Whether you’re a novice dog owner in Sydney or a veteran at breeding and raising dogs in Tasmania, your dog’s well-being relies almost solely on your ability to give them what they need.
Dogs obviously need food and shelter and proper training, but there are other aspects of owning a dog that must also be addressed.
Mental stimulation is a key component to ensuring your dog is happy and healthy. A mentally stimulated dog is more likely to be content, alert and responsive, as well as less prone to behavioural issues.
Without proper mental stimulation, dogs can become prone to destructive chewing of furniture, scratching, going potty in the wrong places around the house, and excessive barking and howling that could annoy you and the neighbours.
Keeping your dog’s mind active can be just as important as providing them with physical exercise to help them burn off excess energy.
Let’s go through some tips on how to make sure your pooch is getting the mental stimulation and enrichment that they need.
6 Ways to Make Sure Your Dog Is Mentally Stimulated
Provide toys and puzzles
One of the best ways to keep your dog’s brain engaged is by providing them with interactive toys or puzzles that require problem-solving skills. There are many different types of toys and puzzles available for dogs, from treat-dispensing puzzles that require your dog to figure out how to get treats out of a toy, to educational games designed specifically for their mental development.
When introducing new toys or games, it’s important to start slowly and let your dog explore at their own pace so that they don’t become overwhelmed or frustrated. Some dogs may pick up quickly on how to solve puzzles, while others will need some coaxing. Be patient with your dog and reward them with treats and lots of praise.
Don’t worry – most of them will eventually get it, because dogs are naturally curious. But be sure to find toys and puzzles tailored to your specific dog breed and physical attributes.
Create games and challenges
Creating fun games like hide-and-seek or scavenger hunts can provide mental stimulation for your dog while allowing them to use their natural instincts and abilities to search for items around the house or yard.
These games and challenges could be a fun way for you and your dog to bond when stuck at home together and it could be loads of fun to do with the entire family.
You can also create challenges by hiding treats around the house for your dog to find using their nose or pawing skills – this will help improve their problem solving skills too!
Practice obedience training
Obedience training can help stimulate your dog’s mind by teaching them important commands like sit, stay and come. Training also helps strengthen the bond between you and your dog, making them more responsive and obedient when off-leash, with unfamiliar people, or in other challenging situations.
It’s important to practise obedience training early on in your dog’s life and consistently, using positive reinforcement techniques such as giving them treats or praise when they do something correctly.
This is something that you’ll have to do throughout your dog’s entire life, not just when they’re a puppy. Everyone in the house should also be in on practising the same techniques so as not to confuse the dog or give them mixed signals.
Go for walks
Regular walks provide both physical exercise and mental stimulation for dogs – it gives them an opportunity to explore their environment while burning off excess energy.
During walks, you can try giving them basic commands such as “sit” or “stay” while walking down the street – this helps keep their minds engaged while rewarding good behaviour with treats or praise when they obey commands correctly.
Proofing their behaviour in the real world (not just in your home or backyard) is crucial to ensuring that they’ll obey even in unexpected situations. Your daily walks should be a regular part of your routine, and it’s a good stepping stone to more advanced proofing drills.
In addition to that, daily walks could be a great way for you to bond and get a little extra exercise with your pet.
Play fetch
Fetch is an excellent way of providing both physical exercise and mental stimulation for dogs. It encourages them to use problem solving skills in order to figure out where the ball has gone after being thrown, while helping improve coordination skills through running around after it.
You can also use different types of balls and toys such as frisbees, some of which will bounce or fly in unexpected ways. This can give your dog an additional challenge if they’re especially athletic – just be sure to play this game somewhere you can easily find the toy!
Just spend time together
Spending time together helps build trust between you and your pet. You could try activities such as brushing their coat and grooming them, which not only stimulates their skin but also keeps them relaxed through the therapeutic effects of touch therapy.
Alternatively, you may want to teach fun tricks like rolling over or shaking paws, which aren’t always part of obedience training.
Apart from the mental benefits, it’s also just fun to focus only on each other, creating the bond between owner and dog that is impossible to break. Do this regularly and you’ll be sure that your dog knows you love them. Dogs are at their best when they know and trust their owners and feel an unshakable bond with them.
Mental stimulation is an important part of keeping your dog happy and healthy – it helps keep their minds active while providing much needed enrichment in their lives. It also keeps them from having behavioural problems when left at home, leading to a happier home life and tidier house.
Make sure you do what you can to keep your dog’s mind sharp – from when they’re a pup to well into their golden years.
