FIFA World Cup 2010 Doggy Style

The entire world is currently transfixed by the World Cup games in South Africa.  “The beautiful game,” as it is known, has created a new wave of interest in the sport all over the globe.  It’s really no surprise that some dog owners have asked if they could teach their dogs to play soccer, or football (if you’re reading internationally).

The answer of course is a resounding “Yes!”  Dogs can learn to play soccer.  All it takes is a little bit of  good “coaching” or training on your part.

The best way to teach your dog to play soccer is by using clicker training.  Other forms of positive reinforcement can also be used but clicker training allows you to “mark” the moment of success very precisely. This means that the moment your dog does what you want him to do you can reward her with the click of the clicker, and then the treat.

To teach your dog to play soccer you’ll need to teach her to touch the soccer ball (or whatever ball you want to use) as a target. Using the clicker training approach works very well, especially if your dog has already had exposure to clickers and target training.  But even if your dog is a novice with clickers he should be able to learn these lessons very quickly.

First of all, choose a sturdy soccer ball or other sports ball appropriate for your dog’s size that your dog won’t be able to pop with his teeth.  The reason for this choice is obvious:  if your dog pops the ball or chews it the game is over. Don’t allow your dog to misbehave with the ball.

You’ll also need something to stand in for the goal.  One of the easiest things to use is a chair. You can simply drape a towel or blanket around the sides and back of the chair, leaving the front open, so your dog will know where the ball is supposed to go when she’s trying to score a goal.

How To Teach Your Dog The Game

Dogs will typically move the ball either with their paws or with their nose.  Your job is to teach your dog to move the ball in a way that enables her to score with it.  She can really move the ball any way she wants out in the field but when she’s close to the goal she will need to move the ball with the bridge of her nose to get it through the goal (the chair) by lifting the ball from underneath as though she’s kicking it.

Teach your dog to “kick” the ball this way by teaching her to target the ball with her nose.  This is easy to do.  You should have your clicker ready, along with a bag of tiny treats.  Hold the soccer ball out for your dog and encourage him to touch it with his nose.  Your dog may not know what you want at first so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t touch it.

However, your job is to click and treat absolutely any behavior your dog shows that even looks like she’s making a movement toward the ball with her nose.  Reward her for any positive response.  A positive response could be  just a glance at the ball, a shift toward the ball, a nod at the ball, and so on.

Gradually your dog will be getting closer to the ball and touching it with her nose.  It may take a little time but it will happen.  Don’t lose patience.  Just keep clicking and treating.  (That’s why the treats need to be very tiny.  You don’t want your dog to fill up.)  Your dog may be very curious about the ball and he may start touching it very quickly.  You should still continue to click and treat with the ball until your dog definitely associates the ball with the rewards.

After your dog has learned that you want him to touch the ball and good things happen when he does, you can put the ball on the ground and teach your dog to touch it with his nose there using the click and treat method.

Once your dog has learned to touch the ball on the ground with his nose, then you will want to get more precise.  Start clicking and treating your dog for touching the bottom half of the ball.  This is where your dog will need to touch the ball in order for him to score a goal.  You can hold the ball steady in this position for your dog to practice (while clicking and treating) with your foot if you like.

Finally, you can move the ball close to the goal.  Hold the ball in position for your dog and have him touch the bottom half of the ball as he’s been doing.  This time you can start removing your foot before your dog touches the ball.  If your dog is touching the ball with any force at all, the ball should go through the goal.  Score!

Of course, you and your dog can keep practicing and you should continue to reward your dog and fine tune her performance.  Set the ball up a few paces from the goal, then start clicking and treating as the ball goes into the goal instead of when your dog touches the ball.  Your dog will quickly understand her new task. Once she’s succeeded a few times,  you can start placing the ball farther and farther away from the goal as your dog gets better at playing soccer.

Playing soccer with your dog can be a lot of fun. It does take some effort on your part to train your dog, but it’s well worth it!

Why not find a ball and see what you can do on the field with your dog?

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About the Author

Mia Montagliani, known by her clients as "The Aussie Dog Whisperer", is a highly sought after expert in dog training. Discover how you can apply the same techniques as professional dog trainers to improve your dog's behaviour by downloading Mia's complimentary dog training guides and video. Don't forget to follow Mia on Facebook.