All kids love to play games, all dogs love to play games, so why not get them together with a few fun games for dogs & kids? Send them out in the yard with a ball and some bubbles and then follow with your camera, because you are going to want to capture these really cute, fun and special moments. It is amazing how dogs know they need to be more gentle with kids than with you! Here are a few games your kids can play outside (or inside!) with your dog!
Related: Let the Puppy Training Games Begin!
5 Super Fun Games for Dogs & Kids
Fetch: It’s a classic for a reason! A stick, a ball, a frisbee, a stuffed toy, whatever your child decides is what they are going to play with. Kids and dogs can play this for hours! I know my daughter loves to play fetch with the dogs. She likes to fake them out too. “Here is the ball, see it? Now go get it!” she looks like she tosses it, but doesn’t. They run, and then can’t find it, it is actually quite hilarious at first, and then they catch on and you can’t do that anymore (until tomorrow!)
Tug of war: Another one of the classic games for dogs that kids can play! You dont have to go out and buy the new and shiny special dog toys for this game, (unless you have a really strong dog, but still, you can make this work for free). Got an old towel or an old T-shirt? Tie a couple knots in it and voila! You now have a tug toy! My mom sews a lot, so she always has extra pieces of fleece and fabric around, she makes them out of that all the time, and once they tear, just add another knot. They are good for letting them just gnaw on as well.
Related: Five Cool Games You Can Teach Your Dog
Soccer: Soccer with a dog is actually really funny and just cool to watch. All you need is a ball large enough that he can’t get a hold of with his teeth. My daughter has a few, you can get them at Wal-mart or Target. Your child kicks it, dog chases it, can’t grab it with his teeth, ends up nudging it with his nose and kicking it with his paws. It really is fun! My daughter runs around the yard for a while playing soccer with the dogs!
Hide & seek: You might have to help out with this one. Let your pup or dog sniff a piece of clothing that belongs to your child. Make sure your child is hidden before telling the dog to find him. Start out easy, like having your child hide behind a tree, a curtain or a couch. This will actually work your dog’s mental energy as well. Dog’s love this game as much as kids do, my dogs used to give away the hiding spots when the kids were playing! They used to get so mad, it was hilarious!
Bubbles: OMG I love playing bubbles with the dogs! Especially my mom’s Jack Russell! We use a bubble wand, it makes really big bubbles, and the dogs jump so high trying to pop them, and run around the yard trying to chase them before they pop. Everyone laughs, and I sit back and take slow motion video, it is pretty hilarious to watch! Just make sure you have fresh water out for them, the bubbles don’t hurt them, but they get thirsty!
It is so cute to watch kids and dogs play together! There is such a bond that grows between kids and K9s it really is like nothing else. What dog or child doesn’t like to play games? Who knows, maybe you can turn these dog games into a more rigid agility practice time! You could build a course in your backyard…I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s just start with fetch and bubbles.
What other games can kids play with dogs? Share your fun games for dogs below in the comments section!
