These 21 Fun Tricks Will Cause Your Dog To Be Happier And Smarter

Nov 13, 2018

Dogs are not actually designed to just sit at home and wait for their owners to finish work. They were originally bred to do jobs like herding animals, guarding the home and hunting animals. Modern dogs can get bored if they do not have enough mental stimulation in their lives.

Unfortunately, dogs do not get enough credit for all of their intelligence and reasoning abilities. Like humans, they need something to do to avoid getting bored. A daily walk is a start, but it is not enough to keep a dog mentally engaged. Studies show that mental engagement improves the physical and psychological health of the animal.

The following list of 21 ideas is designed to enrich your dog's life. Each dog has a unique personality, so you may have to try different ideas on this list before you discover the right one. Spend some time experimenting with the various ideas until you find an enrichment activity that works well for your pooch.

This kind of activity gives your dog plenty of social time. They are able to experience new environments and meet fellow animals.

• Take a trip to the beach. They can meet other animals at the beach and play in the waves.
• Visiting the office is always fun. If you can bring your dog with you to work, he or she will love meeting your co-workers.
• Shopping is fun for pets. Stick to shops like Home Depot that allow you to bring in your animals.

These activities are designed to activate your dog's brain. They help your dog learn how to solve problems and stay mentally active.

• K9 Nosework is an amazingly fun sport. This odor game is great for dogs with excellent senses of smell.
• Puzzle toys are extremely popular for dogs. They help the pup to stay busy and engaged.
• Hide and seek is not for just children. Tell your dog to stay and then hide somewhere. Then, call your dog and see how long it takes for him to find you. When he does find your hiding spot, give him a treat.

Physical activities help your dog explore the environment around him. By changing the complexity of his environment, you can help your pup stay engaged.

• Blanket forts are popular among children, but your dog may enjoy playing in them as well.
• If your dog loves to bury things, give him a kiddie pool and fill it with sand. Then, you can hide toys in the sand for your dog to dig up.
• Pop-up tunnels are great for dogs who love agility training. Small dogs are especially fond of running through these tunnels.

These activities are designed to stimulate the five senses. From exploring scents to hearing unusual sounds, these ideas can help your dog find something fun to do.

• While not every dog plays well with farm animals, they certainly find them interesting. If you have a friend who owns a farm, ask them to leave their old-shirt near their goats or chickens. Then, tie the shirt to one of your pup's toys. He or she will go nuts over the unusual scent.
• Bubbles are fun for dogs to chase. They are so popular that some toy companies even make bacon-flavored bubbles for puppies.
• Wind chimes are one of the many different toys that make interesting, unusual noises for your puppy.
• Spices are fun for dogs to sniff. Just make sure that you plant non-toxic herbs like cinnamon and mint.

Some dogs are extremely food oriented. You can make mealtime fun by changing how you give your dog his or her food.

• Start by placing a bunch of tennis balls inside of a muffin tin. Underneath the balls, hide some of the dog's food. This fun nose-work will make eating dinner a lot more interesting.
• Toss some treats underneath a blanket so that your dog has to find them.
• Feeding your dog by hand is a great way to promote bonding.
• Try freezing smaller toys in big cubes of ice. Put them on a surface that is easy to clean and wait to see how long it will take your dog to get to the toy.
• Some sites sell puzzle feeders that help to stimulate the mind.

Some dogs just love toys, so these activities are great for mental stimulation.

• Get an old fishing pole and add a long line of yarn to it. Then, allow your dog to tug at the yarn.
• Try using a wind-up toy or a remote-controlled toy. Your dog will love chasing it and watching it.
• Get an old shirt or clothing item. Then, fill it with smelly things like old leaves or grass clippings and let your pup play with it.

Animal shelters have found that enrichment activities actually make dogs more adoptable. Plus, these activities help to improve the mental and physical health of your puppy. Best of all, many of these activities can be done for free with items you already have at home.

Do you have a dog? If so, let us know what his favorite activity is! Make sure your friends with dogs know how to keep their dogs engaged by telling them about these activities.