Like us humans, dogs need physical exercise to be healthy and fit. Some dogs have a greater level of activity than others, for example shepherd dogs that were originally bred to shepherd animals that get on large open natural expanses and thus run many km every day. Hunting dogs are also bred to be very physical when hunting and either have to dust or retrieve game, while other dogs are bred to stay in one place to guard. No matter what breed of dog you have and despite your good walks every day where you both get out and get your legs stretched, all dogs also need the mental stimulation. The brain needs to be kept going from the early puppy age, but as the dog gets older, it still needs the brain exercise and not just the long walks.
How to Stimulate the Dog's Brain?
There are many forms of brain exercise for dogs. You can, for example, go to obedience training, hunting training, police training, rally training, agility etc. It is only the imagination that sets the limits for which training teams you can sign up for, but it is important that you know your dog. The fact that you have a good breed knowledge of exactly the breed you have acquired, and that you know the dog's original instincts is important when choosing the right kind of training. That being said, a Chicken Dog with a strong hunting instinct can easily benefit greatly from agility, as well as a smaller companion dog can give it gas for obedience training. If you do not actively go hunting or actively want your German Shepherd dog to do the same as police dogs, and the training on a hobby level to please both dog and owner, it is not so important what kind of training one chooses. As long as the dog shows joy and you motivate it and have fun together. The essential thing is that the dog works mentally and learns a lot.
Brain-Nose Gymnastics at Home and on the Go
Dogs have an exceptionally good nose, some better than others (hunting dogs), but common is that when they use the nose they get mentally tired. There are various things you can do to train nose work with the dog. A great tool most dogs quickly learn to use and think is fun is an activity ball . It is filled with small treats that fall out of the holes when the dog pushes the ball around, and can be used both indoors and outdoors. The fact that the dog gets treats out of the ball is a motivating factor for the dog, and it's all about motivating the dog.
Another fun game for mental training, if you do not have an activity ball, is to store small treats in a blanket / towel and then fold it. Here the dog must smell itself and get the towel unwrapped so it can get the treats . This play is also easy and can be played anywhere. In the beginning you can fold the towel a few times so that the dog learns it and then you can then fold several times so that the degree of difficulty increases and the dog has to work harder for the treat.
A third game that is easy and very effective as nose and brain training is to throw the dog's dinner, if it consists of dry food, over a large lawn. In this way, the dog has to use its nose to get the food, and it can easily take some time if you get the food thrown far out. This game requires that you either have a garden or a green area available nearby. If you do not have a garden and it is bright in the evening, you can easily have the dog's dinner in your pocket in a bag and then throw it out when you are out for an evening walk. However, make sure that no other dogs come and participate in the game, so that your dog does not get all his food.
There are also games as problem solving, where the dog must solve a "problem" to get the treat. For example, it could be various activity games where the dog has to lift or push lids or other objects to the side to get the treat. You can also use an ordinary cup or a lid, but be aware that the dog does not chew / eat in the objects that need to be moved. Or that you put the dog's dry food in a bottle (not of glass) so that the dog has to figure out how the food will come out. You can also store a lot of treats around the home and let the dog sniff their way to them.
Body control exercises are also a great way to stimulate the dog mentally, here, however, the nose will not be in play. These exercises are about balance and motor skills and will challenge every dog. It can be reminiscent of agility, where the dog has to walk on a seesaw, through a tunnel, stand still on a high small area etc. If you do not have an agility track available, you can easily practice such exercises on the walk. Here you can train the dog to jump up on a tree stump, a bench and whatever you just pass, where the dog has to stand still and control its movements. Again, it's just the imagination that sets the limits and it's just about being a little creative.
Dogs do not demand very much, so a little and simple can also make a huge difference. As long as the dog uses the nose and brain, it is happy and content. Good training.
