# Mental Excersize



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Take her for walks in new and busy urban environments. Urban socialization is a great mental workout!


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## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

To keep Vito's mind busy we do lots of training and play hide n seek! He also has something called a 'tricky treat ball'.










You put food in it and the dog has to roll it around with their nose to get the food out. I usually put half of Vito's meals in there.


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

Basic obedience training is another good mental work out for a pup. 10 to 15 minutes a day is plenty.


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## KRayl (Aug 22, 2008)

We really like playing hide and seek and 'find it'. You can see Avery's gears immediately start turning as soon as we begin. She thinks it's a lot of fun and is often quite proud of herself.


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## dogwalker81 (Jan 16, 2008)

Hi - Abbey loves to play 'find it'. I tell her to sit and stay and then put little pieces of lunchmeat or cheese all over the house (start out easier and then you can hide them in tougher places). I say ' find it' and she runs around the house finding the treats. Afterwards I walk around to make sure she got it all and say 'find it' near the area where (if) any were missed. Have fun!


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Well that is some good info to hear. I didn't know walking into new enviroments and basic obedience was good enough mental workout for her. Thanks but if anyone else has any other good mental excersizes feel free to chime in.

Also how do you go about playing hide and seek when your puppy always wants to follow you? Do you just have her go into a sit/stay or down/stay go into another room and call her?


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

dogwalker81 said:


> Hi - Abbey loves to play 'find it'. I tell her to sit and stay and then put little pieces of lunchmeat or cheese all over the house (start out easier and then you can hide them in tougher places). I say ' find it' and she runs around the house finding the treats. Afterwards I walk around to make sure she got it all and say 'find it' near the area where (if) any were missed. Have fun!


 Sounds like fun I'm going to try that out with Emma.


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## Bock (Jun 23, 2008)

Hide some smelly treats around the house(or a room) and encourage your pup to look for it-really gives the sniffer a work out. Obedience like the others have said does well too. Also if there are two of you, make yourself the "treat" to search for. Basically hide and go seek with a dog-you'll be surprised how good they are at it.

Put her in a sit/stay or have someone else hold on to her while you try and hide. If you put her in a sit/stay it helps build her ability to control herself and lengthen the time of her stay.


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## nixietink (Apr 3, 2008)

americangolden said:


> Well that is some good info to hear. I didn't know walking into new enviroments and basic obedience was good enough mental workout for her. Thanks but if anyone else has any other good mental excersizes feel free to chime in.
> 
> Also how do you go about playing hide and seek when your puppy always wants to follow you? Do you just have her go into a sit/stay or down/stay go into another room and call her?


I usually throw a toy and run off to hide when he is chasing it, LOL.


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

nixietink said:


> I usually throw a toy and run off to hide when he is chasing it, LOL.


 Lol nice that sounds like a good plan :


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

Has anyone on here mentioned the *Nina Ottosson dog puzzles*? They are wow, wow, wow.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

americangolden said:


> Also how do you go about playing hide and seek when your puppy always wants to follow you? Do you just have her go into a sit/stay or down/stay go into another room and call her?



Show her a treat and toss it one direction. When she scampers off to chase and eat it, you go hide.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

I know this won't work for every dog (haha, we all know my dog is special  ) but fishing is a fantastic mental workout. I can tell by the intensity of Daisy's focus, it's amazing. Anything that requires that level of concentration has to be good for the mind 

I'm not sure where you live, can you put up a kiddie pool and put some feeder gold fish in it? Dogs can have a lot of fun with this. If it's too cold yet, keep it in mind for the summer. Buy a little bit of fish food ... they'll probably live for awhile, they're hard to catch!

:wave:


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Jo Ellen said:


> I know this won't work for every dog (haha, we all know my dog is special  ) but fishing is a fantastic mental workout. I can tell by the intensity of Daisy's focus, it's amazing. Anything that requires that level of concentration has to be good for the mind
> 
> I'm not sure where you live, can you put up a kiddie pool and put some feeder gold fish in it? Dogs can have a lot of fun with this. If it's too cold yet, keep it in mind for the summer. Buy a little bit of fish food ... they'll probably live for awhile, they're hard to catch!
> 
> :wave:


Well i'm in Wisconsin so it's way to cold out here to do that yet but once spring/summer comes I think that would be a awesome idea. Right now whenever Emma goes by my fish tank she will sit and watch my fish sometimes walks around the tank to get a better view on them I guess Lol? It's funny to watch I wish it was warmer I'd like to try a kiddie pool of of some gold fish in to see what she does. It wouldn't be harmful if she did catch one and ate it would it?

BTW played some hide and seek with Emma earlier and I need to find some better hiding spots cause she always found me lol:. I think outside might be more of a challenge but with freezing rain outside tonight I think we'll save that for another day


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

K9 Passion said:


> Has anyone on here mentioned the *Nina Ottosson dog puzzles*? They are wow, wow, wow.


