1. First, select appropriate play and chew toys for your dog. I am grouping play and chew toys together because you should play with your dog with his chew toys, especially in the beginning.
1. First, select appropriate play and chew toys for your dog. I am grouping play and chew toys together because you should play with your dog with his chew toys, especially in the beginning.
◆ Acceptable Chew or Play Toys
◆ Kong or Rhino toys
◆ Nylabones
◆ Hard rubber balls like Boomer Balls that are large enough that they won’t get stuck in your dog’s throat; better too large than too small
◆ Soft flying disks (think fabric Frisbee-type disks)
◆ Interactive play toys like the Buster Cube, a square box you can put little food treats in; by moving it around, your dog can get some of the treats. Many dogs spend hours playing
with this toy.
No dog should have free access to a play toy. Free access to possessions tells a dog that he is the leader. Also, it gives the dog an opportunity to destroy and ingest these toys, which can be dangerous.
◆ Unacceptable Play Toys
◆ Don’t use tennis balls and stuffed fuzzy toys. These are too similar to unacceptable items, like your carpeting and clothing.
◆ Ropes or other toys for tug-of-war can stimulate some dogs to be aggressive. They’re an absolute no-no for households with children.
◆ Most squeaky rubber toys can be chewed into little pieces, which presents a health risk for the dog.
2. Get your dog focused on the appropriate play and chew toys. 
This is done by making the toys a major source of interaction between you and the dog. Play with the dog and his toys. Greet him with his toys. Act coy with his toys. Constantly focusing him on his toys and praising him when he plays with them will soon result in your dog seeking the toys out on his own. When he seeks them out, praise this behavior. Some owners dismiss certain toys, like
Kongs or Nylabones, saying, “My dog doesn’t like that toy.” This is because the dog has not been properly focused on them. Try soaking the Nylabone in beef or chicken broth and filling the Kong with cheese or peanut butter. You could get your dog to love
to play with a cast iron skillet if you came home from work each day, grabbed the skillet, ran around with it, buried it, smeared it with liver or peanut butter and basically made it the center of all your positive interactions with the dog. In other words, focusing your dog on the correct toys makes them the signal for tasty treats, interaction and fun with you! (By the way, please don’t try this with a skillet. It will save your dog’s teeth and keep my hate mail to a minimum.)
3. One of the best games for you to play with your dog is fetch. The right way to play fetch with your dog is for you to decide to start the game with a toy that is in your possession. You toss the toy and give the “fetch” command. The dog brings the toy back to you and drops it at your feet or in your hand, either automatically or on command. If your dog has little or no desire to fetch, runs off with the toy, tries to get you to chase him, refuses to give it back or decides he suddenly doesn’t want to play anymore, simply stop playing the game for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Other acceptable ways to play with your dog involve teaching obedience and tricks. Think about this for a second: Why should your dog associate obedience with work? What if your dog considered it play? Perhaps your dog would be far more inclined to listen. A simple obedience exercise that many dogs find fun is hiking with your dog in a safe open area. Many dogs will start by following or walking with you, but quickly get distracted and move off on their own. When your dog does, don’t say a word. Instead, simply walk in the opposite direction until your dog, looking up from whatever he was doing, runs to follow you. As soon as he reaches you, praise him and continue to walk. This exercise is a great way to encourage your dog to follow you outside without a leash. This also teaches your dog in a very nonconfrontational
way that you are the leader, because every time your dog follows you, the message of your leadership is communicated in a very positive way. Remember, you need a safe,
enclosed area at least half the size of a football field to do this exercise effectively. This is much different than walking down a sidewalk, where most people end up following their dog. Another option is hide-and-seek, where your dog must find you, another member of your family, or a toy you have hidden from him.
5. Unacceptable ways of playing with your dog include teasing, slapping, wrestling, chasing, allowing him to bark at you to demand that you play with him, using your hands as a toy, allowing him to nip, and tug-of-war.