How to Mentally Challenge a Dog

Mentally challenging games encourage your dog to exercise his brain and body. Playing interactive games also develops the bond you have with your dog, says "Modern Dog" magazine. Keeping your dog working helps with memory and problem solving. Teaching him games like hide-and-seek, left and right, and vocabulary games challenges his intellect and exercises his brain.

  1. Hide-And-Seek

    • Hide-and-seek is a problem-solving game that gives your dog a sense of accomplishment when he completes the task. The object of the game is for your dog to find a specified object that you hide somewhere in the house. Begin teaching your dog to find an object, such as a wooden block, by bringing him into a room where he will not be distracted. Drop the block on the floor and when your dog looks at the block, click if you use a clicker or say the cue you use when your dog does something correctly. Give your dog a treat. Keep doing this until your dog goes to the block wherever you place it in the room. Eventually, have him stay in the room while you hide the block in another room. Release your dog to find the block and bring it back to you.

    Left and Right

    • Teaching your dog how to recognize left and right exercises his brain and is a skill you can use with him every day. Once your dog recognizes the two directions, you can vary the game for practical use like left and right turns or simply use it as a target game. Use your dog̵7;s favorite tug toy to begin teaching direction. When your dog has the tug toy in his mouth, spin him around to his right while saying, ̶0;right.̶1; Repeat the same thing with the left side. Keep doing this in short sessions until your dog recognizes the command. After your dog knows left from right, you can vary the game by placing toys on either side of your dog and then tell him which direction he can go to get a toy. Your dog has to concentrate on which direction he needs to turn.

    Vocabulary Game

    • The vocabulary game is mentally stimulating for your dog. A border collie named Rico has a vocabulary of over 200 words, equal to that of a 3-year-old child, reports the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Teaching your dog how to recognize the names of objects helps him develop memory and problem-solving skills.

      Choose one of your dog̵7;s toys and say its name before giving it to your dog. Continue to do this until your dog recognizes the toy by its name. Place the toy with two other toys and say the specified toy's name. Your dog should be able to pick out the correct toy. Continue to teach your dog the names of his other toys or even household objects to increase his vocabulary.

    Recommendations

    • If you have a senior dog that experiences confusion and disorientation, brain games can help keep your old dog̵7;s mind more alert. The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine reports that dogs over 11 years old often develop cognitive function syndrome, which is the equivalent of Alzheimer̵7;s disease. The university recommends brain enrichment activities that teach your old dog new things to improve the memory and mental acumen.