 Can anyone explain what these are and where you get them? Thanks!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

americangolden said:


> It wouldn't be harmful if she did catch one and ate it would it?


Yikes! It would be harmful to the fish!  Gosh, now I'm feeling all buzz kill... but does it have to be a game where the objective is to torment and potentially kill another living creature? (And for the record, I'm not a PETA freak or anything... I mean, I've done hunt tests with my dogs...) I dunno... that just feels really mean to the fish... As an alternative, use the wading pool... put about three inches of water in it to start. Cut up a hot dog. Drop pieces in the pool and let her bob for hot dogs!


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Yikes! It would be harmful to the fish!  Gosh, now I'm feeling all buzz kill... but does it have to be a game where the objective is to torment and potentially kill another living creature? (And for the record, I'm not a PETA freak or anything... I mean, I've done hunt tests with my dogs...) I dunno... that just feels really mean to the fish... As an alternative, use the wading pool... put about three inches of water in it to start. Cut up a hot dog. Drop pieces in the pool and let her bob for hot dogs!


 Yeah that probably would be a better idea LOL :.


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

americangolden said:


> Can anyone explain what these are and where you get them? Thanks!


Nina Ottosson is a toymaker in Sweden. She makes puzzle games for dogs that are extremely challenging. I have the DogSmart & DogSpinny. To sell through my business, I will be getting the DogSmart & DogPyramid (to start out with). There's also LOTS of video clips on You Tube of dogs playing with their puzzles.

Here is the company's website in English:

http://www.nina-ottosson.com/PRODUCTS.htm


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Really awesome thanks for the linnk K9 Passion! I have never seen any toys like that around here for sale I imagine you'd have to buy from that site or do stores carry these? Watched the video on the site and thoese look like really fun games to play with your dog and they do look very challenging. Thanks again !


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

americangolden said:


> ...I have never seen any toys like that around here for sale I imagine you'd have to buy from that site or do stores carry these?....


They are sooooooo much fun. They are not available for sale from her directly (she's in Sweden where they're made), as she sells to distributors, who in-turn, sell to retailers. 

Currently, there is only 1 retailer in Wisconsin who carries all of them & they're located in Waukesha. I am in Green Bay, & I will start out carrying 2 of them through my website in about 2 weeks. BUT, because they're made in Sweden, then shipped to the US distributor, then shipped to the US retailer, they are very expensive, plus they're all wood. But then again, they'll last a life time & are worth every single penny. :wave:


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

K9 Passion said:


> They are sooooooo much fun. They are not available for sale from her directly (she's in Sweden where they're made), as she sells to distributors, who in-turn, sell to retailers.
> 
> Currently, there is only 1 retailer in Wisconsin who carries all of them & they're located in Waukesha. I am in Green Bay, & I will start out carrying 2 of them through my website in about 2 weeks. BUT, because they're made in Sweden, then shipped to the US distributor, then shipped to the US retailer, they are very expensive, plus they're all wood. But then again, they'll last a life time & are worth every single penny. :wave:


 Do you mind linking me to your website where you are going to sell them or the address of your store I do come up to green bay once in a while to visit friends. If you don't want to post on the forum could you send it to me in a private message, thanks appreciate it!


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

americangolden said:


> Do you mind linking me to your website where you are going to sell them or the address of your store I do come up to green bay once in a while to visit friends. If you don't want to post on the forum could you send it to me in a private message, thanks appreciate it!


Have you ever come to the Green Bay Pet Expo here in March?? I'll be there again this year. The show has grown tremendously - lots of vendors & demonstrations. It is a lot of fun & definitely worth a trip to GB! The show is March 27-29 09.

I will PM you my website so I'm not advertising on the forum. :wave:


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

No I have never even heard of it. Where can I find more information on it like where it's located in gb? Sounds like fun i'd like to check it out this year. BTW thanks for the PM .


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

americangolden said:


> No I have never even heard of it. Where can I find more information on it like where it's located in gb? Sounds like fun i'd like to check it out this year. BTW thanks for the PM .


Oh my goodness - it is tons of fun!! They have Dock Dogs & a huge area set up where a kennel club does all sort of demonstrations & trials. It is in the Shopko Hall & they're opening up different levels this year because it was so crowded last year. Shopko Hall is located across from the stadium. Here is the expo's site:

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=4173287


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Awesome thanks for the info


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

The not-too-intelligent toy!


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

FlyingQuizini said:


> Yikes! It would be harmful to the fish!  Gosh, now I'm feeling all buzz kill... but does it have to be a game where the objective is to torment and potentially kill another living creature? (And for the record, I'm not a PETA freak or anything... I mean, I've done hunt tests with my dogs...) I dunno... that just feels really mean to the fish.


