The Power of Play : A Practical Guide to Using Play to Train, Fulfil, and Balance Your Dog

by Simon Chapman

Play is not a reward.
It is not an afterthought.
And it is not something dogs should simply be “given” to burn off energy.

In The Power of Play, professional dog trainer Simon Chapman reveals why play is one of the most misunderstood and most powerful, tools in modern dog training.

Rather than treating play as chaos or entertainment, this book shows how purposeful, structured play can be used to build focus, impulse control, emotional regulation, and real-world reliability in dogs of all breeds and backgrounds.

Grounded in canine biology and neuroscience, and written in clear, practical language, The Power of Playexplains not just what to do, but why it works.

Inside, you’ll
• Why play is a biological need, not a luxury
• How play shapes behaviour, emotions, and learning
• How to use play to build impulse control and calmness
• How to teach dogs to play when they never learned how
• Why stopping play is just as important as starting it
• How different types of play create very different outcomes
• How to tailor play to gundogs, herding breeds, terriers, sighthounds, working dogs, and companion breeds
• How to use play to improve recall, engagement, and behaviour in real-world environments

This book goes far beyond games and gimmicks. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience with pet dogs, working dogs, and dogs with behavioural challenges, Simon Chapman provides a complete, practical framework for using play as a training system, not a distraction.

Whether you are a dog owner struggling with behaviour, a trainer looking to deepen your understanding, or a handler working in demanding environments, The Power of Play will change how you see training and how your dog experiences it.

Because when play is done properly, it doesn’t get in the way of training.

It becomes the training.

115 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 18, 2025

About the author

Simon has been entertaining adults and children with stories of his real-life adventures since 2001. He has recently returned from trekking around high snow peaks in Sichuan, China- where he was searching for the locations that inspired the novel, ‘Lost Horizon’ with its fabled hidden valley of ‘Shangri La’.