Exercise the Mind...

Discussion dedicated to promoting the well-being of your dog through diet, exercise and general health tips.

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Noobs
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by Noobs »

I wonder the same thing myself, Fundog! Sometimes we go to a semi-busy strip-mall (yes, we have those in New York!) and have Murphy sit at my feet. He watches people walk by - in fact you can see him catch sight of someone and follow them until they're gone around the corner. He is also a whiz at staring/watching/concentrating on me after dinner when I am doing clean-up duty...you know, in case I drop a morsel or let him help me "clean" a plate or two. If I let him, he'll probably sit and look up a tree forever too when he sees a squirrel run up.
wvvdiup1
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by wvvdiup1 »

I wonder that myself. We have rabbits in our yard and Karma will absolutely stand in the window (I have a bay window) for hours, staring and drooling. :? And she'll stand there, long after they've moved on,waiting for them to return! :shock:
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Sabrina
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by Sabrina »

Fundog wrote:However, Dottie planted herself at the base of the tree, and continued to sit there, looking up into the branches. She sat there looking up into that tree for over an hour!
:lol: I don't know if it's mental exercise, but it sure is good old-fashioned stick-to-it-ness!!! :lol:

I just got a Kong Stuff-a-Ball for Charley -- it was so much fun to watch him figure out how to get his breakfast kibble to come out!!! His usual method for finding something is to tear a hole in whatever's between him and the prize :lol: , and when I gave him the kibble-stuffed ball his first attack strategy was to try and chew the hole bigger... in the process the ball scooted away from him and a kibble fell out. It took him a while to figure out how to roll the ball with his nose, but it was so neat to see him figure out a new strategy! Now he's taking a nap after all that hard work :D

The Stuff-a-Ball seems to have a really good design - sometimes Charley had to roll it over several times before anything fell out (so it's not too easy), and it was usually on one or two pieces that fell out at a time.

I love this thread - I'm getting so many great ideas!
troop
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by troop »

just to add my penny... i hide treats around the house and get them to find them. toilet role tubes as you say are a firm favourite and the kongs empty or full. my Jake loves footballs and once popped Amber loves them even more ( leather ones) i also put up silly jumps in the yard like old tyres and guttering pipes or wood planks to leap over.im trying to teach amber to play dead but she cant keep still for long enough and does a dying fly instead :P . she is doing well with give paw high 5 spin and is learning beg and she will stand on hind legs and dance about.
maximoo
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by maximoo »

Well here in FL lizards & Iguanas abound. There is a powerline that runs across property to property & everyday a large lizrad (Or small iguana) makes its daily trek across the powerline. So every morning Max waits by the window for it to appear. Naturally he barks & believes his barking makes it go away. He is so intent waiting for that creature & is not satisfied till it crosses so he can "shoo' it away. I believe it is mental exercise.
mhayah
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by mhayah »

to those who haven't have any idea about exercising their dog's mind take time and take a look at this site. it's a site that talks about dogs and dog things. you should try it. you can discover something you haven't known before. here is the site http://www.dogguide.net/mental-exercises.php. it's called the dog guide.
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Nettle
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by Nettle »

I'm certainly not happy with the advice to snatch something from the dog and run away with it. Pure idiocy.
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Zeldacorgi
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by Zeldacorgi »

Another game that is great for dogs is keep away. Grab some item that your dog has a special relationship (a ball or toy) and start running away from her. Keep your back to her the whole time. She will chase you trying to get the object.
There's one way to build guarding behavior. Why not a rousing game of fetch? You achieve the same amount of exercise for dog AND make it fun and rewarding when you touch its stuff.
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Noobs
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by Noobs »

Not quite as bad as encouraging guarding, but there's also in the same paragraph advice to make a game of you chasing the dog? Great way to ruin any recall.
ankoi
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by ankoi »

Noobs wrote:Not quite as bad as encouraging guarding, but there's also in the same paragraph advice to make a game of you chasing the dog? Great way to ruin any recall.
Ok, now I'm confused. Does chasing the dog really ruin recall? I sometimes chase Tami when he has a ball and he just loves it. Or did you mean only when the dog has food or something he shouldn't have?
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Noobs
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by Noobs »

Well I just feel like chase games should generally be dog chases owner - that way they're conditioned that it's FUN to chase MOM! And that it's not fun for mom to chase dog. That way you avoid recall issues. Others may disagree but I hate seeing people chase their dogs as a game because it's not teaching the dog anything except to run away from the owner.
jacksdad
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by jacksdad »

going with noobs on this one. I try and avoid chasing Jack at all costs. HE LOVES CHASE, particularly if he is being the one chased, though he seems to love to chase me and run next to me. BUT I can't out run him, and if I need him to come to me for safety reasons I don't want him thinking I am trying to play a game with him.

I started letting Jack off leash the last month or so, and while he has a fairly good recall (getting better all the time), the two strongest means to get him to return to me or check in with me is not calling him, but initiating chase. Him chasing me. Or a little hid n' seek.

some dogs may be able to play chase in any form and still have a good recall, but I am not sure Jack is that dog. might be my training skills at this time, or it could be I am learning Jack. But either way, for Jack and me, chase is one way. him chasing me.
yummymommy27
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by yummymommy27 »

I use a flirt pole on my dogs and that keeps there mind going and also a lot of exercise for them and it's there favorite toy, it should be used outside only just thought I would share that.
ankoi
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by ankoi »

Ok, thanks for bringing that up! :) It hadn't really crossed my mind to think it that way, but now I'll definetly stop chasing him.
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***Melissa***
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Re: Exercise the Mind...

Post by ***Melissa*** »

Oooh, I'm also guilty of playing chase with my dogs...I don't CHASE and catch them, it more around the bushes in the garden, very slow paced. But yes, I can see how that can damage a dogs recall. :shock:

So far their recall is still pretty good though - I wonder if they can tell the difference between "when it's okay to run away from me, bc it's a game" and "when they need to come to me"?
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams
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