I understand the sport of fishing is not for everyone and I believe I said as much in my post. If you have a weak stomach for fishing, the "gold fish bowl" probably isn't going to work for you. But come on, fishing has been a popular sport for centuries. Sucks to be a fish in the food chain but it is what it is.

And, by the way, gold fish have nutritional value, they are not harmful.

I hit on the gold fish bowl the summer after Daisy's first ACL surgery. She wasn't ready to go back to the lake to fish so I set up the kiddie pool for her in the backyard. I thought it was a novel idea myself and it certainly put a spark back into Daisy's summer...


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

JO Ellen-

That is way cool!!! What a neat idea! I never thought to put small fishies in their kiddie pool, but I will do that this summer, for sure. That would keep them occupied for a LONG time.

I loved watching Daisy because, boy, she really thought she was fishing in the big leagues. It was funny because when she was at one side of the pool, all the fish would swim to the other side, & they'd go back & forth, back & forth trying to get away from her. Does she get all of them??

Can you give me the video clip's link on You Tube? I want to show that to some people.


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

She's much better at catching fish in the lake. Gold fish are small and they move so quickly. She does get all of them eventually but some of them survive for several weeks. 

Here's the youtube link. I'll also give you a link of her fishing at the lake...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45Ty9HJkBVY&feature=channel_page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKEpsbA4-1U&feature=channel


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Ljilly28 said:


> The not-too-intelligent toy!


 lmao :

and jo ellen enjoyed the video of daisy in the kiddie pool


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Muffin Tin Mind Game
This video came across another list I am on...
Thought there might be some that would be interested....


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## FishinBuddy (Nov 20, 2008)

Jo Ellen said:


> I understand the sport of fishing is not for everyone and I believe I said as much in my post. If you have a weak stomach for fishing, the "gold fish bowl" probably isn't going to work for you. But come on, fishing has been a popular sport for centuries. Sucks to be a fish in the food chain but it is what it is.
> 
> And, by the way, gold fish have nutritional value, they are not harmful.
> 
> I hit on the gold fish bowl the summer after Daisy's first ACL surgery. She wasn't ready to go back to the lake to fish so I set up the kiddie pool for her in the backyard. I thought it was a novel idea myself and it certainly put a spark back into Daisy's summer...


That is the coolest thing ever...You know me Jo-ellen, we talk a lot about fishing and I am def. Going to do this....If only I could train the dog to grab them gently and put them in a bucket I could bring him with me in the morning when we are trying to catch our bait!!!!


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

nixietink said:


> ... I usually put half of Vito's meals in there.


That's a neat idea. :wave:


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

I want one of these - *Yuppy Puppy Treat Dispenser*. One of my clients has one for her two goldens & it was a blast watching them. My two would LOVE this:

There's lots of video clips on here of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYqWW1hECfk


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## K9 Passion (Jan 2, 2009)

LibertyME said:


> Muffin Tin Mind Game..


Hey! That's neat!! My two will love that because they LOVE games & puzzles where they have to really think. I make up similar type of games too, so I will try this one as well. Thank you so much for posting that! :wave:


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Yummy Puppy treat dispenser...

Trace is a caveman! He would pick it up, carry it around and drop it repeatedly until treats fell out! :bowl::bowl::bowl: LOLOLOL

I will have to screw the muffin tin to a board so he wont just pick it up and toss it around! LOL


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

LibertyME said:


> Muffin Tin Mind Game
> This video came across another list I am on...
> Thought there might be some that would be interested....


I love that, have to get mine one of them


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

FishinBuddy said:


> That is the coolest thing ever...You know me Jo-ellen, we talk a lot about fishing and I am def. Going to do this....If only I could train the dog to grab them gently and put them in a bucket I could bring him with me in the morning when we are trying to catch our bait!!!!


If you worked on the leave it command, I'm sure you could teach your dog this! Daisy catches her fish and brings them onto land then spits them out. We won't talk about afterwards, but when she spits them out they're always alive.

I just know I'm going to be reincarnated as a fish :


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Jo Ellen said:


> I understand the sport of fishing is not for everyone and I believe I said as much in my post. If you have a weak stomach for fishing, the "gold fish bowl" probably isn't going to work for you. But come on, fishing has been a popular sport for centuries. Sucks to be a fish in the food chain but it is what it is.
> 
> And, by the way, gold fish have nutritional value, they are not harmful.
> 
> I hit on the gold fish bowl the summer after Daisy's first ACL surgery. She wasn't ready to go back to the lake to fish so I set up the kiddie pool for her in the backyard. I thought it was a novel idea myself and it certainly put a spark back into Daisy's summer...


I'm fine with the true sport of open water fishing Guess it's just the "canned hunt" nature of the Goldfish Game that I'm not comfortable with. JMO.

Definitely a creative idea, though!


