Mental stimulation is very important for a German Shepherd, especially puppies. They have a tendency to get bored very easily. If not, they will start destroying your household.
Mental exercise will help them keep calm and relaxed. Here are 10 super-effective mental exercises for German Shepherds.
10 mental exercises for German Shepherd
German Shepherds are highly active dogs. Keeping a high-energy dog busy and stimulating its brain is one of the most important things.
Mental stimulation for German Shepherds means games and activities which engage their mind and need them to use their senses – it’s also known as brain games.
There are various ways of mentally stimulate their brain.
1. Find the treat is a nose game for scenting
Grab a handful of treats and hide them somewhere in the play area. Place some in easy-to-find places and eventually make it difficult for them to find.
2. Mental exercises with puzzles toys
It helps in their mental health and mind growth. Choose a puzzle game of your choice and play with them.
3. Nature obstacles course
It is an outdoor game – hiking is one of the best activity to do with your dog.
4. Train a command
It is an excellent mind training game where your dog doesn’t understand your every command but you can teach them new commands and German Shepherds enjoy following commands to make their owner happy.
5. Create an enrichment box
Have surprises around every box to stimulate the brain. Find empty boxes and place treats inside the boxes, place them in front of them and make them open it. It is a great way to mentally stimulate them as they will be excited and try to find out what’s in the other boxes.
6. Chewing toys
Chewing toys decreases anxiety and stimulates their mind.
7. Buried treasure
Digging is their nature and treasure hunting will help satisfy their urge as well as develop their mental skills.
8. Balancing games
It requires both physical and mental skills.
9. Scavengers hunt
This brain game uses their nose and mind.
10. Flirt pole game
Place a toy on the ground and command them to chase the toy.
Why is mental stimulation important?
They need mental stimulation to develop life skills. German Shepherds are very intelligent and quick learners. Mental exercise will help reach and mold their intelligence into productive channels. It also helps with frustrating behaviors of the dogs such as barking and excessive chewing.
Read: The Ultimate Guide to Taking Care of German Shepherds
Mental exercise will keep their mental needs in mind. It is also great for helping them learn new skills, maintain stress level, manage the unwanted behavior and get rid of boredom.
How much mental stimulation is needed for German Shepherd?
German Shepherds need 2 hours of both mental and physical exercise every day. 30-40 minutes of mental stimulation is essential for German Shepherd on a daily basis.
Start with 5 minutes of mental exercise for puppies and slowly increase the difficulty level. When your dogs get familiar with those games, you can increase the time as well and go up to 40 minutes per day.
You need not need to do all the activities at one go. Split the games throughout the day. Conduct the activities in smaller sessions of a few minutes.
When to give German Shepherd mental Stimulation?
There is no specific age for brain exercise, actually the earlier you start, the easier they will adapt to the exercise. You should start your dog’s mental exercise when they are puppies; it has higher chances of them being intelligent when they become adult.
Make sure you don’t over-exercise your dog and always look for suitable exercises when dealing with a puppy. Choose age appropriate games and exercises.
The ideal age for mental exercise is when your puppy is 8 weeks old. Starting at an early stage will ensure that you puppy does not develop any behavioral issues in the future.
Various ways of giving mental stimulation
- You can mentally stimulate them by teaching them new tricks.
- Try exposing them to different places, people, environment and objects.
- Teach them how to play brain games.
- Give them mental exercises, which include sniffing, tracking and hunting.
- Give them tasks where they can use their natural instincts.
- Try fun games and toys which have different sounds and texture.
- Always try new adventures so that it’s not boring and educational at the same time.
Conclusion
Just like humans, dogs also need mental exercise to live a happy and long life. It also prevents unwanted behavior to occur.
Mental exercise will make them physically, mentally and emotionally satisfied. A mentally stimulated dog is known as a happy dog. Brain stimulation is important to promote the well-being of dogs.
So keep in mind that both physical and mental exercise is important for a healthy dog.