Games to play with 9 week puppy, please.

[AlphaBravoHenryFoxtons]

She can fetch a ball, bring it back and release it in front of me but she gets bored of that after a few times. Understandably.

I play gentle tug of way with a rope toy sometimes. But I realise that's my entire repertoire of play.

I would be grateful for some ideas.

[NCIS]

Wrap food up in cardboard boxes or hide food under pieces of cloth or under cups. My pup used to love chasing an empty plastic bottle around but be aware it's very noisy.

[AlphaBravoHenryFoxtons]

ncis - Thank you. Those are lovely ideas.

[ClariceBeanthatsme]

Ice cubes on the kitchen floor. They like chasing them and will help sore gums if pups teething

[AlphaBravoHenryFoxtons]

Ice cubes is another lovely idea, thank you.

Puppy goes entirely bonkers for about 20 mins and is really quite naughty and then conks out dead asleep. Presumably this is entirely normal? I'm simultaneously exhilarated and terrified by her mouthy play and try and get a toy between me and her mouth.

[StarDustMonkey]

marking my place

[MostAmused]

Totally normal to have a mad half hour. We always thought it was due to over-tiredness but our dog trainer said it was due to them knowing they have to go to sleep soon so they're trying to get rid of excess energy. I'm not sure I believe that but touch wood our pup, who's 15 weeks tomorrow hasn't had a proper mad half hour for at least a week or two. :)

We do 'find it' with Ozzy where I hide a toy and he has to go look for it. Depending on the toy he seems to quite enjoy playing it. Sometimes he just wants to keep it for himself once he's found it though.
He likes to rip up cardboard and play with plastic bottles but I do watch him to make sure he isn't swallowing any of it, he mostly spits it out. Makes a mess but keeps him quiet!

[nellieellie]

you can make training part of play, so tugs of war, saying "off" and treating. Training to roll over from "down" position by moving the treat round her head. Doing high fives, walking around the house and getting her to wait for you to go first when you go through doorways. Playing hide and seek in the garden.

[AlphaBravoHenryFoxtons]

Thanks. I'm less afraid of the mad half hours now. At first I was a bit terrified apprehensive. But as we build trust I see she just wants to play with me. And on the odd occasion she has made contact with my hand with her teeth, her bite is incredibly gentle, not really a bite at all. So I'm much more up to playing with her instead of cowering on the sofa. But still avoiding her biting me however gently, which she totally gets. She even bites her own paws while I tickler her tummy.

I wish someone had told me how much I would totally adore this very silly puppy.

[MostAmused]

I'd love to know why it is they bite their paws!
I wonder if it is so they can test how hard they're biting or more likely just because they want something to gnaw on!