Best Smart Shiba is an Amazon Associate. We earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. For more information, visit my privacy policy page.
Keep Your Pup Sharp with the following mental stimulation games.
Even with our busy schedules, we all remember that our furry friends need to be properly fed and exercises. But a lot of times we forget that our dogs need mental stimulation too. Check out these 7 mental stimulation games that will give some brain training for dogs.
Lack of mental stimulation will lead to a bored dog. A bored dog can be a destructive, depressed or anxious Dog. We want our dogs to be healthy and happy, so we want to keep them mentally stimulated.
Brain training and mental stimulation games or workouts are efficient and more effective than a regular walk. In this article, we’ve gathered different workout ideas to challenge and improve your dog’s mental stimulation.
Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Game #1: Spin the bottle
In this game, you will simply need an empty plastic bottle and string. To start, prepare the materials by piercing two holes on the opposite of the plastic bottle. After that, suspend the container by threading the string through the pierced holes.
You can tie the ends of the strings to a door handles, a chair, or any stable surface or platform. Keep in mind that the height of the bottle should be comfortable for your furry friend. After tying the string on both ends, put a few pieces of kibble inside the bottle and encourage your dog to spin the bottle to get the kibble out.
Take note that if you find it difficult to find a suitable suspended platform to tie both ends of the string, you can also place the bottle on the floor.
Game #2: The Adventure Box
In the adventure box game, prepare the materials such as one large box, dog safe containers, and newspaper. To play this game, hide kibbles or any treats on different boxed or containers and let your dog work for it. You can put crumpled papers on the other boxes to let your dog dig for the treasure.
Game #3: The Muffin Tin
For this game, you will need six tennis balls and a muffin tin. To play the muffin tin, you need more interaction, start by placing any treats on each muffin cups and then cover it with a tennis ball. The main goal of the game is to let your dog find where the treat is hidden. If they pick it up, that means that they will get the food.
Give your dog some time to work out how to play the game, however, if the dog gets and understands how the game works, it is great excitement for them.
Game #4: Find it
One of the easiest game that could stimulate your dog’s brain is the game “find it”. All you need in this game is some tasty treats, that’s all. Throw or hide any pieces of jerky or any treats all around your house, gardens, or any places during your daily walks. This will allow your dog to practice their natural instincts on scavenging treats as well as their sniffing ability.
Game #5: Pull the bowl
You will need a ribbon, long box, and a bowl for this game. Attach the string or ribbon to the bowl by tying it up around the bowl or taping it. Make sure that it is secured. You can put treats inside the bowl and place it in a long box using a ribbon and make sure that your dog can easily see it. Encourage your dog to pull the ribbon or string.
The main objective of the game is to let your dog work out for their food while improving their mental stimulation.
Game #6: Treat dispenser
To play this game you’ll need a milk carton or a toilet roll holder. It is a great way to give your fogs their favorite things such as food or anything to chew. However, be attentive as they could likely to eat the containers. This game is basically like the aforementioned adventure game.
Game #7: The towel treat game
All you need in this game delicious treats and a towel. Start by grabbing a towel and place the treats along the center of the towel and roll it out. The aim of the game is to let your dog unroll the towel using their nose or anything they could use to get the food.