In addition to physical exercise, dogs also benefit from added mental exercise. Toys that foster a dog’s thinking and further develop their mind also help to alleviate anxious behaviors and reduce the behaviors that pet owners do not want.
There are many toys designed to stimulate a dog’s mind. Sometimes creative games with routine toys can accomplish the same. Below are some toys that can be used to provide mental exercise for your dog.
Common Toys to Provide Mental Exercise for Your Dog
Puzzle Toys– These are common go-to toys for providing stimulation for your dog. Most puzzle toys hold a piece of food. The dog must figure out a way to shake, paw, or nibble their way to the food that’s inside the toy. When they figure it out, they’re rewarded.
This is an ideal toy for a dog that needs a job, or otherwise may find trouble. If a dog likes to chew, scratch or otherwise cause mischief while his owners aren’t home, a puzzle toy is an excellent option to keep the dog occupied with another objective.
Hide and Seek Games – Another option for mental exercise is to play hide and seek with your dog’s favorite toy. A braided rope toy or a ball would work well. Your dog may need some positive reinforcement with treats once he finds the toy to keep the game moving along. Another variation on hide and seek may be for the owner to grab one of the dog’s squeak toys, and go hide. When you’re ready, squeak the toy, and see if you can get your dog to come find you. Again, it may work better with the positive reinforcement of a treat to mark the desired behavior.
Fetch – Fetch with a ball may be fairly straight forward. But when you use a nylon frisbee, it takes much more coordination to make the catch. The wind pushes this soft flying disc up and down, so your dog needs to make the adjustment in order to catch it. Hand-eye coordination is a must – and will provide that necessary mental stimulation.
Make Sure Your Dog Has Enough Mental Exercise
Your dog needs to be given opportunities to think. The toys and games listed above provide much-needed mental exercise and offer owners and animals a wonderful chance to bond. What are you doing to make sure that your dog has enough mental exercise? Are there toys or games that you could purchase to improve your dog’s mental stimulation?
