Jill, owner and pet stylist with Fresh Paws Spa mobile dog groomer, her furry sidekick , Yellow Labrador, Cutch looking stylish!
Did you know that when your dog is bored, they act out.
Bored dogs can develop bad habits, particularly when they are stressed or have a lot of energy. They will chew things you do not want them to, jump on you when they shouldn’t be, they are just trying to interact with you.
When we first got Cutch, our yellow Labrador, he had a lot of energy, and that is putting it mildly. We took him for lots and lots of walks and runs. But there were times we couldn’t run him, and we had to find another outlet to tire him.
Brain games are great for dogs who have energy to burn and are especially helpful for dogs with anxiety or high energy. These games are great, especially when the weather is not great outside. Brain games are puzzles, toys, and activities that encourage your dog to experiment, and problem solve. You are also bonding with your dog. Dogs are social creatures. They interact in all sorts of ways, including play. They want to play with you because they see you as a pack mate.
Brain games are important for dogs of every age:
Puppies-Brain games build self-confidence and teach them to play by themselves.
Adults- They encourage problem-solving and burn off energy.
Seniors-They keep their mind sharp and help prevent brain decline.
Dogs recovering from surgery or other medical treatments. These games can be boredom busters when your dog must rest and take it easy.
More than one-third of dogs over 8 years old start to lose some of their brain function. Signs of mental decline in dogs include personality changes, accidents in the house, restlessness at night, decreased activity, and memory loss. A dog might forget simple commands or tricks they knew before. We are starting to see the restlessness at night with Cutch. He gets up and wants out, then back in, then out, it’s just keeps happening till he finally is tired.
Here are some brain games we play with Cutch.
Hiding his favorite toy, The Chicken, and he must look for it.
Lay a towel down, put some treats in on the towel, roll it up and let them sniff out the treats.
Puzzle toys, you put treats in the puzzle, and they must sniff the treats out.
Hide in seek, someone hides, and they must look for you.
When you go for a walk, turn right instead of left, this will switch up their thinking.
Play the look game. If they do not know how to play, start with a treat on your forehead and ask them to look. When they look, give them the treat. Eventually you will not have a treat. But by teaching them to look at you, if they are in trouble with something, ask them to look at you and you can probably get them from doing something they shouldn’t be doing.
Just have fun and bond with your furry sidekick!
Some of this information was found on the web under WebMD February 13, 2023 post