Mental Stimulation With Games -

You’ll need a plastic bottle (with the label, cap, and any rings removed) and some dry treats like kibble, Cheerios, or fish crackers. Ensure the bottle’s neck is slightly larger than the treats, so they fit easily without being forced in. Your dog will need to figure out how to get the treats out, providing fun as they shake, roll, and drop the bottle. To make it more challenging, use bottles with longer and narrower necks. You can also time how quickly your puppy gets all the treats out.

Bobbing For Treats Game

For this game, you’ll need a child’s plastic swimming pool, floating toys, and sinking toys (for the advanced game). Start with the floating toys in several inches of water. Have your dog “stay” and give the release command “ok,” followed by the “find” command. You can time how quickly your puppy retrieves the items. For an added challenge, fill the pool enough to cover the sunken toys. If your dog doesn’t retrieve the items underwater, try holding them at the water’s surface and gradually low them so their muzzle gets wet. Provide positive feedback like “good boy/girl” or “yes!” You can also toss the items into the water to attract their attention with movement. This game is a great opportunity to teach commands like “drop it” when they have the item and “take it” to retrieve it.

Shell Game

You’ll need three cups and some treats for this game. Before starting, make sure each cup carries the scent of the treat; you can achieve this by wiping the treat around the inside rim of each cup. Ask your dog to “sit” and “stay.” With your dog watching, place the treat under one of the upturned cups and shuffle them around. Give your dog the release command “ok” and the “find” command. Let them use their paw or nose to try and uncover the cup with the treat. If they choose incorrectly, show them the treat but don’t let them have it. Shuffle the cups again and let them keep trying until they get it right.

Tip: If this seems too challenging, start by using your hands to guess which hand holds the treat. Your dog will likely nose or paw at one hand. Open the hand they picked; if correct, they get the treat. If this is still difficult, start with transparent cups and then move to opaque ones for a more challenging game.

Hide and Seek Game

You’ll need some tasty treats for this game. Start by playing indoors and hiding in an easy-to-find spot. Give your dog the “sit” and “stay” commands. Once your dog is staying, go to your hiding place and use the recall command “come” along with your dog’s name. When your dog finds you, reward them with treats, praise, and lots of excitement to keep them engaged and entertained. If your dog has trouble finding you or gets distracted at first, continue calling them to encourage the search.

Tip: If your dog breaks the stay command, keep practicing. Ask them to “stay” and then take a few steps away. If they hold the stay, return, praise, and treat them. If they move, place them back where they were and repeat “stay.” Gradually increase the distance, eventually moving out of sight. In the meantime, try sneaking into another room and calling them with “come find me.” As your dog gets better at the game, switch to using their name and the phrase “come find me.” Also increase the difficulty in where you are hiding.

Find the Toy Game

Select a few objects that your dog is familiar with and assign a unique name to each, like “ball” or “alligator.” Your dog will need to learn to recognize each name and retrieve the specific object. Start by placing one object, such as a ball, on the floor in front of you. Say “ball.” When your dog interacts with the ball using their nose or paw, reward them with a treat. Repeat this several times. Then, remove the ball and repeat the process with the alligator.

Once your dog seems ready, test their ability to differentiate between the two items. Have your dog sit and place both the ball and the alligator on the floor, spaced a few feet apart. Say the name of one of the items. If your dog picks the correct object, reward them with treats. After several repetitions, your dog should consistently choose the correct toy. Ensure you are not unintentionally pointing at or looking at the object when you say its name. Also, switch the positions of the toys on the floor to confirm your dog is truly identifying the toy by name. As your dog improves, add more toys to increase the challenge.

Once your dog knows six different objects, try this exercise: Place the six familiar objects on the floor. Take a new object they’ve never seen, such as a stuffed bear, and place it among the six familiar objects. Say “bear” and by process of elimination, your dog will likely figure out that the new object is called “bear” and will choose it. This method, known as “fast mapping,” and it allows your dog to quickly learn new words. Using this technique, you can teach your dog dozens of new words in a short time.

Toy Pick-Up Game

You’ll need a container, dog toys, and treats for this game. Scatter several of your dog’s toys around the room, then sit down and place the container in front of you between your legs. Point to one of the toys and ask your dog to “take” it. Once your dog retrieves the toy, call them to you using their name followed by the “come” command. When your dog approaches the container, give the “drop it” command. If the toy lands in the container, praise and reward your dog. Repeat this process with the other toys.

Tip: If your dog drops the toy too early, decrease the distance between the toy and the container. Gradually increase the distance as your dog improves. If your dog doesn’t drop the toy, hold a treat up to their nose. They will have to drop the toy in order to get the treat.