By: Alexandra Perez
Ten minutes may not seem like enough time to exercise a dog, strengthen a bond, reinforce training, and have some genuine fun, but Ryan Matthews believes the right kind of play can accomplish all four. Known as the K-9 Mentalist and the founder of World Of Dog Training, Matthews approaches play as something more meaningful than simply tossing a ball or handing over a favorite toy. Done intentionally, it becomes a language between dog and owner, one built on excitement, communication, trust, and clear boundaries.
Matthews calls it “The Art of Play,” and at first glance, the idea looks remarkably simple. A long leash, the right toy or reward, and ten minutes are enough to begin. But beneath the tugging, movement, praise, and excitement is a carefully structured interaction. The dog learns when the game begins, when it can engage, when to release, and when playtime is over. The owner learns something equally important: how to become an active part of the experience instead of simply standing on the sidelines giving commands.
In a demonstration with his dog Zeus, Matthews begins before a toy is even visible. That detail matters. Rather than allowing the sight of a toy to dictate Zeus’ excitement, Matthews first creates engagement between himself and the dog.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
The familiar phrase flips a switch. Zeus knows the game is about to begin, and only then does Matthews retrieve the toy.
It is a small moment that captures the larger philosophy behind the exercise. Matthews wants the interaction to start with the relationship, not the object. The toy is part of the experience, but the human remains at the center of it.
Once the game begins, Matthews uses a handful of clear cues. One signals that Zeus can take the toy. Another tells him to release it. When Matthews asks Zeus to drop, the toy immediately becomes still. Matthews does not continue pulling or teasing. The game pauses until he chooses to restart it.
“Remember, he shouldn’t go after it unless I tell him to get it,” Matthews explains.
This transforms an ordinary game of tug into an exercise in impulse control and communication. Zeus is allowed to become excited, pull, move, and compete for the toy, but that excitement exists alongside structure. He is not being asked to suppress his enthusiasm. Instead, he is learning how to move between high energy and control while remaining connected to Matthews.
That distinction is especially important in Matthews’ work with reactive dogs. He describes the exercise as particularly useful for them when introduced appropriately in an open environment with plenty of space. A long leash allows the dog freedom to move while keeping the interaction connected to the handler.
The physical component is only one part of the experience. For Matthews, the human’s willingness to genuinely participate matters just as much.
He cheers Zeus on. He praises him. He teases him with the toy and lets the competition feel real. At moments, the interaction resembles two children absorbed in a game rather than a formal dog-training session.
“You got to really be crazy and be a kid all over again,” Matthews says. “Have fun. Be a kid again.”
There is purpose behind that enthusiasm. Instead of expecting a dog to find its owner interesting simply because that person is holding the leash, Matthews shows owners how to become part of what the dog enjoys. Play becomes shared rather than something the human merely provides.
The game also gives the dog an opportunity to succeed. During tug, Matthews lets Zeus feel as though he can compete and win. He celebrates his strength and encourages him enthusiastically. At the same time, boundaries remain intact. Matthews decides when the game starts, when the toy becomes active, and when the interaction ends.
Even the physical movements are intentional. Matthews recommends tugging up and down rather than aggressively from side to side, which he cautions can be hard on a dog’s head and neck. The result is an activity that can provide movement and stimulation without losing sight of control.
Perhaps the most important part comes when the fun is over.
Matthews uses a clear finishing cue. The tugging stops. The toy goes away. There is no confusion about whether another round is coming. Just as the dog learned the signal that switched the game on, it learns the signal that switches it off.
That ability to move from excitement back to calm is part of what makes the exercise more than ordinary play. In a single interaction, the dog practices engagement, release, patience, physical movement, and responding to its owner even while highly stimulated. This emphasis on communication and mutual understanding also reflects the philosophy behind World Of Dog Training, where Matthews encourages owners to look beyond obedience and focus on the relationship they build with their dogs.
For the owner, those same ten minutes can become an opportunity to stop treating training as a chore. There is no requirement to separate bonding, exercise, and learning into different parts of the day. Matthews’ approach brings them together in an experience both dog and human can enjoy.
The toy itself can change, too. Matthews acknowledges that different dogs value different rewards. For one dog, it might be a tug toy. For another, food may be more motivating. What matters is finding something meaningful to the individual dog and then using it to create purposeful interaction.
That may ultimately be what makes the Art of Play so simple and yet so layered. It is not really about the leash or the toy. It is about what happens between the dog and the person holding the other end.
Ten intentional minutes can become exercise without feeling like exercise, training without feeling like a drill, and bonding without forcing affection. Through World Of Dog Training, this philosophy of purposeful connection remains central to Matthews’ approach. By turning play into a shared language with a clear beginning, purpose, and end, Ryan Matthews shows that sometimes one of the most effective ways to teach a dog is also one of the easiest to forget: simply play together.
