Fun Games to Play with Your Independent Dog

Some dogs are just comfortable doing their own thing and there’s not much you can do to convince them to do what you think they should be doing. You know your dog will never take to all these game suggestions on the Internet. They will just carry on doing their own thing. Your dog knows best, so we’ve come up with a list of fun games to play with your independent dog (on their terms of course).

Human fetch.

We’re sure this is the independent dog’s favourite game. I’ve played this game with many dogs in my life, and it’s always a winner.

How to play:

1. 
Throw toy

2. Watch dog run towards the toy

3. Watch dog sniff toy, then change direction and run away from toy

4. Go and fetch the toy yourself

5. Repeat steps 1-4

Human Fetch – endurance edition

This game is similar to the above, but great if you want to exercise your dog plus do a little cardio.

How to play:

1. Throw toy
2. Watch your dog pick up the toy and run towards you
3. Watch your dog run past you and initiate a play bow
4. Try to grab the toy.
5. Watch dog sprint off
6. Run after your dog.

Be walked by your dog.

I’m sure that my dogs love nothing more than taking me for a walk. It is the only way to explain how they persist in pulling me everywhere despite my attempts at getting them to walk nicely. There are only three steps to this game, and your independent dog will love it.

How to play:

1. Get dog ready for walk
2. Embrace the excitement of being taken on a walk – you don’t know what route you’re going to take, it just adds to the fun!
3. Get out your phone to map your way home – you’ll have no idea how you ended up where you did. 

Accidental Chase.

This is a game that I don’t deliberately play with my dogs, but it seems that if you try not to play this game, you’ll definitely end up playing it at some point with your independent dog.

How to play:

1. Buy yourself something nice and put it out of reach of your dog
2. Catch your dog chewing on it
3. Briefly marvel at how they managed to succeed in getting this object
4. Try to calmly retrieve the object
5. Accidentally activate your dog’s chase mode and desperately try to get the object back before it is covered in slobber

Bonus game:

Human Fetch, Water Edition

(We recommend only playing this game in warm weather!)

How to play:

1. Throw a toy that floats into water
2. Exchange glances with your dog 
3. Watch as your dog considers going into the water
4. Watch as your dog chooses to do something else instead
5. Prepare to get wet. 
6. Retrieve item and give your independent dog a disapproving look – not that he’ll notice, he’s too busy doing his own dog thing.