15 Ways to Mentally Tire a Dog (And Stop Being Destructive)

Like us humans, your pet enjoys intellectual stimulation in addition to physical activity. While walks and fetch games are fun, it can be equally important to give your dog mentally taxing tasks. Frequent cerebral muscle flexing reduces the likelihood of problematic behaviors in dogs, such as excessive barking or destructive chewing. They’ll probably be a happier and more contented pet for you to have in your life as well.

1. The trick training game

Trick training is one of the best ways to engage your dog’s brain and exhaust them. Incorporate mentally taxing tricks like “stay”, “roll over”, “fetch”, and even more difficult assignments. Change up the tricks often to keep them interested and learning.

2. Hide-and-seek

Hide-and-seek, a beloved kid’s game, can be played by dogs to help keep them mentally sharp. Your pet will learn to solve problems by having to pay close attention to what you say and anticipate where you will be. It’s also entertaining for you both, giving your pet a bonding experience that’s both fun and demanding.

3. Scatter feeding

Consider scatter-feeding them rather than putting all of their food in one bowl. To encourage them to “hunt” for their dinner, scatter their kibble throughout the house or yard. This approach will not only appease their innate scavenger instincts, but it will also require a significant amount of mental work from them.

4. Frozen Kong

Any safe, freeze-able chew toy, like a frozen Kong, can be a great treat. Give it to your dog after you’ve filled it with their favorite food and frozen it. They have to work out a way to remove the food, which can be an engaging and demanding task.

5. Food puzzles

Try using food puzzles as a fun way to feed your dog and exercise their mind at the same time. Dog puzzle feeders come in a variety of designs that will test your pet’s ability to reach the food inside while also keeping their minds fully occupied.

6. Snuffle mat

A Snuffle Mat conceals your dog’s food between the fabric strips, making mealtime an enjoyable game of hide-and-seek. Dogs get a great mental workout and increase the amount of time they spend eating because they have to use both their noses and their brains to find their food. Additionally, these mats can deter fast food, which is good for digestion.

7. Reward-based training

One good technique to get your dog tired is to incorporate cognitively stimulating tasks into your training sessions. Reward-based training entails teaching your pet to obey and rewarding good behavior with treats. As they attempt to determine what has to be done in order to obtain the intended reward, it keeps them concentrated and intellectually engaged.

8. Obstacle course

Making an obstacle course for your dog is a great way to give them both mental and physical training. Start by acquainting your dog with the various barriers. As you lead them through the course, give them simple instructions and reinforce their accomplishments with praise and goodies. This strengthens your dog’s command training while also mentally taxing them.

9. Squeaker toys

In addition to providing your dog with physical stimulation, squeaker toys can also present mental challenges. With these kinds of toys, your dog can engage in interactive play for hours on end. It’s worth analyzing and looking into because your dog’s senses and curiosity may be piqued by the unpredictable squeak.

10. Interactive games

For a dog’s mind to remain engaged, interaction is essential. You may change up basic activities like tug-of-war or fetch by giving your dogs more cerebral interactive games to play. Playing games like “hide-the-treat” helps your dog practice using their sense of scent and sharpens their problem-solving abilities.

11. Tether tug

With the Tether Tug, your dog can play tug-of-war independently outside thanks to its swivel base and spring pole construction. They get exhausted from the physical exertion, but it also gives them a brain workout since they have to plan carefully how to pull the toy.

12. DIY puzzle toys

Handmade puzzle toys are a fun way to challenge your dog’s problem-solving skills. One such toy is a muffin tin filled with treats and coated in tennis balls. Your dog is unknowingly participating in a mental exercise that will undoubtedly tire their minds as they get absorbed in the mission of finding the concealed treats.

13. Scent games

Playing scent games is a fun way to intellectually exhaust your dog. Dogs’ sense of smell is incredibly strong—multiple times stronger than ours. Using this innate talent, you may design a game where your pet must use their nose to find toys or treats. All you have to do is conceal the “treasure” and let your dog explore. It may be tremendously fulfilling to watch your dog become totally focused on the hunt. It will also be a fantastic mental exercise!

14. Learning the names of toys

By teaching your dog the names of their toys, you may elevate their playtime. This not only makes fetching toys enjoyable for your dog, but it also serves as an educational experience. Learning the names of many toys by heart provides an engaging mental challenge by promoting mental attentiveness and recall.

15. Fetch With a Twist

Weary of the same old fetch game? Now is the moment to twist it! To make fetch more difficult, throw several toys and ask your pet to retrieve a particular one. As babies have to recall and recognize each item, this not only works their muscles but also their brains. Here, it’s important to begin with two toys and work your way up to more. One thing that usually helps is patience!

15 Everyday Scents That Cats Can’t Stand

15 Everyday Scents That Cats Can’t Stand