Great Ways to Exercise Your Dog's Mind

Every dog owner knows how important it is to provide their four-legged best friend with regular physical exercise. However, all dogs crave mental stimulation too, and often turn to destructive behavior when they don't get enough of it. Bored dogs go looking for mischief, and it's your couch cushions, favorite rug and other possessions that will pay the price.

It's estimated that a dog's mental capacity is roughly equivalent to a child between the ages of two and five. Dogs are quite capable of learning, problem solving and recognizing patterns. According to veterinary behaviorist Laurie Bergman, VMD, DACVB, "Most of them are capable of thinking about a lot more than we give them credit for."

Providing your dog with challenging brain games and mental exercise will stave off boredom and keep their canine mind sharp. It also strengthens the owner-animal bond in the process. All three of these things are an integral part of keeping your dog healthy and happy. Below are some ways to exercise your dog's mind.

Teach Your Dog Basic Commands and Tricks

Learning and practicing basic commands is a great way to engage the canine brain. As an added bonus, the end result will be an obedient, well trained dog that is welcome at the dog park, in your community, and at businesses that allow dogs. Basic commands to teach your dog include sit, stay, come, heel, drop it, leave it, wait, no, and down.

Once your dog has learned basic commands, you can move on to teaching tricks. It's far easier to teach your dog tricks if he's familiar with basic commands. Some basic tricks to start with include shake, roll over, high five, fetch, turn around, take a bow, walk backwards, and kiss. You might also want to teach your dog tricks such as bringing you your slippers, the newspaper or a drink from the fridge. Teaching your dog to ring a bell by the door when he has to go potty outside is not only a fun trick, it's imminently useful.

Teach Your Dog Names of Objects

This "brain game" is not only fun for both of you, it's great for showing off your "smart dog" to your friends and family. Your dog can learn the names of his favorite toys and treats, his bed, even other family pets and the people he loves!

After you've taught your dog the names of some objects, you can then play a fun game of hide-and-seek. Just hide the items around your house or yard and then ask your dog to retrieve them one by one. This is a great way to exercise your dog's mind, and he'll get lots of physical exercise as well!

Food Puzzle Toys

There are many different toys available now that make your dog work for his treat, such as those that require problem solving and creative thinking to release the food reward. These are a perfect way to provide some mental stimulation for your dog, and the treat is an added bonus he'll love. You can also use the food-related brain game that zoos often use to enrich the lives of wild animals: freeze food or toys inside small blocks of ice so that your dog has to work to release them.

Scent Training

All dog's have a keen sense of smell, which is why they make great partners for search-and-rescue, for tracking escaped convicts and sniffing for bombs and drugs. However, these highly trained working dogs aren't the only canines who can do scent work. In fact, the relatively new dog sport known as K9 Nose Work is becoming quite popular, with more competitions held every year. The process of teaching your dog to recognize and find scents is done the same way as with the toys; you just swap the toys for smells.

Agility Training

This fun sport involves teaching your dog to weave through poles, go up and over a teeter totter, jump over barriers, walk across a balance beam and other activities that test his physical ability while making him think and problem solve.

All of these activities are great ways to exercise your dog's mind and keep boredom at bay. Your canine friend will have lots of fun learning new things, which in turn makes him much happier, healthier and better behaved!

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Healthy Pet Magazine: Winter 2009