If you miss the childhood days of playing with jacks, we can
bring back those memories and have them include your dog this time! Kurgo’s
Target Jack is made of tough and non-toxic material that will provide endless
amount of enjoyment for you and your pup. We invented some games that
will not only provide fun for you and your furry best friend, but also help
train and strengthen skills.

 

Field Goal

Playing this game with your dog will have you feeling like
an All-Star athlete in no time!

Materials Needed: Target
Jack, Large Open Space

How to Play: Place on the Target Jack on the ground in front of you and
back up a couple of spaces. Once you are an appropriate distance away from the toy,
run and kick it as high and as far as you can. The goal is to see if your dog
can track and catch the Target Jack on its way down.

To further challenge your pup, have them sit and stay until
the Jack is kicked into the air.

Skills This Game
Enhances: Hunting, Fitness

 

Hoop Jumping

Your dog will be ready to run off and join the circus after
learning this entertaining trick!

Materials Needed: Target
Jack, Hula Hoops, Large Area

How to Play: Take a hoop and with the bottom touching the ground,
throwing a favorite toy or treat through it. When your pup steps through the
hoop, reward them right away. Once your dog gets used to this, begin to raise
the hoops off the ground, going slow at first (only a few inches at a time).
Again, remember to treat your dog each time they succeed at this.

The key here is to start low and reward often. Once your pup
becomes an expert jumper, you can begin placing the hoop in other areas,
watching your dog soar.

Skills This Game
Enhances: Fitness

 

Target Practice

Not only will this game enhance your dog’s skills, but it
can help you perfect your aim

Materials Needed: Target
Jack, Tossing Disc, Large Area

How to Play: Place your Target Jack several feet away from you (your dog
should be told to ‘leave it’). With the two of you standing away from the
Target Jack, take the Tossing
Disc and throw it at the upright Target Jack. The goal is to get the
Tossing Disc to land directly on the Target Jack’s ‘point’. Then have your dog
fetch the disc and bring it back to you.

An additional challenge is to continue playing this game
until your pup only fetches the Disc, not the jack as well. If you do not have
the Tossing Disc, Kurgo’s Huck-it Horseshoe
could also work in place of it!

Skills This Game
Enhances: Hunting, Fitness, Communication

 

 

Toy Hide and Seek

This game can be played both indoor or out, and will test
your dog’s natural hunting ability.

Materials Needed: Target
Jack, Place to Hide

How to Play: Get your dog excited about the Target Jack before going into
another room (or have someone cover your pup’s eyes) and hide the toy. Then
tell your dog to find the toy!

To test your pup’s intelligence, try calling the toy out by
name. For example, ‘Go find Target Jack!’ If your dog has trouble sniffing out
the toy, hide it with a favorite strong smell treat instead!

Skills This Game
Enhances: Hunting

With Kurgo’s Yard games,
you can incorporate training with playing. Your dog will be learning and
strengthening skills without realizing they are working at all! Playing games
like these and other Yard Games will help strengthen the bond between you and
your pup.