All puppies love to play
The puppy that plays quietly is usually playing safely, while the one that whines loudly may be physically and nervously exhausted. This doesn’t mean the average puppy isn’t lively, because he most certainly is. But just as he gets enough sleep through short naps, he also gets his best exercise in short sessions.
Do not encourage him to play when he gets tired or wants to rest. When you’re ready to call it quits, leave it alone. It is a great mistake to excite the puppy at rest, or to allow children to provoke him when you know he is tired. He plays when he feels like it, and when he’s tired he has to stop.
Play is the instinctive method of exercise for the young animal. You will also find ways to play alone. The old game of chasing its tail is usually a puppy game; but if he really does bite his tail, look for matted hair, debris, or even a flea that might be bothering him. Since the normal puppy is full of vitality and vigour, he can push himself beyond his strength. After a play period of about twenty minutes, pick him up and put him in his box. Caught in the middle of a boisterous game of tag and toss, he may rebel, but it doesn’t matter!
Shut him up and leave him alone. Before you know it, he’ll be fast asleep.
The puppy that plays quietly in its own place or box cannot suffer much damage no matter how long it stays in it and its balance is safe because it is on its papers or its blanket. However, when he is taken out to play, he faces certain risks, one of which is the slippery floor. Many people put linoleum in the pup’s room, or let him run around in the kitchen or bathroom, as these places tend to have floors that suffer from fewer periodic bugs. However, the playful pup isn’t quite sure on his feet. He can easily slip and fall, injure a knee joint, or pull a tendon. Therefore, the pup playing on waxed linoleum or polished hardwood floors needs the protection of some kind of matting.
Especially suitable is a discarded cotton rag rug that can be washed as many times as necessary or even an old towel will do.