The Game
Everyone can agree that getting kids into sports has a ripple effect on their overall well-being. We want you to create a game that becomes a "sport" you can play with your dog. Not only is it great for physical health and conditioning, it is one of the best ways to enhance your relationship through cooperation and healthy competitiveness. When you fine tune your game to match your dog's play-style you will find that your dog's overall behavior and demeanor is more stable and your relationship becomes your dog's focal point.
Here is an example of The Game according to what Meg's dog Cable enjoys. Also in this video are examples of Windows of Opportunity which are advanced cues and markers we can add into our game later. Some of the advanced skills we teach our dogs once we have established love for "The Game" can include the ability to intensify or decelerate drive (energy) of the dog on cue, emotional fluency (be able to cope with the world better due to having biologically fulfilling outlets), and impulse control (being able to self-regulate despite something very tempting or distracting happening). These are called Windows Of Opportunity.
"The Game" can be used to train your dog literally anything, but to your dog it's not training...it's a game! There are certain aspects of dog play that may be more or less appealing to your dog. Your job is to figure out what makes them tick!
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The following is an excerpt from "Tug: A Deeper Perspective" by Jay Jack from Next Level Dogs" and explains the Aspects of Play...