Dogs are incredibly intelligent animals.

It’s no surprise that they can be trained to do all kinds of amazing things, like serving as service animals or helping the police or the military to accomplish important tasks.

In fact, dogs are so wonderful that if you don’t take the time to keep them mentally stimulated, they can use their wits to get themselves into trouble.

For this reason, it is always important to incorporate some kind of mental exercise into your dog’s weekly routine…and what better way to do that than with a game!

How smart is your pup? Try the following games and discover…

Dog Game #1 – Hide and Find

Dogs are natural hunters, so they have an inherent desire to track and search for things.

Of course you don’t want your dog to “catch”, but a friendly game of hide and seek can quickly satisfy your dog’s desire to seek and find while also stimulating his brain.

There are many ways you can play hide and seek with your dog.

Some people enjoy hiding and having their dog sniff out -much like search and rescue training when training a dog to follow a person’s scent.

Other people prefer to hide food or toys around their home/outside.

Here’s how to train your puppy to play this game.

Step 1:  Decide what you are going to hide.

Step 2:  Start small. Show your dog what you are going to hide. Or, if you’re the one hiding, get someone else with you who can hold your pup while you go find a hiding place. Keep your test spot clear and stay close until your dog gets the hang of the game.

Step 3:  Once hidden, give your dog the command “Go and find it.” The first few times, you may have to call your dog to find you (if you’re the one who’s hiding) or you may want to include a piece of food/a treat with the thing you’re hiding. Repeat the process several times until the dog gets the hang of the toy and rewards it every time it finds the hidden object/person.

Step 4:  Make the game more difficult. Once your dog becomes a pro, choose more challenging places to hide yourself/the game. Be sure to reward your pup with a treat or pat each time he successfully finds what he’s looking for.

Dog Game #2 – Game Pick Up Game

Tired of your pup always leaving his toys all over your house? Then maybe it’s time to turn cleaning time into a game!

Believe it or not, you can train your dog to put his toys away so you don’t have to. And if you do it right, your dog will definitely think it’s a toy and not a chore!

Here’s how to turn arrangement into a game for your dog…

Step 1:  Get a basket to use and make it your dog’s toy box.

Step 2:  Start slowly. Put a toy out of the basket and encourage your dog to pick up the toy and drop it into the basket. You can use a command like “clean up” to encourage the dog to pick up the toy. Don’t be discouraged if your dog doesn’t train right away. You will definitely have to help guide your dog to drop the toy into the basket the first few tries.

Step 3:  Reward your dog the second time he drops it in the trash. I highly recommend using food the first few times as the food rewards tend to be more exciting.

Step 4:  Be patient and keep repeating the process. Over time, your dog will associate the “clean up” command by dropping his toys into the trash and this game will become fun for him.

Dog Toy #3 – Red and Green Light

Although dogs do not speak English, they can certainly learn a wide range of voice commands, which makes the game of red and green light a lot of fun.

This game serves two purposes.

1. It is pure fun and allows you to get outside and be active with your pup.
2. It is mentally stimulating and requires your dog to listen closely to your commands, waiting for the starting signal to move forward or remain still.

Here’s how the game works…

Step 1:  Put your dog on a short lead line and go for a walk.

Step 2:  While walking, give your dog a “red light” command at random and make him stop and sit. Reward your dog with a treat or pet when he is sitting quietly.

Step 3:  Have your pup wait patiently until you give the command the “green light”. Once you give the command, keep going.

Step 4:  Repeat the process until your dog quickly responds to the commands of a red light and a green light. Once it is hung, you can play the game off the leash in the garden or in your own backyard.

Dog Game #4 – Shell Game

Is your dog good at gambling?

While we wouldn’t recommend letting him sit at the blackjack table, we do know a game he might be good at – the game of chance.

The game of chance is very easy and simple. All you have to do is hide a piece of food under one of the three cups, mix the cups and ask your dog to see where the food is hidden.

This game requires your dog to focus and use his sense of smell to find hidden pieces of food. Here’s how it works…

Step 1: Take  3 cups. We recommend paper cups as they are easy to use and can be disposed of when the game is over.

Step 2:  Cut up some small, smelly pieces of food like cheese or lunch meat.

Step 3:  Let your dog sniff the piece of food, then hide it under one cup.

Step 4:  Mix the three cups and let the dog guess where the food is hiding.

Step 5:  If he picks the right cup, lift it up and let him eat the treat.

Dog Game #5 – Agility

Last but not least, agility games are great fun for most dogs, but they also require your pup to use his brain to follow commands and overcome obstacles.

The best part… Not only are agility toys mentally stimulating, but they are also physically stimulating, giving your pup a good workout!

Most people do not have agility courses in their yards. Therefore, if you want to experience agility with your dog, I would recommend checking out your local dog parks (some of them have groomed courses that you can use for free) or contracting out with local agility centers where you can rent time to use the courses they have already set up.

There are many ways in which you can train a dog to perform agility and if you are not familiar with agility training I would advise you to contact your local agility training center to help teach you the best ways to help your dog complete the course.

In the meantime, here are some recommendations on how to get started…

Tip 1:  Start small. Start with the easiest obstacle to help build your dog’s confidence in the path.

Tip two:  Make sure to reward your pup every time he does what he is asked to do. Pancakes or treats are a good way to encourage your dog as he progresses.

Tip 3:  Keep your dog on the lead line. This will allow you to help guide him through the course and help him if he becomes nervous with any of the obstacles.

Tip 4:  Know your dog’s limits. Your dog’s age, fitness level, and health may limit the types of obstacles he can do. Always make sure that you don’t push your dog to complete obstacles he can’t do.

Tip 5:  Be patient. Agility training takes time. I recommend that you start with one obstacle and work on it until your pup masters it. This allows you to safely train your dog without confusing/making him stressed.

All of these games can easily be played with your pup. However, in order to successfully train your dog, your pup must be able to calm down, relax and focus on what you are asking him to do.