Every dog needs to get plenty of mental stimulation. Sadly, it’s a need that is often ignored. In this article we will explore the best ways to engage your dog mentally, expand their cognitive skills and self-confidence.
Dogs of all ages will benefit from mentally stimulating activities. Thanks to such activities, puppies get to be curious, confident and learn problem-solving. As adults, dogs get to live an interesting, enriched lives. And for senior dogs, mental stimulation contributes to a longer life and delays cognitive decline.
Where can your dog get a good amount of mental stimulation? It does not have to be complicated!
1. During walks
It seems quite obvious that dogs get most of their mental stimulation during walks, right? Not really! If organised incorrectly, walks may lack any benefits and/or quickly become overwhelming.
How to organise your walk to provide benefit to your dog — read in this blog.
In short, we focus on three things:
- comfort through choosing well-fitting gear;
- giving as much choice as reasonably possible to maximise agency and feeling of safety;
- sniffing — as much and whatever your dog wants, this is how they collect information about this world and regulate stress levels.
2. At home / in the garden
If we allow our dog to actively participate in our routines, it can be quite interesting! Do you let your dog sniff your groceries, take part in gardening and cooking? Fantastic! Dogs are highly social animals and enjoy doing something as a group with their family (us). In the process, they can enjoy exploring all the different smells, sights, and tastes. For your dog it’s also fun to try figuring out what you are doing and what matters to you.
3. Mental stimulation games for dogs
We can play mentally stimulating games to enrich the life of our dog even more. There are so many games to choose from!
No matter what you go for, look for activities that require independent thinking from your dog without many cues / commands. Choice and agency are a quality mark in the world of mental stimulation activities.
Here are top 3 mental stimulation games recommended by Canuzzo:
- Treat Search
It's one of the most simple and fun games to play with your dog! What we need is a handful of small pieces of treats, a dog who is not hungry or hot, and a safe area. Got all three? Now simply spread all the treats in one throw and allow your dog to collect them. While they are looking for treats, appreciate how much your dog needs to concentrate, use their brain and nose to find each treat, your dog’s natural slow movement and a nice full body stretch. Each of these elements has great benefits for your dog, all in a simple game.
If you want to bring treat search to another level of fun, try mental stimulation toys from our shop: a sniffing mat and a sniffing cube. They are very handy to use at home and add an extra challenge for expert sniffers.
- Finding a toy
Does your dog like toys? They will most certainly enjoy looking for their toy, because using their nose is another most dogs' favourite thing. Teaching your dog will be a fun process too:
- Start by placing their toy close to your dog, praise and treat them for approaching the toy.
- Over the next few attempts, move the toy further and further away, every time praising your dog for finding it.
- When the toy is eventually out of sight you will see your dog starting to use their super power - the nose!
If you need more training tips and game ideas, we highly recommend the book "A Dog's Fabulous Sense of Smell” by Anne Lill Kvam, an amazing dog trainer from Norway.
Check out the classic braided toy in the Canuzzo store. Made completely out of recycled materials, the braid has a classic shape with fun colours, and is perfect for bonding playtime.
- Surprise box
This low-cost and simple game will become your dog's favourite! You will need treats and some (safe) paper / carton leftovers: carton rolls left from kitchen or toilet paper, small boxes, packaging paper. Hide the treats in the carton rolls, paper, put them in the box and simply allow your dog to enjoy. And there is a lot to enjoy: using their nose, ripping, chewing — absolutely fantastic.
When we ship your Canuzzo orders, we choose the packaging without any plastic and that you can safely recycle by playing with your dog.
Check out our new Mental Stimulation toys selection! These toys are made out of recycled materials with support of Hea Hoog Foundation in Estonia, who offer high-quality handicrafts made by people with special needs.