As cute as it is to snuggle up to our dogs and let them rest peacefully the whole day, that does not help them out in the long run. Just as we rely on physical activity to better our health, so do dogs. Equally important is mental stimulation, so aim to challenge your dog(s) with fun activities. Allow them to get in touch with their instinctual nature and add some excitement to their lives to keep them from being bored.
At the end of the day, we should all want to give our dogs the best quality of life and deepen the bond we have with them, so let's give them the attention and stimulation they deserve. Try practicing the following five games with your pet to make playtime an active and beneficial experience.
1. Make them earn their food.
It's easy to fall into a routine and simply take less than a minute to give your dog their daily meal, but that takes away from a dog's natural scavenging nature. Instead, opt to make mealtime fun and let them work for their food. There are several food-dispensing toys, like the Kong Wobbler, that can help challenge your dog while also making them exercise.
2. Exploration is essential, so let them sniff.
We see it every day -- dogs are constantly sniffing, but sniffing the same things on a constant basis is a recipe for boredom. In turn, this boredom can lead to destructive behaviors, so to avoid this from happening, take your dog with you on errands, or even go for a walk around areas you know your dog has not yet explored. Doing so will allow them to experience sensory enrichment which will really keep your dog's mind busy.
3. Teach your dogs the names of their toys.
Sure, dogs can become familiar with the term "ball" when you consistently ask them to fetch it, but what about getting them to familiarize themselves with their different toys? This requires lots of patience as this may be difficult initially for your dog to do, but use lots of praise and rewards as your dog retrieves the correct toy that you've named and called for.
4. Play the shell game.
This intellectual exercise is as fun for your dog to do as it is to watch. As your dog watches you, grab a cup and place a treat underneath. Once you tell your dog to "go get it," and they touch the cup with their paw or nose, let them eat the treat. Or, let them knock it over to grab the treat themselves if you'd like. As they get comfortable with the game, use three cups and, still, one treat.
Rub the treat all over the three cups and then place the treat under one of them. The scent of the treat everywhere will force your dog to rely on visual tracking. Again, let them eat the treat when a correct choice is made. You can later, start to switch the cups around to make things more difficult.
5. Try the muffin tin and tennis ball challenge.
This is like a hide-and-seek game for your dog but with treats! All you need are tennis balls, a muffin tin, and dog treats. Place one treat in however many muffin tins you'd prefer, and then hide the treats with the tennis balls.
Your dog will have to figure out how to knock out the balls to find the reward hidden underneath. Just like the other activities mentioned earlier, this game will keep your dog mentally stimulated and in return, very happy!
