MENTAL STIMULATION
All dogs have a natural need to use their intelligence and when it is not used, problems can arise or the dog may not be entirely happy.
Dogs don’t know how to distract themselves and wait for their human to take the initiative and when that doesn’t happen they get bored, just like us.
Many people think that their dog is good because they spend almost all day sleeping, okay they are good in the sense that they don’t break anything, or that they don’t bark non-stop… but is a dog’s life all about spending the day sleeping???
A bored dog rests waiting for something to happen and waits and waits… and when dogs wait a lot they adapt to low energy expenditure, their metabolism drops and the entire hormonal system is transformed.
The result of a dog that is losing stimulation, spending hours in endless sleep.
If we make our dogs think and keep their minds busy with some activity that requires concentration and that the dog has a good time with, we would be activating the cerebral cortex, which prevents the limbic system from activating problematic emotions.
It is very difficult for a dog or a person who is focused on a task to feel overwhelmed by intense emotions. In fact, they may even dismiss stimuli that are not relevant to the task they are performing. This is why when dogs who do not get along with each other can work peacefully side by side, they do not pay attention to the emotional responses that occur between them but rather pay attention to the task or game they are doing.
The conclusion is simple, the less activity a dog has, the more excess energy it will generate, and this energy will cause behavioral problems, which will manifest themselves in different ways, to the point that sometimes humans would like the dog to sleep even more hours a day.
It is equally important to do physical activity, but for example, after an hour of walking with our dogs, sometimes they don’t even arrive tired. On the other hand, after an hour of obedience exercises, mental stimulation, smell, mantrailing or any activity that requires mental effort, they will surely end up exhausted.
Balance between physical and psychic energy
There are many hyperactive dogs, they have bursts of energy and are often difficult to control. There are several reasons, the two main ones being excessive or too intense physical activity and the other is too much accumulated energy due to excessive rest and little mental stimulation.
The dog shares many genes with the wolf and is very active, it is a pack animal that practically does not initiate any activity on its own. It needs the human who would be like the leader of the pack to initiate activities.
In order for a dog to survive in its natural state, with very cold or very hot temperatures and find water and food, the dog must cooperate with the other dogs in the pack, learn hunting techniques, follow tracks, consume nuts, meat, viscera and bones of other animals they hunt, reptiles, birds, rabbits and other mammals, rotten vegetables, seeds and fish.
However, we save our dog all this by putting a dish of food twice a day. That’s why one of the best recommendations is that every time you have to feed your dog, use your imagination and play games (different each time if possible) and if one day you don’t have time, you can always have some interactive game so that they get the food. Kong type, maze ball, olfactory carpet, hide the food balls in the garden or if you don’t have any, throughout the house at various levels and even in the dark to make it more difficult. There are countless ideas on the internet with games. (cardboard boxes, towels, cloths, different surfaces to hide the food).

How to increase mental stimulation
Many of the exercises can also be fun for humans, which also helps to increase the bond.
How to increase mental stimulation
Many of the exercises can also be fun for humans, which also helps to increase the bond.
1
ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT
Including stimuli of interest to the dog in its environment, enriching it is a way to improve it. Smell points, tasty food presented in different ways, ice cream, interactive toys or other elements, that the dog can interact with voluntarily and intentionally.
There are many simple and easy exercises to prepare and you will immediately see progress, he will get much less tired, he will be more relaxed and happy. Long live the imagination… and long live the endorphins.
He will demonstrate the desire to collaborate in games, he will worry less and less about other people or other dogs, he will end up abandoning negative attitudes and will pay more attention to us.
Hide pieces of food around the house so that he has fun looking for it. Easy first, so that he knows the dynamics of the game. I personally always call him BUUUSCA.
It can be made increasingly difficult, first on the floor, then hidden under the carpet, behind furniture, etc. and then at another distance. That is, on a chair, on a piece of furniture, on plants, on objects. And if you want to make it even more difficult by turning off the lights, that’s totally olfactory.
With this we will get him to develop his problem-solving skills and mastery of his environment.
We can do this daily, and if we don’t have time, give the food in a kong (feeder), or maze balls, or a bottle with holes, etc. This will make the dog have to work to get his food every day.
2
Canine education

3
Countryside excursions
As long as the dog has fun while doing it, it will help him exercise his mental capacity. Make him have to go through challenges but always ensuring success. Otherwise he can get frustrated, and these activities always take into account the adrenaline rush to know how to help lower revolutions before stopping completely.
4
Molding technique and clicker training. There are countless games with the clicker.
Dogs that are trained with the clicker think more and are less impulsive. It is very positive because there are no aversives. The dog thinks about how to get the rewards. It teaches the dog to think of solutions for themselves and actively and to experiment with their environment and responses to achieve their goals.
5
Playing with other dogs
6
Detection and smell games and Mantrailing
7
Proprioception and balance
8
Solving intelligence problems
It is clear that the dog has the capacity and also the need to go through challenges, when one day nothing happens in the dog’s life, it becomes bored and can trigger behavioral problems. It does not have to be the cause, but if problems exist it aggravates them.
9
Some type of activity (Agility, freesby)
As long as the dog has fun while doing it, it will help him exercise his mental capacity. Make him have to go through challenges but always ensuring success. If he can’t be frustrated, and these activities always take into account the adrenaline rush to know how to help lower revolutions before stopping completely.
Mental stimulation = a happier and more obedient dog since it has a better bond with us.

Individual mental stimulation
For whom?
Dogs with stress, boredom, hyperactivity or insecurities
Objectives
Reduce anxiety, promote safety, improve behavior.
Duration /frequency
1 hour / Individual sessions (with possible transition to group sessions)
Price
€28.50 (the first €60 with material)
