Importance of mental exercises For dogs

Importance of mental exercises For dogs 

Nowadays we talk a lot about animal welfare. When we think about the welfare of dogs, we usually think about physical well-being.

Our dogs have to go out for a walk, they have to exercise, they have to run. But they need more than that. They have to develop their minds.

But why? How? Do dogs really think? Of course, they do. And it has an evolutionary explanation.

Why Mental exercises are important for dogs.

The dog is descended from a wolf.

And as you know, wolves, in nature, have to seek alliances in a pack. They have to organize themselves in groups to be able to hunt. They have to be smart enough and skillful enough to be able to hunt and eat.

Evolutionarily, thousands of years of natural selection, have made the wolf and therefore the dog an animal with outstanding cognitive abilities. They are intelligent and clever, they can solve relatively complex problems.

So what happens when we take those dogs, we take them home, and give them a hassle-free life? Those dog's, cognitively speaking, mentally speaking, get bored. They can develop serious psychological problems.

And it's very important to challenge our animals. You can think: well, I'll take my dog for a walk and make him chase a stick. No. It's not it.

Challenge your dog

We need to create a problem, certain actions will do very well to develop mental abilities. We can call them tricks if you want like the trick "give me your paw".

"Give me your paw" is a trick because the dog afterwards expects a reward. If a dog gives you the paw, you have to give him a reward for doing it. It's all about actions that bring rewards after their execution. In the end, what the dog wants is for you to be happy with him and to have a reward. A reward, like you, let him bite something, something the dog likes. That's the way in which you have to develop a dog's mind.

Teach you dog to do some exercises

Many exercises, such as dancing with dog. Or for example agility. It's a phenomenal way to teach a dog tricks and to tighten the bond with the owner. There is no better way than dance or agility, where orders are quick and even a look says a lot. It develops a very special bond between a dog and owner and it's really good for an animal's mind. Therefore, exercise should be not only physical but also mental.

So teach them at home. For example, to sit down, to go to its place, to walk backwards. To do one thing or not do the other. Give your dog a challenge.

During the walk, don't only throw a ball, again and again till the dog is tired of purely physical exercise. Make sure that physical exercise is accompanied by a mental exercise so dog improves its behavior and for the complete development: both physical and intellectual.

ADVICE

Without a doubt, the Cuniadvice for this article is to practice agility with your dog. Some of you probably think it's something expensive and complex. No. You can do "homemade agility" and the dog will not see a difference, is it expensive or not. The important thing is that you give your dog challenges, work with your dog and you both enjoy it.