You are adopting or have adopted a dog as a fun, family companion. We do really want you to have fun with your dog, but there are some rules that are important to think about when playing with your dog. Through appropriate play, you can teach your dog to be a happy and obedient companion.

Here are some rules to follow when playing with your dog:

1. Humans are not chew toys! Don't let your dog play with any of your body parts including your hands, hair and clothing. Don't entice your dog to play with your hands by reaching and grabbing her face.
2. Don't wrestle with your dog. This encourages your dog to mouth you, body slam you and even growl. Wrestling can be very confusing to dogs because you are acting more like a dog than a human. Dogs play very differently with each other than they do with humans.
3. Don't let your dog always initiate play. Let's pretend you're lounging on the couch and your cute little dog comes over and puts a ball in your lap. Maybe then he barks...he's saying "Hey, human, let's play now!" If you throw the ball, you're working for him. Leaders (a.k.a. YOU) should start and end play. (In that scenario, I would put the ball away, ask my dog for an extended down stay and reward him with a play session.)
4. Tug of War is a controversial game and can be a tug for power and leadership. This game involves you holding one end of a tug toy (often a short piece of rope) and your dog holding the other end with her mouth and tugging away from you. This game can promote aggressive play and your dog may generalize this game with objects other than the tug toy, like his leash, which isn't very cute. If you decide you want to play this with your dog: you should always initiate and end the tug session, you should use one special toy and this toys should be kept away from the dog when you are not playing. Children should never play tug of war with dogs.

Mental stimulation is very important for dogs. Here are some great games to play with your dog: fetch, hide and seek, teach your dog tricks, toy discrimination, just to name a few.

Here's a list of some great toys for your dog:

• Kongs - durable and can be stuffed with treats
• Nylabones - durable
• Planet pet products including the Goodie Spaceship - durable and stuffable