Play ideas for kids and dogs (doodles)? IE - Training my kids.

[HeatherA]

Hello Ladies and Gents,

We have a full house.. 3 kids -- ages 6, 3.5y, and 18m.. with number four due in 2 months.  We also have two young Goldendoodles.  Veruca is 1yr, and Violet is 10 weeks.

I know it sounds simple, maybe even silly.. but I need games and ideas on how the kids can play with the dogs that DOES NOT encourage nipping hands, jumping up, wrestling, etc.   My problem is that kids and puppies play very similar.  They run, they chase, they lunge with their hands/paws, they tackle.   This undermines our training with our furry family members, and as a result, Veruca still jumps up when she's excited and wants to greet/play.

I realize the issue is not Veruca.  She is getting mixed messages between what the humans allow her (encourage her) to do.  I am drawing a blank for ideas on how to show the kids to play with our dogs, and enjoy them, without getting them insanely worked up and encouraging bad behaviors.   I want them to enjoy the dogs, but in a way that doesn't undermine their training - so we all enjoy their company. 

I am looking for recommendations of games, books that include "training through play", and family friendly games young kids can enjoy with the dogs.  Help?   (For example my trainer suggested playing fetch, but tying a rope to the fetch object so the dogs can't nip little hands.  The rope keeps the hands further from the dogs toy so it reduces the chance of the dog catching thier hand if they try for the toy.)

As of right now, the kids go to bed pretty early - between 7:30 and 8pm.  We're night owls, usually up for another 3-4 hours at least.  My husband and I make sure we have alone time with each dog after hours, working with them on training and reinforcing the behaviors we like to see... as well as enjoying the quiet time. ;)

Thanks!

Heather

[Lindsey, Lee, Whopper and Simba]

Hi. I don't have kids but these may be a couple ideas that would work. One is have the kids play hide and seek. It will mentally stimulate the dogs and the kids may enjoy watching. They just hide treats around a room and then instruct the dog/dogs to go "seek" them. As the dogs get better and better at finding things, the kids can get more creative with hiding. Another alternative is to have the kids start teaching them names of specific toys. They can set out a toy and tell Veruca to get that toy by name. Once she has it they can tell her to leave it and the game doesn't continue until Veruca does. This will prevent them from grabbing it out of her mouth, then they can put it somewhere else and tell her to get it by name, etc. Once she has one object down, you can increase the number of items. Put a ball next to a bone and tell her to get one by name etc. I'm sure those with kids will have some other ideas but these may help you out a little.

[HeatherA]

Thanks -- I have seen the hide and seek in action, and I bet the kids would like the teaching game. I guess I would send them off with treats, holding Vee and let them call her? Building up to her figuring out "Go Seek" means to find the kids. I'll look online for some guidelines for training how to play. I saw a game on Animal Planet while I was looking.... "Take it, Drop it" Where the owner would tell the dog to take a toy, then drop it, to take the next toy (cycling between 3+) toys. It was an exercise to teach the dog drop it, and lose possessiveness about toys.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

We did the take it, drop it with Peri and she is great with those commands now. Those would be really good to teach her and work with your kids on....
Try "leave it" also. Put a treat on the floor next to your foot and say leave it - start out covering it with your shoe so you are not setting her up to fail. The second she looks at you, give her praise and a treat. This is a good one also. You can tell her to "leave it" if she starts running toward your infant in a few months - it works with so many situations. It gets them to pause, leave what they are doing/wanting/pursuing and look at you, the owner.
I guess you are asking about training your kids....I like the hide and seek one as Lindsey suggested.

[HeatherA]

Well training the kids and the dog. Training that young kids can do... healthy play that the kids can be encouraged to do with the dog to result in positive time for the kids and dog. (Instead of their current patterns)

Vee is very eager to please, like many Doodles, so I know if I can teach the KIDS the right games... I can set them both up for fun times that isn't encouraging undesirable puppy behavior (nipping, jumping up, etc)

I just hit a blank when my 6 year old is running around playing with the dog, screaming, getting himself and her worked up. I want to redirect him without discouraging him from playing with the dogs. I can't think of alternate ideas in the moment, so I wanted to have an arsenal of ideas. ;)

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Could your 6 year old teach "shake", "high 5", etc...
My niece came in town over thanksgiving - Peri was only 7 months old and I had been teaching her sit, shake, high-5, etc... I taught my niece how to do it and she was only 5 at that point. She was having Peri sit, shake, etc...by the time she left. Peri was patient and wanted that treat!

[HeatherA]

My 6 year old definitely could. I am searching Amazon for a kid friendly dog training book, I have a few with pictures, step by step in my cart.. they should work. But I am trying to come up with more ideas like the hide and seek that was suggested of actual "games" they can play too. When I told my 6 year old about playing hide n seek with Vee he was asking when we can start :) Plus I think even my three year old can play hide n seek with her.

Thank you all for these ideas!

[Marcy, Girls and Ruby]

My kids were quite young when I got my doodle too and ran into similar problems. Now that they are slightly older, 8 and 6 yrs. they really like to train her. I taught them our positive reinforcement with treats. They think its great fun training her. They also put her on the leash in the house and practice walking with her. A game I was told about that is similar to "hide and seek" is get 3 large plastic cups.....put a treat under one of them and shuffle them around....then let Vee pick which one has the treat.
Another silly game the dog can be involved in is....say it's hairbrushing time and no one wants to be first....line them up and tell them they have to be silent. Then bring Vee over, whoever Vee touches first with her nose goes first. This can be used in any situation as a sort of "doggie eeny meeny miny moe". That idea was from a children's book we read.
My kids have also learned to brush her. Like massage her and she melts. They also play pretend Vet on her. Those are good if Vee will sit still of course. My doodle is 5 now and a little more mellow :-)
Good luck!!

[HeatherA]

I will definitely show them the treat under the cup game... The kids will enjoy it, and I am sure Vee won't have any complaints. ;)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

My little Niece was 3.5 when we first got our girls .... it was rough in the beginning until she learned that if she runs and screams that they are going to chase her and nip at her and scratch her. So, I started with training her that she has to be calm. Understand she wasn't here all the time like yours are. But once we got through that, then she started learning to help train the girls (and she loved it, even at 3.5). We did the "leave it" and "take it" with treats in our hands and the "sits, downs, stay" etc. The cutest thing in the whole world is one of my Doodles that bigger than her sitting when she tells them to. Here is what they played with Emma that last time she was here! This is my two girls and a foster we had at the time.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

This picture is priceless! How many dogs are there who would go along with this...our Doodles never stop amazing me. I'm betting your niece must love visiting you and the girls.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Yes, you can tell just how thrilled Sophie (chin on the floor) is about all this playing! She hates even a bandanna but she will let Emma do just about anything with her. My niece loves coming over to play. It is so funny when she visits, you ask her what she wants to do and she always just says stay home and play. She doesn't want to go to McD's for lunch, nothing, just stay and play. I think her regular world is filled with too many activities and running around .... she would just stay in her jammies all day and play!

[Leslie J]

What a fabulous, classic picture!