Here are a number of family-oriented games to help your dog master good manners and basic commands. Remember, you should supervise all of your children’s interaction with the new dog.

Game 1) Thank You, Take It

We’ve all seen dogs that won’t release an object once it’s in their mouth. Well here is a game that will teach your dog to willingly release objects from its mouth; in fact, he’ll enjoy it. You should use something large enough for both you and your dog to hold onto at the same time. A piece rope about six inches long is a good example, although nearly anything will work.

Wave the rope around your dog to entice him to bit it. In a playful voice, say “take it” and get your pup grab on. Say “good boy” and allow the dog to chew and play with it for a bit while you hold the other end. After a minute or two, say “thank you” and offer him a treat from your other hand. Keep it about six inches away from the side of his mouth until the dog sees and smells the treat and lets go to the rope.

But just hold the toy, don’t pull it away. After the dog eats the treat, offer the toy back, saying “take it”. Praise him again when he bits it let him play for a few moments before again saying, “thank you”.

Repeat this sequence again until your dog releases the toy whenever you say “thank you”. This will teach your dog that letting go of the toy doesn’t mean he won’t get it back. Then begin saying “thank you” without showing the dog a treat-swap.

Most dogs will release right away, expecting a treat. When it does, praise and immediately hand back the toy with a playful flourish, saying “take it”, but do not give her a treat. In time, the toy itself and the fun of grabbing and playing with it becomes a reward.

Ping-Pong Recall

This game teaches the dog to come whenever he’s called. Begin by teaching your dog to come for a treat reward. Once this happens, start adding family members to the game one at a time. Give each player treats to use as rewards. Give your dog one treat to the dog each time it comes when called.

Begin with two people, standing about ten feet apart from each other. First, one person calls the dog and rewards it with a treat, then the other. Add more and more players as the dog begins to understand the game.

Tug of “Peace”

Offer your dog a toy and pull lightly, thus starting the tug game. But remember to be gentle – rough tugging can hurt a young pup's jaws and neck. This is not as big a concern for older dogs. After a moment of tug play, say “thank you”, cueing the pup to release – just as in the game above. Praise and hand back the toy with another “take it”.

Play as many rounds of tug as you like, but remember it’s you and not your dog that must initiate and end this game. Tug should never become a competition. It's much better to make it a cooperative game, hence the reason it is called tug of “peace”.