Mental Stimulation
Dogs need both physical and mental stimulation in order to be emotionally and mentally happy and healthy unfortunately many dogs do not get enough mental stimulation which in turn can lead to unwanted behaviours such as destructive chewing or even aggression.
Mental stimulation is NOT the same thing as physical stimulation. For example if you take your dog jogging 5 miles every day. His physical exercise needs are met, But if you don't give him any mental stimulation, he will get bored. Now you have created a athlete who is bored and looking for things to do to meet his mental needs. This means he'll have the stamina to chew up 20 shoes instead of just one.
There are many products on the market known as “boredom breakers” or “Kong toys” that claim to offer “hours of mental stimulation” also appealing to the dogs natural foraging instinct”, basically the dog has to work out that by rolling the toy around the floor treats are dispensed providing mental stimulation in the same way as for a human doing a jigsaw or crossword.
Care must be taken in multi dog households with this type of toy as problems may arise if more than one dog attempts to take the dispensed treat or if the toy is highly prized by one which may lead to aggressive outbursts towards other dogs and in some cases towards humans, see resource guarding .
With concerns of weight gain dry food can be taken from the daily ration for instance if the dog has 100gms of dried food a day 80gms can be divided between the morning and evening meal leaving 20gms to be used with the toy.
Often these types of toys are made from very strong rubber however they are not indestructible therefore consideration must be given if the plan is to leave the dog home alone with this type of toy if there is any risk of it becoming chewed and ingested but the same goes for any toy. With puppies or any dog whom has a tendency to chew the safest option when home alone is to crate as the home has many hazards for our canine companions.
Every dog should have a good understanding of basic obedience commands. Teaching a new “command” also provides mental simulation. Long gone are the days where we train our dogs through fear, punishment and pushing and pulling them into position. To use an example, when teaching a dog to “lay down” from the sit position, holding the treat on the ground slightly in front of the dogs paws, keeping silent. The dog is required to work out what is expected of him to gain his reward. It may be that whilst he is trying to work it out he lifts a paw, you may choose to reward this behaviour as it may be the start of a new trick, “shake hands”.
Taking the dog to different places when out on walks or driving the dog to a new place such as the seaside or the countryside provides mental stimulation, physical exercise, enables newly learnt commands to be practiced in unfamiliar situations and aids in socialisation .
New sights smells and sounds stimulate the dogs inquisitive nature and his keen senses. Simply quickly changing direction whilst walking requires the dog to say focused in anticipation of the handlers next move.
If the dog likes to play ball or Frisbee, a "mental component" added to it such as asking the dog for a different obedience behaviour or trick before each throw. Then, varying the direction or way the item is thrown such as sideways, forwards, backwards, or straight up in the air, or throwing a short or long distance keeps the dog guessing. Retrieval games with dogs that do not have a good recall can still be done by using a long line/Flexi lead.
Joining a local agility club stimulates the dog both mentally and physically as he is required to stay focus on the handler for direction.
“Hide and seek” can be played in the house, maybe by hiding their favourite toy or treat behind a chair or under their bed , or in the garden placing items behind bushes or planters.
Different breed groups excel in the tasks originally asked of them, intelligence levels differ as does their exercise requirements this should be taken into account when embarking on teaching any new task or “trick” or becoming involved in canine sports for instance the Border Collie may excel at fly ball however a Bull Dog may leave an owner disappointed as to it’s lack of agility .
Intelligence levels may also differ between dogs of the same breed and even the same litter. If the task is to difficult for the dog to accomplish and therefore not able to gain it’s reward it will quickly become disinterested.
The type of reward should also be carefully chosen, some dogs would rather have their favourite toy than a piece of cheese others may only work for a chocolate drop (only ever feed canine chocolate to dogs, human chocolate is poisonous)
Whether choosing day trips out to unfamiliar places or the ultimate goal being heelwork to music taking each dogs individual needs into account, commitment and patience on behalf of the owner, and the use of positive training methods hopefully many behaviour problems will be prevented . Not to mention the enjoyment had by all and new friends made with the satisfaction of knowing you have endeavoured to give your dog the best possible start in life and continued to cater for all of his emotional needs making your life together a truly pleasurable one.
