5 Simple Strategies to Improve Your Dog’s Intelligence
Dogs are the most intelligent creatures on the planet. They can be trained to do all sorts of things, from simple commands like “sit” and “stay” to more complicated tasks such as overcoming fears. The only thing that limits a dog’s intelligence is how much work you put into training them in your home.
What does it take to train a pup?
In order to train a dog or teach them any new trick, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort. It’s important that they trust you and feel comfortable around you before you proceed. This can take weeks or even months for some dogs. In addition, don’t over-complicate your training sessions. Just practice one command at a time for a span of just five minutes. If you try to teach too much at once, your dog might become overwhelmed and confused.
How to keep your dog’s mind sharp
Even if you have a well-trained dog, it’s important to keep their mind active and engaged. Dogs can become bored easily, which can lead to destructive behavior. Here are five simple ways to keep your dog’s mind sharp.
- Teach new commands
Teaching a new command is a great way to improve your dog’s intelligence, and it’s always rewarding when they finally learn. Apart from teaching simple commands such as “come,” “sit,” and “stay,” you can also teach more complicated tasks, such as opening the door or turning on the light switch.
- Play games that test their intelligence
Like humans, dogs need mental stimulation to stay happy and healthy. Playing IQ tests with your dog is a great way to mentally stimulate them without overloading them with too much training at once. This can be a game like hiding treats under one of three cups and letting your dog identify them. To make the game more challenging, you can place obstacles in between your dog and their goal or have them find it with their nose covered.
- Use puzzle toys
Puzzle toys are a great way to keep your dog busy while they try to figure out how to get a treat out of a toy. There are lots of different types of dog puzzle toys on the market. Just be sure not to leave your pup alone with any kind of foreign object to prevent them from ingesting anything harmful.
- Play hide and seek
Hide and seek is a classic game that both kids and dogs love. It’s a great way to keep your dog focused and engaged. You can hide behind a door or in a different room, or you can let them hunt you down. Just make sure you don’t get too close to them when they catch up to you, or they might think they’re being rewarded.
- Take them for walks
Walks are not only a great exercise for your dog, but they’re also a great opportunity for them to explore their surroundings and use their intelligence to figure out what’s going on around them. If there’s something interesting happening outside, like a squirrel running up a tree, your dog will want to run up to it. In this case, it’s important that you’re able to keep your dog under control as soon as they start thinking about going after something.
Summing Up
To boost your dog’s intelligence, training and rewarding them can go a long way. It does not matter whether you use treats, chews, or toys, so long as your pup understands that they’ll be rewarded if they do what you want them to do.
With time and consistency, you will make your furry friend smarter.
