Wonder Dog Games
Who says dog training is all work, no play?
The Wonder Dog Games provides the perfect mix of obedience, socialization and fun quality time between dog & owner and tribe members with each other. How fun!
What to Expect
Here are some of roles you may be placed in during the games:
Games Master: Lead the games with enthusiasm!
Games Master Assistant: Help set up games and assist with tasks the GM may need help with.
Set up: Set up perimeter with cones and put water in bowls / Welcome tribe members as they arrive.
Tear Down: Pick up all cones, hoops, bowls, water bottles, etc and load them into Dog Pro’s cars.
Red Light Green Light
COMMANDS
HEEL with a loose leash & SIT
WILL NEED
Cones for starting & finish line
SET UP
Set up a starting line and finish line
HOW TO
With the player lined up at the starting line, the Game Master will call out "Green Light!” or “Yellow Light!” to get the players moving according to the pace that is instructed.The handler cannot be in front of the dog.
The Game Master will call out “Red Light!” from time to time to have the handlers stop & get their dog to SIT within "One Mississippi.”
Do this until all the players cross the finish line.
The first handler & dog to pass the finish line are the winners!
Doggie Races
COMMANDS
PLACE/BED, SIT, STAY, & COME
WILL NEED
2 Cots or 2 Hoops
4 Long Leashes
SET UP
Set up a starting line
Put a cot or a hoop at the starting line
Put 2 long leashes at each team’s starting line
Divide the tribe into 2-3 groups
HOW TO
Have the dogs who are going first, SIT on the cots or in the hoops.
Have the handlers tell their dog to STAY.
Once the handler gets to the end of the long leash, have the handler call their dog (COME/HERE).
Have their dog SIT at their feet.
The winner of that round will step to one side to go into the “Semi-Finals!”
Repeat until you have only the winners of each round go against each other.
After all the dogs go in this wave, go into the “Finals!”
Celebrate the winner!
Musical Hoops
COMMANDS
HEEL with a loose leash, SIT & STAY
WILL NEED
Hoops
2-4 Cones
Music from a phone
Bluetooth speaker
SET UP
Count how many players there are & put out that amount of hoops minus 1 in a straight line (make sure there is a comfortable amount of space between each hoop).
Put a cone on each end
Sync a phone with a bluetooth speaker with clean, but upbeat songs like the chicken dance or “Who let the dogs out?”
HOW TO
When the Game Master starts the music, the players will walk in a circle around the spaces with their dog in HEEL. When the music stops, the players will need to have their SIT & STAY in one of the available hoops.
The player who is left out must go to the sideline or walk around the cones that make up the perimeter.
Remove a hoop before starting the next round.
Do this until there are only two players left .
When two players are left, put one hoop in the middle of two cones with about 2 feet in between the cones & hoop.
Start music & see who wins!
Important Rules:
When the music stops, players CANNOT go backwards, they can only heel forward.
If two Players rush to the same space, the space goes to the player whose dog gets its paw in the hoop first.
Leap Dog
COMMANDS
HEEL, SIT, & STAY
WILL NEED
Hoops
Cones for starting & finish line
SET UP
Set up starting line & finish line
Set up hoops in a straight line from the starting line to the finish line with comfortable space between each one
HOW TO
At the starting line, the first player of each team will command their dog to HEEL to the first hoop.
The dog will have to SIT & STAY in the hoop for 5 whole “mississippi” seconds before the next person can go.
The next player will do the same thing in the second hoop.
If any of the dogs get up from the SIT position, the player will have to take their dog back to the starting line & the players on the field will have to move back one hoop.
Once all players of the team are in hoops, the player in the first hoop will have their dog HEEL to the next available hoop.
Each team will do this until one of them reaches past the finishing line.
Pizza Relay
COMMANDS
HEEL with a loose leash
WILL NEED
4 -6 Pizza Boxes
Cones to intensify per round
SET UP
Set up a starting line and finish line using cones
Count the amount of players and split into two teams
Give stacked pizza boxes to each team
HOW TO
Split the Players into two equal teams who stand at a starting line in the grass about 5 feet apart
Set a finish line on the other end
Give the first player in each line several empty pizza boxes stacked upon one another
When the Game Master says GO!, the players will need to HEEL all the way to the finish line without dropping the boxes.
If the boxes are dropped, the player must start from the starting point again.
First team to get all their players past the finish line, wins!
