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Summer is just around the corner for most of us, so it’s now time to dust of the dog and, yourself of course and, head to the local park for some fun games with your pet. There are a great many dog activities you can choose from that will suit all breeds and, the good part is they are free to play, you don’t need any expensive equipment, and above all they will help to keep your dog in tip top physical and mental condition.

Fetch

One of the most favourite games of all dog breeds, when they learn the rules of course, is fetch. When you teach a dog to fetch it not only adds to your arsenal of dog training techniques, it also helps to strengthen the bond you have with your dog, which will have positive benefits in all areas of your relationship.

When teaching your dog to fetch use a ball that is not too small or too hard, as he could swallow it or damage his teeth. If you have a puppy that you would like to teach to fetch a ball and bring it back, here are some puppy training techniques that will help make playing this game a success.

Put your puppy on a long training lead. Show him the ball while at the same time teasing him a little to get his interest. When your dog shows interest, role the ball across the floor, but only a foot or so and, ask your dog to ‘fetch’ or ‘ get it ‘. As soon as your dog picks up the ball begin excitedly calling him back to you. Once he is in arms length, hold on to the ball and ask your dog to ‘leave ‘ or ‘ drop ‘. When he opens his mouth, praise him and give him a little food treat if you like, or another game of fetch. Keep practicing this exercise by increasing the distance you role the ball across the floor.

Find the treat

Find the treat is another one of those fun games to play with your dog, as it encourages the dog to use his primary sense, his sense of smell. Begin by hiding a food treat, for example a little bit of cheese or sausage for your dog to find. Although dogs have a highly developed sense of smell they still need a little encouragement to discipline their searching abilities, so make it simple to begin with, by basically leading your dog to the treat, while using a word such as ‘ find ‘. Soon you will be able to hide treats in any place and your dog will quickly find them.

Tracking

If you really want to develop and test your dogs abilities in this area you could try the search

game in your local park. Use your dogs ball or a small piece of cloth for this exercise. Again, begin by putting your dog on his training lead, as this will help you to guide him initially to the ball or piece of cloth. Begin by walking a little way and, while your dog is not looking discreetly drop the ball or cloth. Walk on a few feet then stop, turn around, give your dog his command, such as ‘find ‘ and begin walking in the direction of the ball or cloth. Encourage your dog all the time you are doing this. When he finds his ball, give him plenty of praise and play the game again. Practice developing this exercise in just the same way as you did with the earlier example.

Tug

A lot of dog breeds enjoy games which involve tugging, especially the larger breeds. Again this is an excellent way of helping your pet get rid of pent up energy however, like all games they are much better enjoyed when everybody plays by the rules. To make tug one of those fun games to play with your dog, make sure that you always initiate this game; your dog must be aware that the tug toy is yours and not his and, it is up to you to decide when you play this game. Don’t over stimulate your dog during this game, and do make sure that you teach him the ‘out’ or ‘ leave’ command first, so as you have control over the game at all times.

Some trainers suggest that you should always ‘win’ the tug toy from your dog, as a way of not encouraging dominant behaviour. I wouldn’t play a game for too long that I didn’t win at occasionally, would you? It’s OK to let your dog ‘win’ his tug toy now and again, providing he plays the games by your rules.

Catch the Frisbee

One last game that is especially popular with a lot of dog breeds, especially with breeds such as Collies, German Shepherds and Retrievers for example, is ‘ catching the Frisbee ‘. If your dog has not played this game before, do make sure that he is healthy enough to do so, as this game can be quite physically demanding. To teach your dog to catch the Frisbee, begin by getting your dog to take the Frisbee by rolling it a foot or so across the floor. When your dog is happily picking up the Frisbee, you can then stand back a couple of feet and throw it to your dog for him to catch. Once your dog is catching the Frisbee from this distance consistently, you can begin increasing the distance gradually.

Go ahead and have fun with these five dog activities. They are a great way to keep both you and your dog healthy. However, do remember not to over do things, especially in hot weather. Take

frequent breaks between your play sessions and, don’t forget to take plenty of water for your dog.

Even as the economy takes a tumble, the popularity of online games is on the rise. Online game properties continue to see positive growth as Americans turn to ad-supported games as a form of affordable escapism.

Nearly 86-million Americans visited online game sites in December 2008, a 27 percent increase over the previous year, reports comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world. While these numbers are astonishing on their own, comScore also reports that the total time spent playing online games increased by 42 percent.

This means more people are playing online games and they’re playing for much longer periods of time. In fact, a survey conducted by Slingo Inc., a thought-leader in the casual games industry, reveals that nearly half of all visitors to the Slingo.com portal play casual games seven days per week.

What does this mean for advertisers? In spite of the recession, online game sites are among the stickiest entertainment sites on the Web. By tapping into this highly engaged audience, advertisers can connect with consumers more easily than in other advertising platforms where the message is often tuned out.

Affordable, Escapist Fun

So why are online games more appealing than ever during an economic downturn? In part, it’s because many people enjoy online games as an escape from the pressures they may experience at work or in the home.

“By concentrating and focusing on the game, a person can take a ‘mental vacation’ from whatever it is at the moment that is causing stress in his or her life,” says Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a stress and relaxation psychologist, in an interview with the Long Island Exchange. “And, given the engrossing quality of these games, the concentration and focusing are quite easy to accomplish and stick with!” Despite the influx of bad economic news, online games continue to serve as digital stress busters.

In addition, as people feel the financial crunch and being to tighten their purse strings, the entertainment budget is among the first things to go. “Not only have consumers turned to outlets such as gaming to take their minds off the economy, but as they curtail their discretionary gaming-related purchases they are turning to free alternatives,” said Edward Hunter, comScore director of gaming solutions, regarding the usage of free online game sites. Since most ad-supported online games are free to play, people can have guilt-free fun in the comfort of their own homes.

Economic Bright-Spot

While the economic picture for most industries is grim leading into 2009, the outlook is bright for the online gaming industry which continues to benefit from growth in its display advertising business model. More than 8.6-billion display ads were placed on online game portals in November 2008, reports comScore, for a 29 percent increase over the previous year. Combined with the surge in the number of people visiting online gaming sites and the increased time spent playing online games, this has resulted in a 30 percent increase in the number of unique display ad exposures.

While the average person’s frequency of exposure to display ads remained constant, the number of display ads per page view dropped by 17 percent versus the previous year. This means that visitors to online game sites were exposed to approximately the same number of ads as before, but there was less ad clutter so each message had greater impact.

Additionally, the model of combining video ad content with casual game content promises to leverage the true value of casual games: user engagement. People are more willing to watch video ads that run before a game starts or between game levels, as opposed to video ads that appear in front of other video content. With online games, the payoff is big enough that viewers are willing to wait and, more importantly, to watch. In fact, according to leading online video advertising network SpotXchange, in February 2008, over 90% of the InGame video advertisements they served were watched in full. This level of engagement means the effectiveness of the video ad goes through the roof.

As greater numbers of people flock to their favorite ad-supported online games for budget-friendly entertainment, more advertisers are seeking the opportunity to reach this highly engaged audience. The increased revenue from display and video ads enables the online game portals to reduce ad clutter, providing a better visitor experience and offering advertisers a greater ROI. In the end, it’s a win-win-win situation for the advertisers, the game players, and the online game portals.

About Slingo

This article is provided by Slingo.com, a leading online destination for people who love to play games, win prizes and have fun. In fact, 1 out of every 20 people in the U.S. has played Slingo online. The Slingo website offers free, original online games, downloadable games, and contests with cash prizes, as well as a social-networking community for game players. For more information, please visit http://www.slingo.com/.