Back to School Edition: Mental Enrichment for Dogs
Back to School or Back to Drool?
Back to school season is here again! Even though things may look a little different this year, schedules are still filling up and it’s important to remember our furry friends. Adventures to the beach and long walks at the park may not happen as often (although we’re going to try our best!) as the weather gets cooler and human-only activities pile on, but there are easy ways to prevent the inevitable boredom for our dogs!
As we know, physical exercise is an important part of a healthy dog’s lifestyle, but sometimes we forget to provide our dogs with mental enrichment. Mental activity doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive and if you are wondering how to incorporate mental enrichment, we’ve listed some fun ideas to keep your dog’s mind active below:
Training
Training does not need to be a chore! It can be fun for you and your dog. In fact, it can build your bond and get their wheels turning!
Training also does not need to be long to provide our pups with mental enrichment, 3-5 minutes is plenty. While you can work on basics like sit, down, and stay, you can also practice new tricks, like spin, touch, and bow. If you are looking to touch up on useful skills, try out leash walking with the look command or recalls.
When you are training a behavior, mark the behavior with a “yes” and then follow up with a treat. Your dog will love the opportunity to earn something yummy! Or if your dog is on a diet (like Harper seal!) following up with praise works, too!
Puzzles
Dogs are smart and thus, have the capability to problem solve. Giving them the chance to figure out a way forward keeps those brains sharp. There are two types of puzzles, do-it-yourself and premade. Here are a few things to try!
Do-it-Yourself:
Make your own plastic bottle with holes and treats inside
Muffin tin game- put kibble in tins and cover with tennis balls
Hide-and-seek
Premade:
Kong Wobbler or Bob-a-lot
Puzzles with latches and cubbies
Stuffed toys within a stuffed toy
Nosework
There is a huge portion of our dog’s brain that is dedicated to sense of smell. Knox always has his nose to the ground following some type of sent, while Harper prefers to roll in all the good smells. If you want to work your dog’s brain out, get them to sniff!
Try a snuffle mat! This mat is full of tightly pack fleece so your dog has “snuffle” to find their kibble or treats.
Fold up treats in a towel and watch your pup sniff them out.
Hide some treats or food behind table legs or underneath items around the room.
Scatter food in grass for a natural snuffle!
Play the shell game with two cups. Place a treat under one cup. Mix them up and have your pup sniff for the treat.
School for Dogs
There are lots of ways to mentally stimulate your dog and really, you are only limited by your creativity! Finding a balance of physical and mental exercise will help your dog stay healthy in body and mind as they age. If you know there is a day you are going to be super busy, and homeschooling (lol!) is out of the question, treat your dog to structured daycare or doggie school as we call it. We HIGHLY recommended The Urban Hound’s Structured Daycare in the South End and Falco K9’s Day School in Southie.