Tic-Tac-Toe
COMMANDS
SIT & STAY
WILL NEED
Hoops
Cones for starting & finish line
SET UP
Set up 9 hoops (3 rows of 3)
Split tribe into two teams (atleast 5 players on each)
Pass out lanyards (red vs blue)
Have each team choose a team captain
HOW TO
Each team captain will alternate choosing which dog will go to which hoop
The dogs & handlers will go to the hoop and hold the SIT or DOWN command
If a dog breaks their Sit or Down position, they must leave the board
The first team to put three of their team players in a row wins.
Reverse Freeze Tag
COMMANDS
SIT, DOWN, STAY
WILL NEED
Nothing extra!
SET UP
Have the players line up all facing one way
HOW TO
Pick one player to walk on the back side of the line & tap on another player’s shoulder
The player that was picked must get their dog to the DOWN position in 3 Mississippi seconds
If the dog goes to the DOWN, the player gets to stay in the line. If not, the handler & dog must switch places and the new player will choose someone else.
Do this until everyone has been challenged!
Hide & Seek
COMMANDS
SIT or DOWN, STAY, COME
WILL NEED
Indoor location with rooms
1 Cot or Hoop
Long Leash
Stop Watch
SET UP
Set a cot or hoop behind a wall or in a room
Have each dog attached to a long leash
Set stopwatch to zero
HOW TO
Have the handler place their dog on a cot or hoop that will be positioned behind a wall or in a room
Have the handler walk away while telling their dog to stay
Once the handler has reached another room or is behind another wall, have them call their dog with the command COME or HERE & start the timer
Once the dog gets to the handler, have the dog SIT and stop the timer.
Shortest time wins!
50 Yard Dash
COMMANDS
SIT or DOWN, STAY, & COME
WILL NEED
Cones for starting & finish line
SET UP
Set up a starting and finish line
HOW TO
Position dogs in a SIT or DOWN on the starting line while their handler is telling them to STAY from 50 yards away
Game Master will announce “3, 2, 1, GO!”
Handlers will give their COME command to their dog
First dog to reach their handler & sit wins!
Ruffle the Palace Guard
COMMANDS
SIT or DOWN, LEAVE IT, & STAY
WILL NEED
Hoops
Treats
SET UP
Set up hoops in one giant circle or two smaller circles
Have each player & dog SIT or DOWN in a hoop.
HOW TO
For the first round, the trainers & volunteers will be the rufflers who will try to distract the dogs. In this round, the objective is just to use voice and body gestures to tempt the dogs while the handlers are continuing to talk to their dogs using their “Leave it” or “Stay “ commands.
If the dog breaks the SIT or DOWN position, the dog is out.
The second round will consist of more trainers if possible and flashing treats to ruffle the palace guard dogs.
In the third round, a dog will be chosen to help distract. Choose a dog from the ones who are out of the game already.
Rule:
Rufflers cannot use any release words “Break” “Free” “Okay” or words like “Come” or “Let’s go!”
2 Steps & a Trick
COMMANDS
COME, SIT, SHAKE, DOWN, STAY, JUMP THROUGH HOOPS
WILL NEED
Cones
2 Hoops
SET UP
Set up starting line & finish line
Split the group into two teams
Give each team 2 hoops
HOW TO
The Game Master will shout out one of the following commands & each team will have to decide which dog on each team will do which.
2 steps & COME
2 steps & a SHAKE
2 steps & a SIT
2 steps & a JUMP through the hoop
2 steps & a DOWN
The objective is to have the dog do the specified command from the starting line to the finish line so teams will have to strategize to make sure they send their best players for each command.
If there are dogs left that do not know how to do the command for that round, a player who has already crossed the finish line can come & help their team by going again!
The first team to get all the dogs on their team to cross the finish, wins!
BARK BINGO
COMMANDS
SIT or DOWN & STAY
WILL NEED
16 Hoops
Lanyards
BARK bingo cards
SET UP
Set up hoops (4 rows of 4)
Put the B, A, R, K cards in front of each row
Divide group into two teams & give each team either red or blue lanyards
Have the WD playing cards ready
HOW TO
Have each team choose a team captain who will hold on to 2 rescue cards
The first team will choose a card from the deck which will let them know where to go on the board.
The second team goes.
Repeat this until all players are on the board.
Once all the players are on the board, each team can use a rescue card to bring a player closer or complete a row.
The winning team will have 4 players in a row.
If the game master would like to intensify the game, if any dogs get up from their SIT or DOWN position, they will have to get off the playing board. They will have to draw another card to get back into the game.
