11 games to boost your dog’s brain

A dog with an active mind is happier. Stimulating your dog’s intelligence is also a way to avoid boredom and prevent undesired behavior, such as damage to the house, excessive barking, or animals that are too clingy. One way to achieve this is by using games that boost your dog’s brain.

Just like people, many dogs need to keep their minds occupied. For this reason, walks and social relationships with other animals and people are essential to avoid dog boredom and prevent more or less serious behavior problems (home wreckage, jealous dogs, anxiety, etc.).

Finding ways to boost your dog’s brain helps keep him happier. And playing with your dog is a valuable tool to exercise his intelligence.

Below, we explain 11 easy and economic games to boost your dog’s brain.

Hide-and-seek

A busy dog is a happy dog. Getting a dog to carry a backpack during the walk or to bring the newspaper home are activities that exercise his brain.

Another exciting option is to play hide and seek with him. Smear an object with wet food and hide it in the park or at home. If the game of hide-and-seek with the dog takes place inside the house, it is preferable that the toy be covered, in turn, with a T-shirt or other old garment to avoid staining the area. The search track can incorporate boxes, containers, and other obstacles the dog must jump over. 

Grab me if you can

The dog will enjoy this exciting and fun canine game. Tie a rope at least one meter long to the end of a long stick. A small cuddly toy is tied at the end of the string, and you will have a cheap homemade toy for the animal. Hide behind a door or wall and grab a stick with your hands.

When the cuddly toy gets the dog’s attention (you can move the stick slightly to do this), it will try to reach it with its mouth. The movement intensifies at that moment to prevent the animal from catching it. This way, it becomes a creative game of catching.

Play one, two, three to boost your dog’s brain

Motivating the dog to undertake different actions is another fun game to boost your dog’s brain. The signal to change activity can be preceded by a friendly and energetic “one, two, three,” which works as a trigger to modify the action.

What do you smell?

The dog has an extraordinary sense of smell, thousands of times superior to the human one since its snout has millions of olfactory receptors. Working in this capacity is a fun and exciting game for the dog’s brain. You can introduce your pet to new scents. Commercial air fresheners but also fruits can be an excellent way to start.

Let the dog smell the new scent (we must avoid the smells that can cause allergy) and hide it. The reward in the form of caresses or prizes will comfort the dog while you boost your dog’s brain.

Watch the little bird in the window

The dog, like people, enjoys novelty. If you live in a house with a terrace or garden, you can place a bird feeder in front of the window, providing the dog with a changing and entertaining landscape, which will vary as new birds come in search of food. Its role in this game disappears once the birdhouse is in place. On the contrary, it will be fun entertainment for the dog, which will help him feel less alone.

Listen to five minutes of music

The sounds provide sensations to the dog and are a resource to calm an anxious puppy, which suffers when left alone in the house. In the same way, hearing wolves howling or listening to wild whales in the sea is a stimulus for the dog’s brain.

The Internet helps to obtain some of these sounds for free. The website Animal sounds compile different and interesting wild sounds: birds that fly to farm animals or other congeners that bark—without a doubt, stimulating entertainment for the dog.

Learn a new trick

Teaching the dog new commands, like sitting, lying down, or shaking, is another way to boost your dog’s brain.

There are classes and professionals dedicated to teaching dogs, but some homemade obedience tricks can also help develop their relationship skills. These training sessions force the dog to activate its brain.

Using some other complementary tool, like a clicker (used in canine education), collaborates with the learning and facilitates that the dog follows the game’s dynamics, although it is unnecessary.

Another option, boost your dog’s brain and help him develop patience by playing impulse control games.

Play with a box

A large empty cardboard box in the middle of the room becomes an exciting game for the dog on rainy days. It allows the dog to hide, show objects to chase, hide toys that the dog should look for, and learn guidelines, such as how to get in and out of the receptacle.

Behaving as if we were another dog, hiding with him, and participating in the activity makes us an excellent fun companion and boost your dog’s brain. Creativity is the only limit!

Meet a new friend to play

The dog is a social animal who enjoys exploring and smelling his new friends and companions. The walks in the park and friends’ visits to the house are ideal occasions to carry out this fast game, which activates the canine’s intelligence. Just introduce him to our human companion and let him smell and explore.

If he likes you, the dog may show his affection with a wet lick on his face or hands. Remember that it is an effusive sample of love: a particular canine kiss stimulating its brain.

Capture the flying disc

Frisbee throwing, or flying disc, is an attractive and motivating game for the dog. Once you have learned how to throw and chase the dish with the dog, you may want to perfect your technique and even participate in championships. 

Finish with a fun dog massage

After so much activity, it’s time to relax and let your dog’s brain recharge. Why not try a dog massage? Find a quiet spot and exert gentle pressure on the dog’s most delicate areas such as the neck and ears.

Vicki Matta is a content writer at essay writing services and blogger by vocation. She writes articles on popular essay topics for various blogs to improve her writing skills. She believes that his themes help people to develop and learn new information.