Keeping a dog mentally stimulated is important. If we don’t pay enough attention to our dogs’ minds, they often become bored or start misbehaving, and their mental health can quickly deteriorate. To avoid these problems, here are 5 quick tips to challenge your dog’s brainpower and turn him into a genius!
1) Go off the Beaten Path
Yes, literally, walk your dog on new routes every once in a while. If you take your dog on walks using the same path each and every day, he’s missing opportunities to come across anything new. But don’t limit this philosophy to walks; expand it to all areas of your dog’s life.
Teach your dog a new skill, let him sniff new places, or try taking part in a doggy sport. Keep your dog’s environment full of new and exciting things, and offer him plenty of opportunities to use his brain.
2) Hide Your Dog’s Toys
Dogs can be quite determined when it comes to getting the things they want, so why not use this to put their brains to work? If your dog wants a toy, try placing it under a laundry basket or hiding it under a blanket (making sure he sees you put it there).
Then, sit back and watch him use his problem-solving skills to try and get it. When he solves the puzzle, praise him just as he reaches for the toy.
If your dog struggles or gets frustrated, make the exercise easier at first, and then gradually make it harder and harder over time.
3) Increase Your Dog’s Vocabulary
Dogs are always ready to learn new words, so why not take the time to expand your dog’s vocabulary? For example, you could start saying “let’s go potty” just before opening the door to let your dog out. After doing this often enough, your dog should come running over to be let out whenever you say “let’s go potty.”
Dogs are pretty fast to learn to associate a particular action with a word and are quick to anticipate what will happen next, so you will usually see results very quickly.
4) Never Stop Training
Don’t stop training your dog when he reaches his golden years. If you don’t use it, you lose it, especially applies to senior dogs. Yes, old dogs can learn new tricks, the only thing is, they may take just a little bit longer to learn them, but be patient and you’ll be pleasantly surprised. So don’t let that brain go to rust, a dog’s brain never loses its ability to learn new things so long as you give it the chance.
5) Brain Training for Dogs
The brain is like a muscle “if you don’t challenge it, it won’t grow!” That’s why the best way to make your dog smarter is by teaching him special brain games and brain exercises. Brain games are fun little games you can play with your dog to teach him new skills and increase his intelligence.
Here’s a great Brain Training for Dogs’ course containing 21 awesome brain games, including treasure hunts, hide and seek, playing the piano, and much more, that will take you step-by-step as you turn your dog into a well-behaved and obedient genius! Be sure to check it out here:
By Adrienne Farricelli
A professional CPDT-KA certified dog trainer