Dogs need both physical and mental stimulation in order to be emotionally and mentally happy and healthy unfortunately many dogs do not get enough mental stimulation which in turn can lead to unwanted behaviours such as destructive chewing or even aggression.
Mental stimulation is NOT the same thing as physical stimulation. For example if you take your dog jogging 5 miles every day. His physical exercise needs are met, But if you don't give him any mental stimulation, he will get bored. Now you have created a athlete who is bored and looking for things to do to meet his mental needs. This means he'll have the stamina to chew up 20 shoes instead of just one.
There are many products on the market known as “boredom breakers” or “Kong toys” that claim to offer “hours of mental stimulation” also appealing to the dogs natural foraging instinct”, basically the dog has to work out that by rolling the toy around the floor treats are dispensed providing mental stimulation in the same way as for a human doing a jigsaw or crossword.
Care must be taken in multi dog households with this type of toy as problems may arise if more than one dog attempts to take the dispensed treat or if the toy is highly prized by one which may lead to aggressive outbursts towards other dogs and in some cases towards humans, see resource guarding .
With concerns of weight gain dry food can be taken from the daily ration for instance if the dog has 100gms of dried food a day 80gms can be divided between the morning and evening meal leaving 20gms to be used with the toy.
Often these types of toys are made from very strong rubber however they are not indestructible therefore consideration must be given if the plan is to leave the dog home alone with this type of toy if there is any risk of it becoming chewed and ingested but the same goes for any toy. With puppies or any dog whom has a tendency to chew the safest option when home alone is to crate as the home has many hazards for our canine companions.
Every dog should have a good understanding of basic obedience commands. Teaching a new “command” also provides mental simulation. Long gone are the days where we train our dogs through fear, punishment and pushing and pulling them into position. To use an example, when teaching a dog to “lay down” from the sit position, holding the treat on the ground slightly in front of the dogs paws, keeping silent. The dog is required to work out what is expected of him to gain his reward. It may be that whilst he is trying to work it out he lifts a paw, you may choose to reward this behaviour as it may be the start of a new trick, “shake hands”.
Taking the dog to different places when out on walks or driving the dog to a new place such as the seaside or the countryside provides mental stimulation, physical exercise, enables newly learnt commands to be practiced in unfamiliar situations and aids in socialisation .
New sights smells and sounds stimulate the dogs inquisitive nature and his keen senses. Simply quickly changing direction whilst walking requires the dog to say focused in anticipation of the handlers next move.
If the dog likes to play ball or Frisbee, a "mental component" added to it such as asking the dog for a different obedience behaviour or trick before each throw. Then, varying the direction or way the item is thrown such as sideways, forwards, backwards, or straight up in the air, or throwing a short or long distance keeps the dog guessing. Retrieval games with dogs that do not have a good recall can still be done by using a long line/Flexi lead.
Joining a local agility club stimulates the dog both mentally and physically as he is required to stay focus on the handler for direction.
“Hide and seek” can be played in the house, maybe by hiding their favourite toy or treat behind a chair or under their bed , or in the garden placing items behind bushes or planters.
Different breed groups excel in the tasks originally asked of them, intelligence levels differ as does their exercise requirements this should be taken into account when embarking on teaching any new task or “trick” or becoming involved in canine sports for instance the Border Collie may excel at fly ball however a Bull Dog may leave an owner disappointed as to it’s lack of agility .
Intelligence levels may also differ between dogs of the same breed and even the same litter. If the task is to difficult for the dog to accomplish and therefore not able to gain it’s reward it will quickly become disinterested.
The type of reward should also be carefully chosen, some dogs would rather have their favourite toy than a piece of cheese others may only work for a chocolate drop (only ever feed canine chocolate to dogs, human chocolate is poisonous)
Whether choosing day trips out to unfamiliar places or the ultimate goal being heelwork to music taking each dogs individual needs into account, commitment and patience on behalf of the owner, and the use of positive training methods hopefully many behaviour problems will be prevented . Not to mention the enjoyment had by all and new friends made with the satisfaction of knowing you have endeavoured to give your dog the best possible start in life and continued to cater for all of his emotional needs making your life together a truly pleasurable one.
