Whenever we talk about exercise needs for dogs, we often talk about physical exercise. But mental stimulation is an important part of the equation. It’s crucial for your dog’s emotional well-being. We often say dogs are smart … but they’re more than just smart. Dogs are far more intuitive than we give them credit.
When their brain isn’t challenged, dogs seek out fun and activities on their own. A responsible dog owner should provide plenty of mental stimulation for his puppy.
Today, we’ll talk about how to provide mental stimulation for dogs the right way.
Why Does Your Dog Need Mental Stimulation?
Providing your dog with enough stimulation is beneficial for both of you. Because a dog that doesn’t get work for his brain is an unhappy puppy. Before we get to some of the ways you can provide enrichment activities for your furry friend, let’s talk about the benefits of dog mental stimulation.
– Alleviates boredom and keep your puppy occupied for a prolonged period of time
– Reduces depression and anxiety in dogs, keeping your puppy happier
– Working breeds need to work to feel happy and satisfied
– Reduces hyperactivity and zoomies in dogs that are alone at home and have nothing to occupy their mind
– Provides a workout for the brain, resulting in a longer and happier life
– Mental stimulation can help you calm down your dog
– Proper brain stimulation lowers your dog’s tendency to be aggressive and show dominant behavior
– Helps you eliminate destructive behavior, especially in dogs that love chewing and digging
– Helps reduce barking
But the most important part is why dogs need mental stimulation. Because according to many, the main reason why people abandon animals is destructive behavior. And with mental stimulation, you can reduce that. If only pets would get a proper amount of brain workout. That would result in a happier pet with proper habits.
Remember, a tired dog is a happy dog.
The Concept of Sniff Walk
Two of the best ways to enrich your dog’s life are sniff walks and brain games. First, let’s talk about the concept of sniff walks. When done properly, sniffing walks can be an amazing way to provide mental stimulation for your puppy.
Some other names you might find include scent walks, dog-led walking, and decompression walks. But the general idea is the same. That is to allow your dog to take the lead and sniff around as much as he likes.
The term “sniff walk” isn’t a new thing. It’s just a new name for the same concept. The idea is to take your dog for a walk and allow it to stop and sniff around as much as he/she wants.
There is logic behind it. Dogs use their nose to explore their surroundings through scent. As we know, the part of your dog’s brain that analyzes scents is 40 times bigger than ours. That means dogs can process a lot more scents.
When they smell something, dogs get information about new places and experiences. But it’s also stress-relieving. We have to say that dogs can be overwhelmed and overstimulated in our world. That is especially true for dogs living in large cities. Just think of all the distractions like traffic sounds, crowded sidewalks, and everything in between.
Sniffing allows dogs to decompress, get rid of some anxiety, and feel more in line with their instinct and nature.
How Not To Do Sniff Walks
The general idea behind sniff walks is amazing. There is nothing inherently wrong with the concept. But the problem arises when you overdo it. Not every walk should be a sniff walk. That can teach your dog to stop and sniff at every 5 to 7 feet.
Here are three reasons you should not overdo sniff walks:
- They don’t provide enough physical activity. Adult canines need cardiovascular exercise that will keep their joints and heart healthy. A slow pace doesn’t achieve that.
- Some dogs might pick up things from the ground and eat while sniffing. That can often result in an emergency visit to the vet.
- It teaches your dog bad habits and bad leash manners like pulling on the leash, darting back and forth, and that smells are interesting and more important than you, the dog owner.
How To Properly Do A Sniff Walk
A sniff walk is an amazing experience for your puppy provided you do it properly. What does that mean?
Well, it means a scheduled walk. And use it as a reward for good behavior or manners. Make the sniff walk a reward for your puppy.
You shouldn’t go for a sniff walk every day. I suggest doing a sniff walk once per week. That would be sufficient for most dogs, even the most intelligent breeds out there. Even if you have a hound dog, a 100% sniff walk once per week is more than enough.
What I do is a structured walk. What is the concept? Well, it’s a way to add activities to your regular dog walking routine. And if you want to combine it with a sniffing walk, you can easily do it.
