Playing brain games with the dog has many advantages:
- better mental alertness;
- better ability to perform tasks using paws, teeth, and nose;
- better contact between the dog and its master.
Here are some examples of intellectual training for the dog:
- Finding treats in the box full of corks or wooden disks. Disks have to be medium-sized so that it would be easy for a dog to hold it in chaps, but big enough for it not to swallow these. The task for the dog is to pull the treats out of the container, bucket, etc. with chaps and to put them nearby. Basically, the dog needs to clear the bucket from needless things and find out the treats. First, you can leave the treats above and then hide them step by step lower and covered up with corks. If possible, do not let the dog chew the corks. At that moment it has another job to do.
- Put the dog food in the ball with a hole. To get it out the dog has to turn the ball upside down so that the food will be spilled out.
- The same principle works with any other object. Your task is to make the dog interact with an object, so it could get to the desired treats. Some brain game for beagles (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6Ud2Wf5hFc&feature=youtu.be)
- You can also take just a normal plastic bottle, poke some holes in it for air circulation and put some treats inside. But it has one disadvantage – not all people like the noise from the process of tearing a bottle to pieces and the following eager barking.
Just remember that the dog will happily use the skills that were developed during the game in everyday situations too. Therefore a game with a hidden treat inside the junk yesterday can turn into the game with a hidden treat inside your clothes today 🙂
The games can be of various degrees of complexity. But still, without distinction of the dog’s experience, the brain games surely can be the source of enjoyment and happiness both for the dog and for its master.