Christmas is almost here. How will you celebrate the holiday? Do you want your dog to take part in Christmas festivities? Good news! We have a couple of Christmas games for dogs that you can play with your puppy.
Remember, all games are training. Games are not designed just so that your puppy can have free fun. They are also a method for training. Games make dog training fun and entertaining. Be a caring dog owner and make sure your dog is enjoying these games.
It is also important to remember to keep control. If your pet gets overly excited or frustrated, pause for a while. Let your dog calm down and relax in his own space. Games should never be punishment. Instead, they are a pleasant way to spend time together. Think of it as Christmas gift for your pup.
With that in mind, here are some Christmas activities for dogs.
Pass the parcel
This is one of the oldest fun party games. To play this fun game, you need one dog or more dogs. The idea is the same as with the original party game. You wrap up a tasty treat or a fun toy under several layers of wrapping.
If you go with a dog toy, go with a squeaky toy. To keep the dog interested in the Christmas game, leave some of his favorite kibble under each layer.
Sit back and watch as your crazy pup tries to go through all the layers. Film a Christmas video and post it on social media later on.
Treasure hunt
As you can see, most of the Christmas games for dogs work their nose. Why? Because dogs love nose games and sniffing. It works to their natural instinct to sniff and search for things.
Treasure hunt is similar to pass the parcel Christmas game for dogs. You simply hide treats around the house or in the garden. Some ideas include carrot sticks, apples, human treats, or anything that your dog loves.
Muffin tin scent
This is a favorite game of almost any dog trainer. You need a muffin tin and the equivalent number of tennis balls to fill all the holes.
Put one treat under each ball. Your dog can use his nose to find the right one. Make it interactive and give your dog commands like sit, wait, search, and more.
The game is great for dogs of all ages because it doesn’t require walking or running. Even your elder dog will love to sniff and find treats.
Always place the treats at the bottom of the muffin cups. And then tennis balls on top of the cups.
Catch
Here is a Christmas dog game you can play with your puppy and children. So, the trick is to teach the dog to catch.
How to do it? Hold a treat just above the nose. Your dog has to look up for it. Then, carefully drop it into his mouth making it easy to catch.
Once your dog gets the idea, gradually increase the level of difficulty. The end goal is to get to a point where you can throw a treat and your dog catches it.
Make it a fun game by having your kids throw treats. See how many your pup can catch.
Sandpit
Speaking about games you can play with kids and dogs during the holiday season, this one requires a children toy. Get your child’s sandpit or make a small area that can retain sand. Fill it with sand, and then bury your dog’s toys and other interesting things in it.
Let your dog sniff and find them. It is a great game you can play with your dog and teach them to stop digging in the wrong place in the garden. With this game, you can teach your dog when it is convenient to dig and focus where they can find treasure.
Plant pot
Here is a game similar to the muffin tin. You need three or more plant pots. Hide treats under each of them and have your dog find the pot with a treat under it.
Take some photos
Well, let’s finish off our list of Christmas activities for dogs with some fun things to do during the Christmas season. Simply take photos and videos of your puppy. Make some Christmas cards.
If you want to plan a Christmas party, capture the special moments with your puppy. Dogs are quite photogenic. And most cute puppies usually want to be in the center of attention anyway. So use it to your advantage.
During photos, you can also try and train commands like sit, give paw, lie down, jump, pray, and more.
