Mental stimulation for dogs

Dogs are highly intelligent creatures and enjoy learning new things throughout their lives, from puppies all the way through to their senior years.

Just as important as physical exercise, mental stimulation keeps your dog alert and active, improving cognitive function, releasing stress and decreasing hyperactivity – and in turn, this also helps them to sleep.

Mental stimulation from regular training sessions can also help keep cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) at bay in older dogs, so is a very important part of pet ownership.

If your dog isn’t mentally stimulated, they’ll become bored and frustrated, leading to unwanted habits such as chewing furniture.

Destructive habits are often a sign of a bored dog, so it’s important to keep your dog engaged. In doing so, they’ll get better at understanding commands, learning new tricks, and will be less likely to jump on guests and bark excessively.

If you would like to find out more about how to mentally stimulate your dog, owners with a Petplan dog insurance policy can access our Pet Expert Chat to ask any questions directly to an expert. Just log into your My Petplan account and head to the My Support area to access.

Dogs of all ages will benefit from regular brain games; they build self-confidence and encourage dogs to play on their own. Brain games for dogs are also a great way to keep older pets alert and interested if they can’t do as much physical exercise as they used to.

Some brain training for dogs ideas include activities such as puzzle boards, where they have to move levers or flaps to reveal a treat; licker mats for spreading soft treats on, or Kongs stuffed with pet-safe peanut butter (that doesn’t contain xylitol).

Scatter feeding can be fun, too. Sprinkle your dog’s food around the house on hard, easy-to-clean surfaces or around the garden and let them follow their nose to find it.

You can also make your own puzzle toy – a tin filled with tennis balls with one or two treats hidden underneath can be a lot of fun. Or, try making a ‘destruction box’ by filling a cardboard box with scrunched up paper or old toilet rolls and dried food for your dog to sniff out.

Remember to always supervise your dog when playing with any puzzle or feeder toy to make sure they don’t chew anything accidentally.

Many dogs love using their nose to sniff out hidden treasure. Start this game by hiding a treat somewhere obvious and allow your dog to watch as you do so – under a cushion placed on the floor is a good place to start. Ask your dog to ‘find’ and reward them with lots of verbal praise when they sniff out and eat their treat.

Once your dog understands the game, you can start to increase the difficulty. Work up to hiding treats in another room, or somewhere with lots of other scents to mask the smell. You can also increase the challenge by setting up cardboard boxes of different sizes and hiding a treat in just one box. Let your dog sniff all the boxes and figure out where the treat is.

If your dog isn’t particularly food motivated, there are plenty of other games you can try – from tug-of-war to teaching them to tidy up their toys.

Another fun example is a variation on the classic game of fetch. Tie a string to the end of a long stick and attach one of your dog’s favourite toys to the other end of the string. Dangle the toy in front of your dog and move it away slowly, stopping and starting as you go. This encourages your dog to focus their excitement, challenge their mind and use their natural hunting instincts to catch the toy in a controlled way that’s fun for both of you.

You can also play hide and seek together, though this game works best with two people. One person asks your dog to sit and stay with them while the other person hides. They should then ask your dog to ‘find’ the hidden person.

Start by hiding in a very easy spot, such as the hallway outside the room your dog is waiting in. When your dog finds the person, reward them with lots of praise. If your dog enjoys this game, you can start increasing the level of difficulty by hiding in harder-to-find spots around the house or garden.

Adding a few short training sessions to your dog’s daily routine is a great way to mentally stimulate them, while also improving the bond between you both.

You can work on some basic commands or teach them something a bit different, such as shaking paws, high-fiving or rolling over and playing dead.

Alternatively, if your dog has picked up some habits you’d rather they hadn’t (such as jumping on the sofa), you can spend some time using positive reinforcement training to gradually break those patterns.

Try varying your daily walks by visiting a new park or different area of your neighbourhood. Walking your dog in a completely different environment, such as a beach or riverside, can make a short walk far more mentally stimulating than your usual quick trip around the block.

Exploring new walks in your area and allowing your pet to discover different sights and smells provides plenty of mental stimulation, and can help form new neural pathways in their brain. Just make sure to allow time for your dog to stop and sniff all the exciting new scents.

Make sure to start with simple mental exercises before slowly building up to more complex ones, and choose activities that suit your dog’s breed and personality.

Some breeds – such as Golden Retrievers and Labradors – particularly enjoy games based around food. However, be sure to keep an eye on the amount of treats your dog is getting and to subtract these calories from your dog’s daily food allowance. Remember, praise as a reward can be just as effective as treats.

Getting into the habit of providing your dog with mental and physical tasks enhances their problem-solving skills – but always be careful not to over-excite your dog. Play or train for a few minutes and then give a ‘finish’ command. By spending time providing mental stimulation for your dog, you can enjoy the deeper bond created with them.

While this article looks at how to keep your dog mentally stimulated during down time, it is also important to build in some time during your dog’s daily routine for them to simply do nothing and rest or sleep. A balanced approach of combining periods of mental stimulation with rest throughout each day should allow your dog to enjoy their best life.