Espresso Dog Training

If you’ve already read my previous post on Mental vs. Physical Exercise, then you already know that I’m a huge fan of mental exercise! In other words, I’m a big fan of anything that really works out your dog’s brain.

The reasons why are listed in the above post, but I’ll quickly list them here too:
1) Working out the brain tends to make dogs much more relaxed,
2) Working out the brain tends to make anxious dogs less anxious, and
3) Working out the brain tends to make hyper dogs, well, not so hyper!

It seems a little counterintuitive, but if you only focus on walks and games of fetch for your high-energy dog, you’re not really going to be successful at adequately keeping your dog calm and focused. You may even be building up her stamina, and in turn, making her even MORE hyper!

So, instead of only practicing games of fetch(which IS still important, as it does help to keep dogs fit), here are a few games you can play with your dog to work out that beautiful of hers!

GAME ONE: FIND IT!
This game is probably my favorite for foundation work for really fearful or anxious dogs, but it’s really awesome for ANY dog with any temperament. It’s also super easy to start and super easy to build in difficulty, so it makes it really attractive to many dog owners.

To start off, just take some pea-sized treats(you may need to cut some up yourself), and drop one or two on your floor. Make sure it’s easy for your dog to see them at first. Do this a couple of times, then start saying “Find it!” as you drop the treats. Start doing this in grass. You may need to help your dog at first – that’s okay! But you do want to gradually reduce the amount you help your dog, as this game is about your dog working his brain – not about your dog learning that you’ll help her. If your dog has a good Sit-Stay, start putting her in a Sit-Stay, drop the treats, then release her and tell her to “Find it!” Depending on your dog, you may need to drop the treats on the floor first, then move on to grass. As your dog gets better and better, you can start putting her in a different room, hiding the treats(in super super easy places at first!), then releasing her to “Find it!”

The great thing about this game, is that you can start using anything once your dog “gets” the game! Teach her to do this with different kinds of treats, different toys, and even different scents!

However, it’s also important to remember that not all dogs were built with highly complex scentwork abilities, so you may end up sticking to food. That’s totally okay! This game still works out the brain, no matter what you use!

GAME TWO: HIDE AND SEEK!
I really love this game because it’s also great to use to test out and work on things like recall.

Note: This is not a game to be played in areas where your dog could run off and get hurt, nor is it a good game to play if your dog has a terrible recall! Always play this game in a safe, fenced-in environment!

There are a couple of ways you can play this game. One way is to have a friend hold your dog while you run and hide, then call your dog to come and find you. The other way is to put your dog in a sit-stay yourself and then call her to come find you. If your dog doesn’t have a great recall, you can very easily teach recall before playing this game, but really, it’s not a requirement as most dogs naturally want to seek their owners.

The awesome thing about this game is that YOU’RE the reward! (Though of course you can also choose to reward with treats or a fun game of fetch or tug!)

GAME THREE: PUZZLE TOYS!
Okay, okay, this one is kinda cheating because you don’t really have to do anything except pick out a toy, put your dog’s meal in it, and walk away. But still, it’s worth mentioning because puzzle toys are, frankly, WAY UNDERRATED! Seriously, can you imagine how much happier and mentally healthy our dogs would be if they were actually able to work for some of their meals? I don’t make my dogs work for all of their food, but, along with appropriate sized meals, my dogs definitely work for a lot of their daily kibble!

As mentioned, there isn’t much training involved, but it IS important to understand the quality and, uh, awesomeness of each puzzle toy. Here are my Top 3 picks and why:

Starmark Treat Dispensing Puzzle Ball
I ADORE this one because it’s super durable and you can adjust the difficulty level. That way, you don’t have to constantly buy a new one when your dog starts to figure out the “game” and starts getting bored all over again. The link leads you to Starmark’s website where there’s a video detailing how to teach your dog to use this toy, and I think that’s pretty darn awesome of them!

Seek-A-Treat Puzzles
These types of puzzle toys are also a really awesome, relatively easy option for dogs just learning how to actually “work” for their meals. Essentially, you just put treats or kibble in the openings, and slide the coverings over the food. Your dog’s job is just to figure out she needs to move the slides, and how to do that. There are multiple different types of these puzzles, so I would highly suggest looking a little more into them before making a purchase. The one linked is super easy, but as your dog gets smarter, you’ll want to invest in one that provides more difficulty.

PetSafe Busy Buddy Tug-A-Jug
This one is really cool because it has several different ways a dog can enjoy it! Basically, you fill up the bottle with kibble or treats, and let Fifi roll it, shake it, paw it, etc., etc., all to her heart’s content! It’s relatively simple, but still fun enough to keep even the most genius of dogs satisfied for at least a few seconds! The ball portion is said to clean teeth, too! Though that obviously depends on if your dog will chew on balls. The biggest downside to this particular toy, is that if your pet isn’t into balls or tug ropes, you’d have better luck with a bottle-like crinkly toy.

So, as you can see, there are definitely options out there, no matter how busy you are! Even lazy dogs enjoy a nice puzzle game, and most of those lazy dogs are more than happy to find some treats. Trust me, just doing one of these things a day is good enough for most dogs. Higher energy dogs may need more, and may also need to learn how to relax if you’re having an issue with your dog being TOO hyper. (You can check out my post HELP! My Dog Will Not Settle Down! for more information on that front.)

As usual, never hesitate to contact me if you need help!