Easy ways to help stimulate a smart dog

A smart dog is a good thing… right?

If someone asked you before you brought home your puppy or adopted dog whether you would prefer it was whip-smart or a little bit on the slow side, you would probably say that you want a smart dog. However, once you have one in your life, you may start to question whether so much intelligence is really a good thing in your pet.

Smart dogs find more ways to get into mischief and are often less able to be satisfied with simple toys. You may need to work harder to keep your intelligent dog happy and healthy. 

It can be especially hard to occupy an intelligent dog during times when you cannot actively engage and train them. Here are some things to do to help you manage your relationship with an intelligent dog:

Establish Routine

All dogs thrive on routine, but it can be even more important for your intelligent dog to have a reliable routine. Smart dogs are more likely to think about what is happening in their day and worry about what's going to happen next. 

A predictable routine gives your intelligent dog comfort and helps them to be patient during downtimes. Try to feed, walk, and train your dog at roughly the same times every day.

Work for Your Food Training

When you have an intelligent dog, every bit of kibble is an invaluable tool. Feed your dog their daily food as training rewards and give food out of food-distributing toys.

Working to get food out of toys is the ideal way to occupy your intelligent dog during downtimes. Offering food for behavior is a great way to be ahead of them and continue to occupy their mind with new skills.

Here are suggestions for some great food-distributing toys and how to use them with your smart dog:

KONG - Classic Dog Toy

If you do not yet have a Kong classic toy for your intelligent dog, get one. This toy has been the standard for many years because of its ability to satisfy your dog's natural instincts to chew in a safe way. 

The toy doubles as a fetch and chew toy. The classic Kong is appropriate for most dogs, but there is a tougher black version if your dog is a powerful chewer. There are hundreds of ways to pack the Kong toy to occupy a smart dog, but here are a few great options to get you started:

●      Wet kibble or wet food. If you feed your dog wet food already, you can pack it directly into the Kong. If you feed your dog kibble, soak it until it is soft and then stuff the Kong. Freeze it for an added challenge.

●      Kibble and soft spread. By mixing kibble with something soft like yogurt, cottage cheese, or banana, you provide a texture that is challenging for your dog to get out and very attractive without adding too many extra calories. This is a great option for dogs that aren't very interested in kibble alone.

●      Dry kibble alone. The flexible nature of the Kong toy allows you to stuff it full of kibble and use the friction from the kibble to keep it inside. Just shove enough kibble in that it takes some pressure to get the last few pieces under the rim of the opening. Your dog will have a challenge throwing and biting at the Kong to get it out.

*bonus tip. If you want your dog to stay interested in the Kong even when most of the food has gone out, shove a very attractive treat like freeze-dried liver into the small end. It will be nearly impossible for your dog to get it out, but they'll keep working on it. 

Pet Zone IQ Treat Ball 

If your dog is more interested in chasing than chewing, this might be the toy for you. You can adjust the difficulty of this food distributing toy, so you can make it harder as your smart dog gets the hang of it. 

This is also one of the easiest toys to load, so if you don't want to have your own brain puzzle in loading your dog's distributing toy every day, it might be a good option. Just unscrew, load the kibble, choose your difficulty, and screw it back together. It's also very easy to empty and clean just by unscrewing it.

Interactive Toys

Food distributing toys aren't the only way to use toys to occupy your smart dog during downtimes. Some interactive toys can also be highly effective for this purpose:

Wickedbone Smart Bone

Some smart dogs need a smarter toy. This clever bone can intelligently interact with your dog or give you control, offering a completely new play experience for your pup. 

Nine motions including the capacity to roll over the floor keep your dog engaged. This may be an especially good option for dogs that have prey drive or herding breeds that are highly driven to pursue something that is moving. 

It sleeps automatically so that it won't waste battery life between your dog playing with it. It interacts intelligently with your dog, teasing your dog when they ignore it and running away when they chase it.

Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel Squeaky Puzzle Plush Dog Toy 

This toy seems to have an almost magical attraction for dogs. They can't seem to resist pulling the squirrels out of the hole, over and over again. You can stuff in any of your dog's other favorite toys as well to make it even more enticing. 

This is a great way to give your dog the opportunity to satisfy the instinct to dig in and pull out without destroying stuffed toys and without giving them a food distributing toy. 

Stimulate Your Intelligent Dog’s Eager Mind

A smart dog can be an amazing pet that seems to have an intuitive understanding of what your needs are. They can also become an incredible problem in your home.

Stimulating your dog's mind with a steady routine and the right kind of toys and training can make all of the difference in helping your intelligent dog be a pet you love to live with.