Catch Me if You Can!
COMMANDS
HEEL, SIT or DOWN, & STAY!
WILL NEED
30 - 40 cones
Cones for starting & finish line (will be on same side)
SET UP
Set up two playing boards with 15-20 cones each in a horse-shoe shape
Put 2 dice by the starting line
Split tribe into two teams
HOW TO
The objective of this game is to get your team around the course first and get home to safety.
Each team will roll their dice and if they roll an even number, that player gets to move forward. If they roll an odd number, they will have to go backwards instead.
The strategy in this game needs good communication between the team players, so numbers can be used in full or split between players. (For example:If there is a player that is almost over the finish line & another player that just came onto the board and the team rolls a three, the person who is closer to home can go back one and the other player will go back 2 spots.)
The first team with all players home first wins!
Rules:
Only one player per flag
Dogs must HEEL while moving and SIT or DOWN when stationed at a flag.
Simon Says
COMMANDS
SIT, DOWN, STAY, HEEL, & COME
WILL NEED
A loud voice
SET UP
Line-up the handlers & dogs around 3 feet apart in line or a circle
The Master of Games will stand in the middle where they can see everyone
HOW TO
When the Game Master calls out a command starting with “Simon Says…” then the handler and dog shall obey the commands within 3 seconds.
When the Game Master calls out a command without saying “Simon Says…” then the handler and dog shall ignore the command.
If the dog or the handler fails to follow either of these rules, they are disqualified and shall go to the sidelines or walk around the perimeter.
The last dog and handler remaining wins.
Sample Commands:
Simon Says:
“Everyone spread out just a little more”
“Everyone move forward just a bit”
No Simon Says:
“Okay, everyone move forward just a little more”
(Anyone who just moved is out)
Tips to be tricky:
Give them a series of Simon Says commands and then throw one into the series where you don’t say it.
Tell them to stop doing something (like jumping), “Ok you can stop now.”
Put more and more words before the Simon Says command, and then do one without saying it, like demonstrating the motion you want them to do, and then tell them to “Ok, now do that.”
Tell them to pet their dog for doing such a good job without saying Simon Says!
Say the commands FASTER and faster.
Commands (+) & Tricks (-)
Steps & Jumps
+ Take 1,2,3 small/giant steps forward/backward
- Ok, now move back a tad more.
+ Stand on one foot.
- Ok now switch to the other foot.
+ Ok, now jump on that one foot.
- Stop jumping!
+ Ok, tell your dog to sit as you start to hop (show them)
- Ok, now let’s test your dog’s ability to sit still while hopping.
Make your dog lie down while you jump around them (show them how)
- Ok, go ahead. Do it! What are you waiting for?
Location
+ Spread out, come in.
- Raise your hand while saying, “Who is having a good time so far?”
Turns
+ Turn around. Walk in a circle with your dog/around your dog
- I said to walk in a 3 foot circle! Go ahead! Now! What are you waiting for?
Dog Obedience
+ Have your dog sit, down & heel
- Ok, good job everybody! Now have him lie down one more time.
+ Get on a knee (if you can) and shake your dog’s hand.
+ Pet your dog.
+ Have them roll over and pet them on their belly.
+ Lean in and ask your dog for a kiss.
+ Hug your dog.
- Ok, that’s enough. You can stand back up.
+ Now pant like your dog is.
+ Ok, now look over and growl at your dog.
+ Growl louder and meaner with your hand in a claw.
- Ok, now bark at your dog!
- Bark louder & faster!
- Why aren’t you doing it?
+ Call your dog to stand with his paws in your hands.
- Ok, now, swing like you are dancing with your dog while humming a tune.
- Ok, now let your dog back down on all fours.
- Ok now it’s time to make this harder so….(raise your hand and say)
Raise your hand if you are ready to go to the advanced play? (Out!)
+ Have your dog stay, walk 5 paces then turn around and have them come
- Ok, now do it again.
+ Ok, now make them stay and walk 5 paces in slow motion.
+ Blow them a kiss in slow motion.
- Ok, now walk back to your dog in even SLOWER motion.
+ Reach down and grab your dog’s snout and shake it.
+ Pull their flaps up so that you can see their big teeth.
- Now scratch behind their ears and tell it “Good dog!"
When It’s A Deadlock...
- (Look around confused like you don’t know what to do and look at your paper like you’re looking for the next thing, then say….)
