Party Games for Dogs

So you've decided to throw your dog a party. What should you do to entertain all your canine guests? Here are some of our favorite games at Canine Club Getaway, the resort vacation for dogs and the people who love them (www.canineclubgetaway.com):
--Musical Sit. This is a fun game reminiscent of the childhood "Musical Chairs" game, and it also helps reinforce obedience skills. Owners walk their dogs around in a circle, while music plays, and when the music stops, the dogs must sit. The last dog to sit is "out," and the game continues minus this dog. Keep eliminating the dog who is slowest to sit, until you have a winner. Be sure to have lots of praise and a great prize -- perhaps a stuffed toy, a treat, or ball -- for the winner.
--Tic, Tac, Paw. This is another training game that dogs and their owners can both enjoy, with the dogs acting as Xs and Os on an imaginary Tic Tac Toe board. Divide up all your dogs into two teams -- the "Sits"(which are Xs) and the "Downs " (which are Os). The first team to go sends a person and his or her dog to a spot, where the dog must either sit or down, depending on what team he/she is on. The other team will then send one member and his or her dog to sit or down in another spot, on this imaginary Tic Tac Toe board. Each dog represents an X or an O on the board. However, if a dog "breaks" position, that spot becomes empty again. The first team to get three dogs in a row wins.
--The Hot Dog Retrieval Contest. Each participant gets a hot dog. Now, draw two parallel lines on the ground, at least 10 feet apart. The first line is your starting line. Set up several people on the starting line with their dog (be sure they are at least 6-8 feet apart so the dogs have plenty of space between them). Each person then tosses their hot dog over the second line, and sends their dog to get it. Once the dog has the hot dog, the owner calls the dog back. The dog who brings back the biggest piece of hot dog without eating it wins. The object of this game is to get your dog to bring it back to you uneaten. Most dogs, of course, think the object of the game is to eat the hot dog as quickly as possible, so it's very entertaining to watch the people try to call their dogs back while the dogs try to cram as much of the hot dog into their mouth as possible while coming back slowly enough to enjoy the whole hot dog while still obeying their owner.
--Doggie Relay Games. Having a retriever party? Divide your dogs up into two teams and have a relay game using a ball, stick or toy. Set dogs up about 10 feet apart, then give a ball/toy/stick to the first dog on each team. The dog must bring the item to his/her owner who must give it to the next dog, who must bring it to his/her owner, who must give it to the next dog...do this for as many dogs as you have...the team that gets the toy to the "finish line" first wins!
--Bobbing for Apples. If you're having a Howl-a-Ween party, why not let your dogs bob for apples? Watching the dogs try to get the apples from the water is fun, and apples are also a great, healthy treat for dogs!
--Red Light, Green Light, 1,2,3. Just like in the childhood game, the "caller" turns his or her back on all the dogs, who should be standing at least 20-30 feet away at the starting line. The caller yells, "Red light, green light, 1, 2, 3" and turns around. The people and their dogs move as quickly as possible toward the caller, but when the caller turns around, all dogs must freeze. And dogs still moving must go back to the starting line. The dog who gets to the caller first without being caught moving wins.
Remember, dogs are social animals, and they love a party as much as you do! So keep them in mind when planning your favorite celebrations. Of course if you'd like to take your dog to a four-day-long dog party, check out Canine Club Getaway, the resort vacation for dogs and dog lovers, with dog games, sports, seminars and more! You can find us on the Web at www.canineclubgetaway.com