“Argh! It’s raining again!”
Do you often find yourself in such situation where your plans for a walk with your dog are dashed by the sudden downpour?
That’s probably ok if your dog has a chill and laidback character and doesn’t mind missing the walk occasionally. For some, the walk could be their daily highlight which they look forward to eagerly as it exposes them to a world of myriad scents which stimulates their senses. In the absence of such physical stimulation, boredom could set in, which could lead to some behavioural issues such as barking, chewing on shoes etc.
So as a concerned paw parent, what can you do?
Well, that’s when mental stimulation comes in handy. But first, what’s mental stimulation?
Mental stimulation can be likened to enrichment activities for our dogs, giving them something meaningful to do, thereby alleviating boredom. The best part of it is, it can be done indoors, at home, so you will never be restricted by the rain again! 😊
To get you started on some mental stimulation activities for your dog, we’ve done the groundwork and put together a list of simple activities. Just remember, start slow and simple to build up your dog’s confidence and take it further from thereon.
Mental stimulation activities:
Have your dog work for his / her food
We all know how food motivated most dogs can be. Instead of just serving their food in their bowls, why not turn it into a game for them by either hiding their food in corners around the kitchen / house and have them sniff it out or using food dispensing toys.
Get an IQ toy
Hide treats in IQ toys such as snuffle mats and have your dog go sniff them out. Keeping them focused on the task on hand helps to stimulate them mentally, and provides that boost of confidence as well when they successfully sniff out that treat.
Create games at home
Alternatively you can also create simple games using simple stuff commonly found at home. Here are 2 options.
Guess the right container game
Essentially, you invert 3 identical containers / cups and hide (yes you guessed it right, treats) under one of them. Swap them around and have your dog sniff to guess the right container where the treat is in. Of course the prize will be he gets to eat the treat 😃
Tennis ball and muffin tin game
Place small treats (again!) in a muffin tin and cover them with tennis balls. It will be up to your dog to figure out how to remove the balls and get his / her way to the treats.
Create indoor agility course
Place cushions, small stools or towels in a planned course in the house. Entice your dog to overcome then to reach the other side where the grand prize of (food!) awaits.
This is where you can be inventive to decide how challenging you want your obstacle course to be, but it will be good to start simple so that it encourages your dog to carry on. Vary the obstacle course after awhile to keep up the fun factor for your dog.
We hope you will find the above information useful.
More information can be found online as well, particularly (www.puppyleaks.com) where reference was taken.
