It's your puppy's play time, but control is the name of the game

Let's look to the future for a moment; ideally, you'll want your puppy to grow into an obedient and stress-free adult dog. That's why it's imperative that during games with your puppy, you teach him some control. This will certainly pay dividends in the future when there's bound to be a need to control him in excitable or stressful situations. And with you in control of the games, you're in control of your puppy. But remember, your puppy is still very young, and you should be patient with him as you help him to learn how to behave in a restrained way.

Some important "play and learn" games

Chase games

These games bring out your puppy's natural instinct to chase, so control is an important aspect. He will need to learn how to resist moving when a toy is thrown, for example, until you give him the command to fetch. And he'll have to get used to being asked to return, even though he's sprinting to retrieve his favorite toy.

Shake and "kill" games

These games often involve squeaky toys and place emphasis on your puppy's predatory nature, so some form of control is desirable. For example, teach him to stop "killing" the toy and drop it, and to return to you on command, even though he would love to keep it.

Tug-of-war games

These games will enable you to teach your puppy to stop pulling his ragger and let go at the command of "Drop!", for which you can reward with a treat. You should practice this little and often until he lets go of his toy immediately at your command.

Play time is just the beginning

Once you've helped your puppy to master the basics of control, you might consider something a little more advanced, such as joining a training club. Your vet will be happy to give you details of clubs and facilities in your area, as well as recommending detailed training books and, manuals.