Mental Exercises for Dogs: Seven Tips for Brain Stimulation

Mental Exercises for Dogs

Work Your Dogs Brain with Canis Clicker Training!

You might have heard the old adage:  A busy dog is a good dog.  Is your dog busy?  Or is he bored?  Let’s take a look at seven methods for keeping your dog busy and preventing the destructive behavior that can drive you crazy and ruin your relationship with your canine companion.

Tip One:  Try MENSA for Dogs

If you have ever found yourself engaged in brain games to stave off boredom, then you’ll be happy to discover that the same thing works for your dog.  Do a quick Google search for canine IQ tests, and get busy!  You might find out that your dog is a lot smarter than you think – but even if that is not the case, you’ll have fun bonding.

Tip Two: Basic Training is Important

If you don’t have time to put your dog through obedience training and spend time working on maintaining the skills that are essential knowledge for every well-behaved dog, then you don’t have enough time to have a dog.  Sad, but true!  Spend a few minutes every day going over basic commands.  Make the time you spend together fun and rewarding, and make it a priority.

Learn How to Work Your Dogs Brain with Canis Clicker Training!

Tip Three: Problem Solving Skills

Don’t you love it when you find the solution to a problem?  Great news – so does your dog!  Give her little puzzles to solve.  Hide her toys, and have her find them.  Give her treats frozen in ice cubes, or buy a puzzle toy made just for dogs.  Who knows – you may have a champion on your hands!

Tip Four: Dogs Need a Job!

How would you feel, if you lacked productive work, or a sense of engagement in your environment? Pretty bored, huh?  Dogs like to anticipate happy outcomes, and they are happiest when they are doing some activity that they know will result in a reward – even if it’s just verbal praise or some stroking.  Have you ever seen a bored police dog?  The answer is no – he or she is highly engaged in the environment.  Whether your dog’s job is to play ball, help you dig up the flower bed, or fetch various items by name, he or she will be much happier with something to do!

Tip Five:  Even Old Dogs Love New Tricks!

Try buying a book or ebook about dog tricks.  Find one that stresses positive training methods, and teach your dog new tricks, step by step.  Dogs can do all kinds of fantastic things – from playing Frisbee to riding a skateboard.  Pick a trick, and put an end to doggie boredom!

Tip Six:  Breed Specific Intelligence – Your Dog Has Specific Skills!

Hounds are born to track.  Shepherds love nothing more than to have something to herd – even if it is just a couple of other dogs.  Mutts have different traits, and if you can figure out what their dominant breeding is, then you can probably find out what your dog will be best at.  Give your dog breed-specific tasks to do – he or she will be more responsive, better behaved, and tired when it’s all said and done.

Tip Seven:  Your Dog Needs Exercise

Even very old dogs need to go for walks and sniff around.  Dogs need to get exercise, just like we do.  If you can get your dog to play hard for several minutes, you’ll notice that he is much happier and better behaved afterward.  So, whether you go for a jog, or let him loose in the dog park, be sure he gets some time to run every day.   Dogs’ bodies release feel-good chemicals into their brains, just like our bodies do, when we get some exercise!

Learn How to Work Your Dogs Brain with Canis Clicker Training!

By keeping your dog active and providing plenty of mental stimulation, you can end destructive behavior and improve your relationship with your dog.  Best of all, everyone involved will enjoy the process!