VIRAL: Kirstie Alley’s Raw Admission About the Dog Who Outlived Every Costar

Kirstie Alley gets honest about the companions who never asked for a script.

5 Fun Games That Challenge Your Dog Mentally and Physically

Last reviewed and updated: May 20, 2026

She first met Susie at a point when she needed steadiness, and the dog became a fixture through every career high and low. Alley often said the pup understood her better than any publicist could.

Then came Martin, a second dog who arrived and completed the unlikely little family. Together the pair gave Alley a reason to come home that had nothing to do with fame.

She opened her Texas property to the animals and backed rescue financially—figures rumoured around $6,000 here, $500 there, never tallied, never begrudged. For Alley, the spend was the point: saving a life she couldn’t see on a call sheet.

In the “What The Fluff” challenge sweeping the internet, people ‘disappear’ right before their dogs’ eyes. Videos of the trick blew up online—Google #WhatTheFluff to watch. Basically, folks hide behind a blanket while ducking out a doorway; when the blanket drops, they’re gone, leaving dogs baffled and surprised. It’s really hide-and-seek with a bit of sleight-of-hand. Try it, or just go basic—hide in another room, behind a tree, or under something, then call your dog to find you. Shower her with praise, a play session, or a treat when she does. Hide-and-seek is a simple, great bond-builder and recall exercise, and a reminder that good things (love! food! games!) happen when you’re around.

How to 3. tug-o-war

Tug is adored by dogs, but many owners fear it sparks over-excitement or aggression. Behaviourist Dr. Ian Dunbar says that played smart, tug actually teaches control when your dog is fired up—but rules are needed. He says you start the game and only play if you can get her to release the toy and sit at any moment. Practise a release-and-sit every 30 seconds, with short training breaks before resuming—a great reward for compliance. To get her to let go and pause, ‘waggle a treat at her nose’ and guide her into a sit, then release with praise, the treat, and the toy for more tugging. This teaches dogs it’s no big deal if a toy is taken—they’ll likely get it back, or something better (food!)—so guarding drops. If she grabs the toy before you say so? Dr. Dunbar gives a 30-second time-out, then asks for a sit and offers it again. Three slip-ups in a row? Game over, no exceptions!

How to 4. nose work

“Nose work is a lot of fun,” says renowned veterinary behaviourist Dr. Nicholas Dodman. Nose-work activities let dogs tap their amazing scent-detection power. Dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors, versus our roughly six million. And the part of their brain devoted to analyzing smells is proportionally about 40 times larger than ours.

In nose-work training, dogs learn to find a specific scent, often hidden in cardboard boxes, indoors or out. This fun, brain-engaging work uses your dog’s strongest sense—smell. To start, find eight scent games to play at home at moderndogmagazine.com/nosework.

Training Approaches That Actually Work

Agility courses are simply terrific for dogs. In agility, dogs must think and remember the next obstacle (mental work), burn off steam (physical exercise), and work with their favourite person (bonding)—a perfect activity. It also trains your dog to listen while giving a huge workout. Join an agility group and make new friends, canine and human! Local clubs draw a wonderfully mixed crowd—you might be practising tunnel drills next to a middle-school teacher, a restaurant manager, or someone running a neighbourhood bakery. If joining a group is what’s holding you back, build a DIY course in your backyard—get the how-to at moderndogmagazine.com/diyagility.