Walking every day isn't the only way to get exercise. Find puppy games that stimulate their brain and help them focus better.
Although regular daily walks are undoubtedly beneficial for our dogs, we sometimes fall into the trap of believing that this is the only way to exercise our puppies. However, exercise involves more than simply physical activity.
Giving your dog the chance to use their brain can aid in their growth and make learning instructions and tricks simpler. Additionally, it's an enjoyable and engaging method to strengthen your bond with your dog. Find out what dog games you may attempt by reading on!
Brain games for your puppy
Using your puppy's innate love of play and games, as well as their hardwired habits and sometimes underestimated intellect, to solve puzzles and pick up new abilities is the essence of problem solving and mental stimulation. This kind of brain use may both excite and exhaust the majority of pups.
It can be challenging to provide puppies with the activity they require to burn off all of their energy without putting undue strain on their developing muscles, joints, and bones because their bodies are still developing. They will get more exercise and stop chewing on your furniture if you play games and solve puzzles with them.
Dog puzzles are one kind of activity that may be played with dogs to keep them busy and engage their minds. While some will have obvious preferences, others will be able to play all of them. Finding what you and your puppy like is up to you.
Hide and seek puppy games
Anywhere in the house or yard, as well as on your daily walks, these can be played. Have a helper who can hold your puppy as you begin this dog game. After showing your puppy that you have some goodies, go hide elsewhere, preferably somewhere that will be relatively easy for them to discover at initially.
After that, you may free your puppy to come find you, rewarding them with goodies and bringing them back to you. Playing hide-and-seek with your puppy early on can help them remember things later in life and will also make them more receptive to you.
Nose puppy games
Your puppy must use their nose to locate a treat or toy in this form of hide-and-seek, which is another dog brain game. You may create a reward trail that leads to your dog's favourite toy or even dinner, and you can cut back on the quantity of goodies as your dog improves.
Puppies will love this game, which will keep them occupied for a long time! Your puppy can smell for goodies (or a ball for toy-obsessed pups) hidden in the garden under plastic flowerpots, cushions, tiny towels, or even an old sock. Your dog's brains and nose may be exercised in a variety of ways with these creative brain exercises.
Interactive puppy toys
Many toys available on the market require solving problems in order to obtain rewards. They provide your dog a variety of challenges, including rolling, bouncing, unpredictable movement, and skilfully moving pieces. These can range from Kong toys, which you can fill with food and require only a little amount of canine agility to grasp and chew, to some really complex puzzle toys that require a smart fusion of the dog's brain, mouth, and paws to reach the rewards.
You shouldn't count on them to figure out these dog puzzles right immediately. Collaborate with them, provide guidance, and make things simple for them to begin with until they have it figured out.
However, you don't need to spend a lot of money because you may conceal goodies in little boxes, kitchen roll inners, old toilet rolls, or even an open plastic bottle. You may then let your puppy figure out how to get to them. Verify that anything you use as a handmade toy is safe for your dog to gnaw on and keep an eye on them during all games. Keep an eye out to make sure your dog doesn't start tearing the toy or removing parts!
Teach your puppy tricks
It seems like a little bit of fun to have a dog that can perform interesting things like closing the door or waving a paw. In actuality, though, scheduling frequent training sessions and dog activities will strengthen your relationship with them and provide them with mental stimulation.
When training your puppy a trick, start small and use a treat to get them to spin in a circle or place their front feet on an upside-down bucket. You'll soon be able to do more difficult stunts that will wow your friends!
You begin to view every toy as a potential mental game for your dog and every walk as an opportunity to exercise both their body and mind once you begin to consider training your puppy's mind and body. Even better, these improved interactions between you help your puppy stay focused on you, improve their behaviour and training, and provide you with more skills to effectively navigate their adolescence at a time when they are beginning to become more independent.
Check out our post on dog activities to learn more about raising and training your puppy and to find even more enjoyable things you can do with them. Check out our content centre for puppy guidance if you'd want additional information about raising and training your puppy.
