Toy Play Workshop, 29 June 2024

Toy play is a great way to have fun and grow your bond with your dog. The ability to use toys as a reward is incredibly useful on the agility field. There are many aspects of toy play that are learned behaviours, both on the part of the handler and the dog. The goal of this workshop is to help handlers develop skills and understanding to engage in toy play with their dog.

We ask that participants bring their dog toys to this workshop - these can include ANY toy that your dog might play with (even if you don’t consider it a toy, i.e. a smelly sock). You will be playing with your own toys, and may even choose to share your toys with other participants. The opportunity to try out a new toy may help some dog to unlock the fun of playing.

This workshop is presented by Sheila Smail, a Paws4Fun instructor and agility enthusiast. Sheila has been active in agility since 2016, and really had to work to get Ridley, her Miniature Schnauzer interested in toy play. Her understanding of the various aspects of play deepened with her next dog, Kepler, who saw the value of toys, but didn’t understand how the handler fit in the equation. They now work and play well together. 

No agility experience is necessary to participate in this course.