We all know that walking our dogs on a daily basis is essential for our dogs. But, not only should we exercise our dogs physically, we should be exercising them mentally. Mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise, and finding the right balance between the two is the key to a happy, well-behaved dog.

 

What is mental stimulation?

Mental stimulation is anything that engages your dog's brain and encourages them to think, problem-solve, or explore. Just like a good run can leave your dog physically tired, mental work can leave them happily exhausted, calm, and content.

 

Why do dogs need mental stimulation?

A phrase often heard is "A tired dog is a good dog". Whilst this is true, tired doesn't just mean physically worn out.

Without enough mental exercise, dogs can become bored and frustrated, often leading to unwanted behaviours such as:

• Destructive chewing
• Barking excessively
• Digging
• Other destructive habits

Every dog benefits from mental enrichment, whether it's a clever Border Collie that thrives on problem-solving or a senior Labrador who can't go for long runs anymore.

 

The balance between mind and body

The general rule is that the smarter your dog, the more mental stimulation they will need, and the more active your dog, the more physical activity they'll need. Keeping your dog's brain occupied is always a positive. It alleviates boredom and can help keep them happier. Without some mental training, your dog can develop behaviours that you wouldn't want to stick. Just the same as physical exercise, mental stimulation is needed every day.

 

Mental stimulation during daily dog walks

Mental stimulation can start as simple as walking your dog. This will place your dog face-to-face with a variety of stimulants, some new, some old. Some new stimulants for your dog can be experiencing new environments, different sights, sounds, and even smells.

 

The power of sniffing

One of the most important factors in your daily walk is allowing your dog to sniff. Sniffing is the primary way that your dog will experience the world around them. It's also a sensory enrichment for them. Fun fact, dogs have 50 times as many scent receptors in their noses as humans. To put into perspective, they can 'detect the equivalent of a ½ a teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool'.

The next time you go on your walk with your dog, let them stop to sniff around and explore the area. It's mainly about the exploration of the trails that will excite your dog. If you walk the same route, your dog is most likely going to come across a new smell to check out. However, if you're not comfortable letting your dog lead you around, it's perfectly fine to designate areas in your walk to let your dog sniff around. By letting your dog explore and sniff around, you'd be surprised at how tired your dog will be afterwards.

 

Exploring new environments

Taking a new route on your walks can be a great change for your dog, as it introduces a variety of new sights and smells, providing another mental workout. On your new route, you can stop at a friend's house, a new park, or head to a local shop.

 

Teaching New Tricks

Your dog is never too old to learn new tricks, and this is why mental stimulation is great for dogs of all ages. It is a fact that ageing can take a toll physically and mentally on a dog. Many have limited mobility, however, some stay active well into their senior years. When your dog starts to get limited mobility, this is when mental stimulation is especially important to introduce and keep as a daily activity in your dog's routine. Quick fact: Mental stimulation for older dogs can help fight off symptoms of dementia.

Working through new tricks will mentally challenge your dog, and if you haven't already, start with teaching the basic tricks. Once you've moved past those, there is a vast variety of books that teach you more advanced tricks. Alternatively, there are other sources, such as blogs and videos created by dog trainers, to teach the public. Overall, training your dog is beneficial in various ways. Gaining more control of your dog while building a strong bond between you and your dog are a couple of benefits from teaching new tricks.

 

Naming Objects

A great start to sharpening your dog's mind is to name one of their toys, once they've learned and recognised the name of the toy move on to naming their next toy. Do this until they have a name for each of their toys. Your dog's toys don't have to be the only things you name, if your dog is like most others, the toy won't last long enough to have a name! You can get really creative with objects you can name for your pooch, as an alternative, you could name simple things such as their dog treats, lead, bowl, bed... The list is never-ending.

 

Nose Work

Another great way to stimulate your dog's brain is with nose work. Unlike a dog's eyesight and hearing, dogs usually maintain an excellent sense of smell. Snuffle mats are an amazing way to get your pooch sniffing. If you don't have a snuffle mat, throwing kibble on your grass is a great alternative for them to find all the pieces. Another nose work activity that is just as easy is to hide your pooch's yummy treats around the house for them to sniff out. Obviously, this would mean the smellier the treat, the better, and what's smellier than fish? This activity makes a perfect excuse to reward your dog with our range of natural fish treats!

Remember, mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise. It is especially important for older dogs to keep the perfect balance, as it is still important to keep your older pooch as active as possible. They may move more slowly, but they can still participate in a variety of activities, such as venturing to less crowded areas, playing fetch, taking short walks, and all the other things they've always loved to do. Just take note that your dog will most likely be more sensitive to things such as extreme temperatures.

 

How can I stimulate my dog when I’m not home?

There are a great number of toys and even easy DIY toys that are great for stimulating your dog's brain, even when you’re not there. To put it simply, using a low-fat dog treat such as one from Skipper's, you can get your dog to get the treat out of the toy. An easy and straightforward DIY toy is using a water bottle and slightly filling the bottle with treats, then carefully making a few holes that are big enough for treats to fall through. Skipper's Fish Training Treats are a great treat to use for this sort of enrichment. Complete kibble food and raw food can also be used in the toys to replace normal bowls at mealtime or in kongs.

Another simple and easy way is to give your dog a treat, which will keep them occupied for a period of time. Treats such as our Fish Skin Flatties, Fish Skin Twists or our Fish Skin Throw Sticks are an amazing way to keep your dog busy and their brain working. Other benefits are that they are a healthy and all-natural treat that will clean their teeth due to fish being naturally abrasive, a perfect alternative to a dentastix!

There are a variety of ways for you to stimulate your dog's brain. You can even get creative and come up with your own mental exercise for your furry friend! Email us or message us through Facebook with your canine enrichment inventions. Your work of greatness will be posted on our social media to show everyone.