I have to search for the new camp when returning to it.
- New locations challenge me and ignite your curiosity. Equipping me with a backpack and putting in report equipment, a blanket, and a water bottle can add excitement. We can walk to new locations, discover our surroundings from a camp perspective, and turn it into a day trip.
Equipment for report training
- Message-collar (I'm loose during the activity)
- Paper and pencil
- Rewards
- Camp markers
Adapt for safety between child and dog
Remember, I'm your dog, and I want to have fun with you! Adjust your expectations of what I can do and ensure that the activities are enjoyable to spark my interest in fun dog games. Let go of the vision of perfect message delivery; instead, focus on having fun together!
Small human - large dog: It is not always the case that humans and dogs match in size or energy level. To maintain safety between a large dog and a small human, train me to follow your cues like "sit" and "down." Practice this beforehand, at home, in the yard, in the forest before using them as an ending during messaging. This way, even small humans can feel a sense of control and security in relation to me.
Show a smaller human how to throw rewards away from themselves, so I expect the reward at an appropriate distance from them.
Teach children to understand and speak dog language
It's challenging to play together if you don't understand what I say, how I feel, or what I want. Read our article Dog language - learn how to interpret and speak dog language for your child, then there are the conditions for the child to be able to "speak" with dogs in dogs' ways and also understand what the dog is trying to say. This will help you "speak" dog and also understand what I'm trying to say. It's a great tool giving our dog-human relationship a new depth. Taking dog language lessons is a wonderful gift for you!
Training me together is an excellent opportunity for you to practice your dog language skills. How can you tell if I'm having fun? What does it look like when I'm uncertain? What do I look like when I understand what you mean? Ask open questions, and you will undoubtedly be impressed by your ability to read me.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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