For example, make sniff walk a reward for proper leash manners. Walk your dog on the leash, or in a heel position, and then allow it to sniff for five to ten minutes. During that period, your dog takes the lead and can navigate the walk. But once the set time is over, things go back to normal and you control where you go.
After the sniff walk, I recommend a little bit of impulse control dog training. Basically, sit and enjoy some quiet time. Do nothing. It’s one of the hardest things for a puppy to do. But if you reward calm behavior, your dog will get there.
This way, a sniff walk teaches your furry friend good manners instead of bad manners.
Brain Games You Can Play At Home
As I said before, a sniffing walk is only one way to provide some mental stimulation for your puppy. There are countless ways to provide enrichment for your dog even in the convenience of your home. Because you can’t do a sniff walk every day, providing some brain teasing at home is crucial for your dog’s well-being.
Dogs who are not mentally stimulated are more prone to cognitive dysfunctions as they get older. It’s the same with humans. The more you exercise your brain, the lower the risk for conditions like dementia or Alzheimer’s.
With that in mind, here are some brain games you can play at home. And unlike puzzle toys, they are free.
Target Training
This simple brain game improves your dog’s focus. The premise is simple. Teach your dog to touch a target. The target can be anything you want, your hand, a stick with a tennis ball, or even a mask. If you’ve seen some cute videos of dogs coming to boop your hand, that is target training.
All you have to do is poke something in front of your dog. Ask your pet to touch it, and reward when the dog touches the item. Here’s a tip. Dogs are naturally curious. If you stick something in front of their nose, they will at least sniff it. In the beginning, reward sniffing, and then move to reward touching.
With target training, you can move to complicated behaviors like allowing the dog to ring a bell to go outside, pressing a button, and so on.
Hide And Seek
Arguably one of the best brain games you can play to improve the bond between you and your puppy. Hide and seek teaches your dog so many good behaviors, like looking for you and coming to you. And being rewarded for finding you.
You can play the game at home, or go outside if your dog doesn’t show anxious behavior in large crowds. It’s a natural way of improving your recall game.
And yes, the premise is that simple. You hide, and your dog looks for you. Once your puppy finds you, reward it with some excitement and treats.
Snuffle Mat
A homemade snuffle mat is an excellent way to play into your dog’s natural instinct of sniffing and providing some mental enrichment. This toy encourages your dog to sniff and search for hidden treats. There are many different ways to make a DIY snuffle mat at home.
I do it with an old blanket. Just make sure there are no buttons in the blanket or something your dog can swallow. Hide the treats in an old blanket, and then scrunch the blanket a little bit. Then, give it to your dog to investigate and find hidden treasure. The better your dog gets at the game, raise the difficulty by folding the blanket and doing some crazy things.
Beginner’s Dog Parkour
You might think that agility courses and dog parkour are things you do only outside. But the reality is that you can do some beginner exercises at home. And learning new things is mentally stimulating and rewarding for your dog.
At home, you can try exercises like going under, jumping over obstacles, putting feet on an object, going around an object, and more.
Learn New Tricks
Teaching your dog a new trick or command is an excellent mental stimulation exercise. It’s even more helpful for fearful or anxious dogs. Start with basic tricks, and make sure your dog wins most of the time. Winning and getting rewarded for it will boost your dog’s confidence.
There are countless tricks you can learn. There are some basic ones like sit, stay, shake, paw, and so on, to more complicated ones like play dead.
Scatter Feeding
Another brain game you can play is scatter feeding. Basically, you scatter your dog’s food around the home or the garden and let your puppy find it.
Work For Food
I’m a huge supporter of working for food. Even if you have a toy breed, I believe that dogs shouldn’t get free-for-all food in a bowl.
If you have a working breed, it’s even more important you cater to your dog’s tendencies. Working for kibble is a great mental stimulation for a dog’s activity.
Basically, you feed your dog’s dinner or lunch by learning tricks, repeating old tricks, or just encouraging calm behavior. For example, prepare your dog’s bowl, but ask your dog to wait for 10 to 15 seconds before you put it down. This will teach your dog to wait patiently and calmly for its meal.