Water Race
COMMANDS
HEEL
WILL NEED
Cones
2 Bowls
1-2 cups per team
Water jug
SET UP
Set up cones (Start & Finish Line)
Set up one bowl at each team’s finish line
Give each team 1-2 cups
Fill each cup to the brim with water
HOW TO
Owners will have their dog in heel and attempt to walk to the finish line without dropping any water from their cup.
Once they reach the finish line, they must put their remaining water into the bowl.
Once the team player at the finish line is done pouring their water into the bowl, the next player may start.
The team with the most water in their bowl will be the winner.
If there is a tie, have them run a “Finals” round, where one player from each team must run to the finish line while trying to keep most of their water in their cup.
DOGGIE LIMBO
COMMANDS
HEEL
WILL NEED
1 Broomstick
SET UP
Hold the broomstick between 2 DP’s
HOW TO
Hold the broomstick overhead and get the owners and dogs to go through without touching the broomstick while in heel.
Once everyone has passed through, slowly start to lower the broomstick.
Do this until there is a winner!
LEAVE IT
COMMANDS
LEAVE IT
WILL NEED
Treats
SET UP
Line up the tribe next to one another with their dog in a sit
HOW TO
DP’s walk in front of each dog with treats in their flat hand and the owner needs to say leave it.
If a dog goes for it, they are out.
Make sure to tell owners that if the dog does “leave it” to praise them.
Do this until there is a winner!
SQUEAK GAMES
COMMANDS
SIT, DOWN, & HEEL
WILL NEED
Cones
SET UP
Set up a starting line & finish line with cones
HOW TO
Tribe is lined up at the starting line.
DP will stand at the finish line DP & will face away from the tribe.
The players will walk with their dog in heel when the DP says “GO”.
At any time, the DP will yell out “Sit” or “Down” and then will count to 5 before turning around.
Any dog that is still moving once turned around.
Do this until all the players have reached the finish line or until everyone has been eliminated.
FREEZE DANCE
COMMANDS
SIT & DOWN
WILL NEED
Hula Hoop per player
Megaphone or speaker for music
SET UP
Evenly space out the hula hoops so that each player can stand in one
Set up the music via bluetooth or speaker cord with family friendly songs (+ turn the volume high so everyone can hear it)
HOW TO
Have each player stand in a hula hoop and start the music
Owners get to play/dance with their dogs to get them excited
At any time, the DP will stop the music and call out a command like “sit” or “down.”
The owner has to instruct their dog to sit or down within 5 seconds of the music stopping.
If the dog fails to comply, the owner & their dog is out.
Do this until there is a winner.
WD WHEEL OF FORTUNE/PRICE IS RIGHT
COMMANDS
All Commands
WILL NEED
Spinning Prize Wheel
Expo marker
Long Leash
Place Cot
SET UP
With an expo marker, write different challenges on the spin wheel + their point value. (EX: 10 sits=10 pts, 5 downs=5 pts, 20 second stay= 40 pts, 3 recalls with LL= 60 pts, Place for 10 seconds= 30 pts, etc)
Split the tribe into 2 teams
HOW TO
Teams will take alternating turns to walk up with their dog in heel to spin the wheel
Their dog must do the command stated where they landed
All commands must be started within 5 seconds of knowing what command needs to be done. (EX: if a client asks their dog to sit & the dog chooses not to do it within 5 seconds, they are out.) Players will also only get one chance to attempt this per round.
If the dog completes the challenge, they can move to the next round.
If the dog either fails to start within 5 seconds or cannot complete the challenge, they will be eliminated.
*If too many dogs are eliminated too quickly, you may want to try doing a redemption round for those players
HUNGRY HOUNDS (Based on Hungry Hippos)
COMMANDS
SIT, DOWN, STAY & HEEL
WILL NEED
Hula Hoop
Cones in an X shape
Basket with tennis balls
SET UP
Put a hula hoop in the middle of the playing area
Set up the cones in an X shape from the hula hoop
Put a basket of tennis balls near by
Set up an empty basket at each team’s side
Set up 5 minute timer
HOW TO
Start the 5 min timer
Each team, one at a time, will walk in heel to the middle of X and they must complete a series of tasks like a sit, a stay for 10 seconds and a come or a down as quickly as possible!
Then, each player can grab one ball from the middle basket and then run it back to their team’s basket and then the next team member would go.
The team can have their dogs go as many times as they want in those 5 minutes as long as it’s still orderly and only 1 at a time and whichever team has the most balls at the end are the Hungriest Hounds!