Keeping your dog fit isn’t just about keeping it healthy physically, but also mentally. Dogs are extremely intelligent animals and without proper exercise for their active minds they can get bored, depressed, and troublesome. Here are some things you can do to provide your dog with the mental stimulation he or she needs:

Regular Training Sessions

Take a few minutes throughout the day to teach and refine your dog’s commands. Even working on basic commands can stimulate your dog’s mind. Start off with teaching your dog to sit, stand, lay down, and other basics and then move on to more advanced commands like heel, bark, or fetch.

Teach Your Dog Manners

Never allow your dog to get away with behaviors you don’t want. Don’t keep training just to your few-minute specific training sessions. Make your dog sit before crossing the road, teach your dog not to trip you up in the house, and don’t let your dog drag you all over the place when you’re walking on a leash. Enforcing good manners throughout the day will also force your dog to put its brain to good use. Not only will life be easier for you, but your dog will be working mentally on a regular basis. With Keeda I use the “nothing in life is free” approach. If she wants a treat, she needs to sit or lay down or shake her paw before she gets it, depending on what I ask her to do at that time.

Play Thinking Games With Your Dog

Instead of just playing fetch or tug of war, try playing hide and seek. Have your dog sit in one spot while you hide a toy somewhere in or around the house. Then, get your dog to hunt for the toy and bring it back. Or you can teach your dog the names of all of your family members or friends and get it to find them on command. You can also teach your dog the names of its toys (for example, Keeda knows her “stick” is different from her “ball”). Then, scatter the toys around the room and tell your dog to find specific toys from the bunch.

Get Playmates for Your Dog

Find another dog for your pet to play with. Socializing with other dogs through play can be a great form of mental stimulation for your pet.

Get Involved in a Dog Sport

Dog sports like Agility or Flyball require a lot of thinking and training on a dog’s part. Not only will a dog sport keep your dog fit physically, but also provide the mental stimulation it needs.

Remember to reward your dog with verbal praise, a pat, or treats (whichever you prefer working with) when it performs what you ask during training or play time. Having a fit dog isn’t just about physical exercise and nutrition – a fit dog requires a fit mind.