Play Together, Stay Together: Happy and Healthy Play Between People and Dogs

by Karen B. London, Patricia B. McConnell

Play is mentally and physically stimulating for your dog and it's the perfect way for you to bond. But play doesn't always come naturally to all dogs...or all people. Learn games to play and tricks to teach and have some fun.

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals

90 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2008

Reviews

[Krysta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has some great ideas, and they are made very clear and easy, so that nearly any dog owner can get their dog to be more interactive in a multitude of ways. Also, good guidelines so that things do get out of hand, as they can quickly sometimes.
My dogs are not the fetching, or tug toy types, so the puzzle toy section was perfect. I had no idea about all the toys that were developed by Nina Ottosson, or that my dogs would love them so much!
Good read for any owner that is committed to positive interactions with their dogs :)

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want everyone with a dog to read this book! It's so cool! It will teach you several great games to play with your dog which will improve your relationship, entertain you both, and often work on your dogs training at the same time. It also goes over how NOT to play and why. Should be required reading!

[Sorento62 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice quick read with plenty of good ideas, philosophy and guidance for playing with your dog and even training your dog through play. Be warned, however, that probably somewhere in the book you will be advised against something that you already do with your dog. So just don't be obsessive about following the authors' advice to the letter and pick up the good ideas that are useful for you.

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little booklet! Good concise info on using play when training. The only fault is that it is too short. Wish the author had spent more time thinking of a whole lot more games. Love the friendly writing style and footnotes.

[Magen - Inquiring Professional Dog Trainer · Rating 4 out of 5]

While play probably seems like an obvious thing for dog owners, it's not, exactly. This book provides a lot of useful information on how to use play for all sorts of things other than just fun and that's really what makes it stand out. There are sections on how to use play to teach and/ or strengthen obedience cues, how to use play to teach impluse control, and how to use play to encourage polite behavior from your dog. Even if you think you know all the best ways to play with your dog, I expect you'll learn something new from this book.

There are two critiques of this book. One, it isn't as detailed as I would have liked. I simply wanted more examples of ways to incorporate play for training. I personally dislike the standard obedience training sessions and was hoping for more examples. The one example on sit and down seemed like a stretch to me. But, if it wasn't for the second issue with the book, I'm not sure I would have minded so much. I expect a handbook like this to be short and to not cover all topics; however, this handbook repeats some games within the same handbook. That's space that could have went to other games or more detail on some of the more complicated ones. For example, it felt like the polite greeting of going to find a toy was missing a few crucial detailed steps. While I sort of understand that they want to discuss chase as just a game and then later as a way to strengthen recall, I also don't fully understand why the second time it was mentioned, it wasn't highly abbreviated, with a reference back to the other section if people skipped it, and then moved on to a new game. This frustration also partly comes from the fact that I have read several other Patricia McConnell books and dog handbooks and much of this, though not all, was already covered in those books. I expected some repetition, but also expected more new material.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to any dog owners, first time or seasoned owners, and young or old dogs. There are things to learn from this book and hopefully these will spark more ideas for how to do more with your dog, while meeting her physical energy needs and stimulating her mind.

[Buck Wilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost, all dogs are good, so jot that down.

Play Together, Stay Together rails against the now-defunct dominance theory where your dog is constantly trying to usurp you for pack leadership and your only recourse is to physically intimidate him. Instead, Ms. London suggests that the best way to bond with your dog is to fucking party all the time.

I'm hesitant to call it a book, since it's like 90 pages. That's more of a large pamphlet. The rest of the pamphlet lays out fun little games to teach your dog the power of friendship, as well as improving their recall and expanding their linguistic vocabulary with cool games like fetching specific objects and hide-and-seek.

Beefton and I have been practicing the game where he chases me around the park and I eventually give him a treat, and its his third favorite game. His second favorite game is Tug of War, and his first is Dog MMA. It's improved his recall dramatically to the point where he'll come when I call even if he doesn't see me, so long as he's not distracted by one of his first two favorite games. I'm also pretty sure he knows the name of most of the roommates.

[Lauren Siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic in the sense that it seems to have information about all components of having a dog, but each component is tied to the importance of play. Plus it’s concise!
I picked up the book for ideas on new ways to play with my dog, that are exciting and engaging, but finished the book with great ideas to make her sit more consistently when cued and how to keep her attention on me more while on leash. Definitely worth the read!

[Kleingoertzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it, keep it, read it again! It's a small book with maximum advice and plays suggestions for every kind of dog.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good information that's easy to follow and implement presented in an entertaining way.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief, but helpful book on the importance of play with dogs. I found the sections on types of toys (I purchased two of the suggested types of toys and have been pleased with how they have lived up to London's suggestion) to be particularly of value. Also, London's insights on how play can be used in training have changed some of the ways that I interact with both dogs. I will admit, my first thought was, "who needs a book to know how to play with a dog?" as I've been playing with dogs my entire life. However, I do find that it is helpful in many seemingly mundane areas of life to make an effort to think through our practices. This book fits the bill for a quick, yet informative read on canine play behavior.

[Lauriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! It was easy and fast without a lot of extra information that I didn't need! Just lots of good, healthy play ideas that don't teach bad habits!