Stimulate Your Dog’s Mind Through Play | Dogalize
Did you know that play can stimulate your dog’s mind? It’s a very challenging way to bring out the best of them. Here are some tips to push your dog use his brain.
Smell is the most powerful sense in dogs, use it to stimulate their brain as well. Play hide-and-seek with treats. You can build obstacle courses for your dog out of boxes, sturdy containers, and portable stairs. Rub the scent in scent in various spaces, hiding the meal or the high-prized treat in the toughest place to find. It encourages the dog to problem solve and as a result, builds confidence too. You can hide treats and high-prized toys all over the house or yard even!
Tie a string to the end of a long stick, then tie a soft stuffed animal onto the string. Dangle it in front of your dog to catch their eye contact and attention. To make it even more interesting, stuff it with a treat or rub it with the scent of a treat or food. Instead of moving it frantically, which is our natural human inclination, move it slowly, stopping and starting again. This helps him concentrate. The faster you go, the more you drain their physical energy; the slower you go, the more you challenge their mind.
Once a dog has learned the “stay” command, this becomes a really fun exercise. It’s also a way to teach “come” with the word “come” or whatever sound you choose, a whistle for example, or his name too. You say “stay” and then go hide. Keep close at first and then gradually increase the distance. When you are in your hiding place, make the come sound or say the word. Then patiently wait for the dog to find you. Don’t say his name or the command again. Give their mind a chance to work it out. When he finds you, reward him with a treat. It’s that simple. They’ll get better and better at it and once they do, you can move to larger areas like a park.
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Source: cesarsway