# Outside puppy fun?



## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

I need some suggestions on what to do outside with Luke. He seems to prefer to pick up and chew every piece of bark that has fallen into our yard (and we have alot of big trees). Sometimes he and Draco will play in the yard. I can't really get him to play with toys alot outside though. He has zero interest in balls and fetching (sadly, we are quite disappointed in this, but we will work on it). 

When Draco was a baby, he was already a fun fetching machine! I Love to play fetch him him, and am truly at a loss on what to do with Luke. Help please! 

We do work on leave it and training outside, but what other Fun things/games could we do?


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## Shadoo (Jun 8, 2016)

Tug is always a great game to teach your pup, it also helps with teaching "let go"!

You could also do some treat hunting games to work out the pups nosey. :3


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## seminolewind (Mar 11, 2016)

I tie a toy on the end of a buggy whip and get her to chase it back and forth. My puppy picked up fetch really quick. 

Treat hunting sounds real good.


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## Tarnation101 (Mar 25, 2016)

I 100% understand where you're coming from. I have 2 puppies, and it's like bark is THE most treasured thing on the planet. I have had them now for about 10 weeks, but I haven't been able to stop the bark chewing habit, despite their toys. 
Unfortunately I don't have a lot to add (because they mostly play with each other outside and run like maniacs), but I just thought I'd chime in and tell you that you're not alone! When we first got our pups, they'd ignore us just to chew on sticks/bark/everything, and they were completely uninterested in fetching/playing with any of their toys.
Though...Rina, my girl, now loves loves love to fetch the ball. So it's possible your puppy will learn, especially if he sees his big brother doing it. My boy, Neo, isn't as ball-focused and is more of a tug/toy wrestle kind guy (also because his sister is faster, and no matter if I throw 2 balls, they go for the same one and she always gets it first).

So maybe try games of tug, tag (which I'm not sure if you're 'supposed' to do, but I used to run around and the pups used to chase me and when they caught up to me we'd have a big session of pats and kisses, and then off I'd go again around the yard - I looked/sounded like a crazy person, but the pups were happy - I do that less now though). I also agree with Shadoo - maybe some treat hunting games would be great. Sorry I don't have a lot more to add, I look forward to hearing more from others too


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Tug, Chase me, Hide and Seek, Follow the Leader, I'm Coming to GET You!, Hunt the Treat - we played all of them when mine were pups, and still do sometimes! Sophy has turned the Find game into something of a career, and will find people she knows or the cats if I name them, which is an extremely useful skill.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I think we are leading parallel lives with Lily and Javelin here and you with Draco and Luke there. Lily, like Draco, was a tremendously driven fetcher from day one so we always could play fetch outside with her. Javelin never quite caught onto it so well (probably because if Lily was also in the yard she took it over). Even now although he will go and pick up a thrown toy he totally is clueless about bringing it back.

Javelin does love his flirt pole toy and as seminolewind described you can make them easily enough too. For Luke I would just drag it on the ground rather than making him jump up for it. I don't play with the flirt pole if there is more than one dog out in the yard. All three of mine have pretty strong prey drives and that toy definitely puts them in that mode.

When Javelin was a baby dog last summer I spent a fair amount of time in the yard just playing follow me kinds of games if no one else was around and if BF was home we would call him back and forth to us. It wasn't the most exciting thing in the world, but it did give him a good recall and strong centripetal attraction for both of us.


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## sidewinder (Feb 3, 2016)

I really need the info in this thread! My little guy doesn't have anybody else to play with...the Scotties all think he's a pest. He has been making good decisions in interacting with the Scottie ladies and not bugging them too much. He'd love for them to play with him, but he seems to know that it's a lost cause.

Mackey is such a cooperative little guy (so far). 8 1/2 weeks old. He's only been on a lead for 2 days, and he's doing pretty well with that. If he puts the brakes on, I can always get him walking again with a piece of kibble. I'm not expecting him to do anything but stay with me while we walk, he can go ahead or behind or left or right. Just keep up and not pull. We haven't needed any high value treats yet, he seems to be good with what we have (again...so far). We're working on "sit", and an automatic sit instead of jumping, so I'm trying to really notice when he runs up to me and sits (he does this so neatly...all his feet tucked in...cute) instead of running up and bouncing off my legs. Usually it's run joyfully towards me, bounce, jump up and down, then when no results from that, sit and look up at me, smiling. Then he gets pets and praise and maybe a cookie. Love this happy dog.

Right now, his play area is our back yard, which is all concrete. There's a deck along the back of the house with a stairway on each end (about 4 steps) down to the concrete. So it's really fun to race around to one stair, go up, race to the other, go down, etc, round and round. But I do need some more interactive games to play with him! Later this summer, I hope to fence in a big play yard for all 4 dogs but right now, the concrete is it for free play.

At least there's not usually pieces of bark for him to eat!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

sidewinder said:


> I really need the info in this thread! My little guy doesn't have anybody else to play with...the Scotties all think he's a pest. He has been making good decisions in interacting with the Scottie ladies and not bugging them too much. He'd love for them to play with him, but he seems to know that it's a lost cause.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Will you be taking classes with him? Perhaps you can meet some peers for him to have play dates with? Having much older sisters when she arrived, I cannot tell you how essential small dog playgroups and dog parks were for Timi's development. 
If I do get that puppy this summer, I am really looking forward to having two poodles that will be at the same play level (but with Timi being old enough to set a good example) - I know without a doubt that this puppy will be twice as easy to raise as Timi, whom I really had to make lots of effort to give the proper experiences to!


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Buck enjoyed larger balls as a puppy. I can't count the number of soccer balls he's killed. There was no pressure to bring it back and he would chase, push or tumble over it. Chuck-it makes a larger terry cloth ball and ring which are quiet inside too. Did a lot of recall work disguised as fun. He could explore and then I would call him back for a check in and treat or hug and he could go back to exploring. I still love playing "find me" with him. No SPOO puppy should be without a flirt pole. They can follow it, drop it, tug it, chew it and later leap for it.


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## bigpoodleperson (Jul 14, 2009)

Thanks everybody! Sounds like I will be going to the store tomorrow to get a whip.  What seems to be a good toy type to tie to the end of it?

Luke will be interactive with toys if I play with him inside, but if he likes it alot and I'm not actively playing then he likes to go lay down in a "safe" spot with them. 

I tried today to play with his favorite toys outside, and he really wasn't interested. Silly boy.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I would put something soft and floppy for a flirt pole type toy. Javelin's has a toy with braided fleece material and it has loose ends. For Luke just drag it across the ground. When he gets older then you can make it fly around.


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