Games to Play With Labradoodles

A Labradoodle is a type of mixed breed dog that results when a Labrador Retriever is bred with a Poodle. The resulting dog is a mid-sized, non-aggressive and friendly animal with a wooly coat. The friendly nature of Labradoodles makes them popular family pets. Just like any family dog, Labradoodles need lots of attention and play time. The playful nature and retrieval instincts bred into the dog make them adept at a number of games with minimal training.

  1. Fetch

    • Fetch is a standard dog game. Labradoodles inherit the retrieval instincts of their Labrador ancestors, which were bred to retrieve animals for their owners during a hunt, and so are quite fond of fetch. Take a tennis ball and show it to your dog before throwing it. The dog will naturally chase after the ball and pick it up. Once the dog picks the ball up, clap your hands without calling out to it. The clapping will draw the animal back to you. If the dog stops mid-way in an attempt to get you to chase it, clap again and step away from the dog. The animal has to know that it is supposed to come to you. It will eventually catch on and bring the ball back without prompting.

    Tug of War

    • Take a soft bit of rope or cloth, like an old towel, and command your dog to sit. Once it is seated hold out the towel and shout "Get it!" while waving it in the dog's face. The dog will grasp the towel between its teeth and pull. Encourage it to keep tugging verbally while gently pulling and letting yourself be pulled. A few minutes of this game every day is a great workout for you and your dog both.

    Simon Says

    • You may think that Simon Says is a strictly human game, but it is also a useful training strategy. For example, clap your hands to get your dog's attention and say loudly "Simon says sit!" The dog will follow your command. Run through all of the tricks your dog knows, such as "roll over," "beg," "speak" and "lay down. Playing Simon Says is one way to keep yourself interested in a round of obedience training.

    Hide and Seek

    • Hide and seek will allow your Labradoodle to explore its ancestry as a hunting dog. Tell your dog to sit and hold a toy or other object you don't mind the dog biting (such as its fetch ball) in front of it. Let it get a good sniff at the object and tell your dog to stay. Walk a few feet away and hide the toy somewhere obvious. Tell the dog to fetch the item and it should find it right away. Repeat this until your dog can easily find the object. Hide the ball in less obvious places incrementally until it is able to track down an object that has been hidden far away and out of sight. This game takes a considerable amount of practice and training but results in a very useful skill that's sure to impress your friends.