Play is fun, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just goofy or frivolous. Play is powerful stuff, and it has a profound influence on your relationship with your dog. This engagingly written booklet shows how play can enhance your relationship with your dog, improve your dog’s responsiveness, and provide your dog with the mental and physical exercise he or she needs. Inside is up-to-date research on how to tell your dog you want to play (most of us aren’t very good at it!), some charming tricks and games to wow your friends, and an important section on how not to play with your dog. If you'd like a happier, more responsive dog and a closer relationship with each other, then this booklet is for you.

Here are just some of the things this book will enable you to do:
• Play your way to a quiet and contented dog
• Use Games and Tricks to teach manners quickly and effectively
• Find the right toys for your dog
• Use play to solve problems, rather than create them
• Decide whether organized classes are right for you and your dog
• Impress your friends with your dog’s new set of tricks

Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., CAAB is an Ethologist and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist who has consulted dog lovers for over twenty years. She is the author of ten books including The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs and For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend. Trisha lives on a farm near Madison, Wisconsin and two dogs, one cat and a flock of sheep.