Doggie in the Middle

We’ve all heard about the classic game “Monkey in the Middle”, but what if you were to replace the word “Monkey” with “Doggie”. In that case, it would make more sense to include your dog when playing the game. The name of the game would then be “Doggie in the Middle”. All you need to play is your dog, yourself, another person, and at least one chew toy for the dog. It is recommended that you find a room with a large enough space for your dog to run back and forth.

The way that this game works is that you and the other person sit on opposite sides of the room. One person sends the chew toy across the room to the other person. This should get your dog’s attention and motivate them to run after the chew toy. At this stage, the person who just received the chew toy sends it back to the person on the other side of the room.

As the chew toy is thrown, tossed, bounced, or rolled across the room, your dog should get excited about chasing it. This results in the dog getting a good amount of exercise. Regular exercise is important for your dog’s health and this game is a fun way to provide that for him or her.

Doggie in the Middle is also a good alternative to outdoor walks especially on days when the weather does not provide a good environment for walking. By playing this game on rainy or stormy days, your dog can get an adequate amount of exercise while remaining indoors. In addition, this game is also fitting if you are unable to leave the house for other reasons. This game works indoors as well as outdoors, and doesn’t require you to leave your home. Just make sure that you do not destroy fragile items in the house while playing this game.

After passing one chew toy around for a while, you can add a second chew toy to create more interest for everyone playing the game. Your dog should start running back and forth even more to intercept both chew toys. Regardless of one or two chew toys being passed around, your dog will eventually become tired. However, your dog may still be motivated enough to keep playing. In this situation, your dog might occupy the middle of the room between both people and the dog will try to intercept the chew toy(s) from there rather than chasing after them.

From the perspective of passing the chew toy(s) across the room, this game can be very fun for both people. The task you take on during the game is to get the chew toy(s) past the dog without he or she intercepting them. You can try to send the chew toy over the dog or roll it by the dog’s feet. Sometimes your dog will manage to intercept the chew toy. That’s when the task is to retrieve it from the dog (if he or she doesn’t return the chew toy). After retrieving it, you can resume the game as before.

Another consideration is to add a third person to the game (if there is adequate space for him or her). This will create a new option for passing the chew toys as well as more area for your dog to run around.

Once your dog has indicated that he or she no longer wants to play, a recommendation would be to give your dog one of their favorite treats. This way, the dog will know that he or she is loved and appreciated. Also, at this time, make sure that some water is provided for your dog. He or she will need to drink water after playing Doggie in the Middle.

At this point, your dog will probably want to lay down on the floor due to being tired from the game. Doggie in the Middle is a fun game for everyone playing and is practical for situations where going outside isn’t a good option.