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## FishinBuddy (Nov 20, 2008)

I, more than ever, cannot wait till the warm weather is here......


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## Tanyac (Jun 18, 2008)

I'm loving this thread!!! I play hide and seek regularly with my two, but you guys have given me so many more ideas!

I also throw the ball into the undergrowth when we are in the woods, and they have learned they have to 'find it' through the scent alone. It's great watching their tails wagging like mad as they're scanning the undergrowth with their noses, back and forth. They never give up, although I have to guide them sometimes to the general direction. Only negative to this is sometimes I throw the ball into prickly bushes, and the dogs always plough in up to their necks in thorns! Hmmmm!!! Still, we can play this for 30 minutes at least and I'd say they were being mentally stimulated... other passing dogs join in also, which adds to the fun and competition to who finds the ball first!

In the house, they wait in the hall while I hide a toy. They will leave all the other toys lying around and concentrate on finding the toy, great fun to watch. Best thing is that they don't need treats, the game is way enough fun treats not necessary! Just remember you start and end the game. Otherwise they won't let you off the hook... lol!

Love the fishing idea JoEllen. Not wholly sure mine wouldn't rip the bottom out of the pool within 2 minutes, but here in the UK birds are bred to be shot for sport, what kind of lives do they lead I wonder... now the shooting sports are what our dogs were bred for, I don't know if I could have a moral stance on this. After all, I might want to attend shoots one day to watch the Retrievers working.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Big city walks, crowds, art shows...

Dog park, rescue walks, gatherings

Training!!


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## americangolden (Aug 11, 2008)

Such great games and ideas everyone! Keep em coming


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## Rhapsody in Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

We have three Goldens. Marty is field bred. He is two. Melody and Grace are from Dichi Goldens (champion show lines.) Melody is a little over a year and Grace is just 10 weeks old.

Here are some ideas - - First, agility training is very mentally challenging for dogs (and the owner too : ) Our oldest dog has taken agility. He was like a sleepy kindergartner the day after class. This Spring we are trying dock diving. 

I take my three Goldens to the dog park first thing most mornings - no matter what the weather. Often I am there alone with them (and sometimes my daughter or son) between 6A and 7A so we pretty much have 3 acres to ourselves as the sun comes up. I have treats in my pocket and we will walk along the paths. If they get too far ahead, I will call them. If they come (they do most of the time) they get a treat. I will also hide behind a tree and watch them to see what happens when they notice I am missing. They eventually turn around and look so worried. They look for me and when they find me, we hug and make a big deal out of it.

I will pretend I have fallen and watch proudly as they run up to me out of concern. This is something I have found very interesting. We started doing this after I really did fall on ice last winter. I couldn't believe how my Marty (who stands 28 inches tall) ran up to me and stood really close. I was having a hard time getting back up because the patch was so slippery. Somehow he understood that I really hurt falling hard on the ice. He made a soft cry like they do when they are worried. I caught my breath and had to lean on him to get back on my feet. When you get to be a certain age, falling really hurts. I have found this to be a practical skill to work on with them. So now we practice that. 

I have also taught Marty to bring in the puppies. When I call them in, they follow him. He has actually pushed Melody up the door step with his nose when she was just 8 weeks old. I am so moved by the way they care each other. Marty is very parental towards the girls. 

I will practice, "this way" and turn the direction of our walk. I will do this multiple times. It keeps their eyes on me. 

I will practice "slow" with them --- -to teach them to stay with me and go slow when we are on a slippery slope.

I have a baby pool and fill it with a few tennis balls. They run for those tennis balls and try to be the first to bring it to me. Melody is very competitive with this game. She will try with all her might to bring a ball to me. Then I throw the tennis balls back in and they run to the pool to retrieve and make a big splash. 

When we give them a treat we first ask all three of them to sit (together). It takes time but we are getting good at having all three of them sitting together. Grace is still young, but she sits and then wiggles a bit, and then we correct her and she sits. We tell Marty and Melody to "touch" and they touch the treat with their noses. Then we say "paw", and they give us their paws. After that they get the treat. I find it so interesting to see how Grace watches what they do. They are teaching her so much. 

My daughter taught Melody to hold a ball in her paws when she is on her back. I was fascinated to watch her do this. She usually holds it for just a few seconds and then it falls out of her paws, but she seems to be really concentrating on that ball. Marty tries too, but he doesn't seem to have quite the focus that Melody has on that ball. 

Oh and yes - - - I sometimes sing to my Goldens on our walks when no one is watching. Their tails start wagging and they trot along right with me - - - giving me that look that all Goldens do when they look up lovingly. Singing is such a positive activity (I sure hope they would agree : ). I probably sound like a kook, but I think we are happiest when singing to them and hugging them affectionately as we walk. I strongly recommend singing to your Goldens. It is good for your heart : )


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