Ep277 - Play, train, exercise

If-- So I'm gonna start off, let's talk a little bit about the definitions of play, train, and exercise.

So definition of play: a voluntary, intrinsically motivated activity done for enjoyment.

That makes sense.

Something like play isn't really thought about because it's only experienced.

Unless you're actually sitting down writing notes and thinking about what play is, we all know what playing is, we all knew it from a child, but we don't put emphasis on it in any structured form because play isn't a structured activity necessarily.

It's something that is experienced and that is relatively spontaneous, and it's something that no one has to tell you it's fun, you know it's fun.

So intrinsic means-- intrinsically motivated means motivated from within, something that the individual wants.

Where if I have to make my dog enjoy, um...

Well, my dog kind of enjoys all forms of play, but let's just say your dog doesn't wanna chase a ball, but likes to play tug, and you're telling him, "You will chase a ball because Chili chases the ball, and Panos says that he finds it play, so you're gonna find it playful." And he's like, "Well, I don't really find it intrinsically motivating." You can extrinsically motivate the dog to go for the ball.

"Go get the ball, bring it back to me, and then I'll play tug with you." And we do that as well to create a little bit of, of, of, of a reason for a dog to bring the ball back.

But to actually get them to chase it, then they-- then we have to go back through that chaining process by showing him, "I throw the ball, you go get it.

If you bring it back to me, we play tug." The dog finds tug as play, not chasing the ball as play.

But you don't have to tell my dog that chasing a ball is fun.

You just throw anything and he would chase it.

So it's intrinsic to him.