Our dog has never really been interested in traditional games like fetch. She'll chase you. She'll hunt for "lost" food specs on the floor. She'll even do a dance for you when you come through a doorway, but retrieve a ball? No thanks.

With the vision loss, our game of chase has been modified into a race. We race alongside each other down the hallway. Winner gets a salmon treat or chicken and apple snack. Guess who doesn't mind letting her aging dog win? This girl.

Another fun game is called Capture.

With this game I leverage my dog's sense of smell. By using a piece of clothing filled with dog breakfast drool, shedding fur, and discarded morning sleepy eye goop, I entice my dog to find said article of clothing and CAPTURE it.

She enjoys the sense of accomplishment, the thrill of snatching something with her big meat paws, and without worry that whatever she captures no one is going to say "Hey! Stop! I'm going out. This was clean. Oh, no. Now it's snagged."

Win-win.

These games are fun for everyone. You can play them on rainy days too. They also are good brain stimulation for your older dog. I know mine has a good time.

Do you have a game you like to play with your dog? Any traditional games you modified to compensate for their missing one or more of their senses?

 

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