Brain games for dogs
These need no purchase and no training experience. Each one takes five minutes and every one of them uses food your dog was going to eat anyway.
Nose games
Which hand: two closed fists, food in one, let your dog choose. Simple, and surprisingly absorbing.
Muffin tin: food in some cups, tennis balls on top of all of them.
Towel roll: sprinkle food along a towel, roll it up, let your dog unroll it.
Room search: hide five small portions at nose height around one room while your dog waits outside.
Problem-solving games
Box in a box: food in a small box inside a bigger open box.
Cardboard city: three or four open boxes and cartons with food scattered between them.
Under the cup: three cups, food under one, shuffle them slowly.
Blanket search: food under a loosely folded blanket.
Calm games
Frozen lick mat: wet food or plain yoghurt spread thin and frozen.
Scatter feed on grass: the whole meal thrown into the lawn, twenty minutes of quiet sniffing.
Slow chew: one long-lasting chew on a mat, in the same spot each day, to build a settle habit.
Find the person: someone hides in the house holding food and calls once.
Making games harder over time
Increase difficulty one step at a time: same game, better hiding places, then a new room, then with mild distraction. If your dog quits, you jumped too far — go back a step and let them win.
Frequently asked questions
- How long should a brain-game session last?
- Five to ten minutes. Stop while your dog is still keen, not after they've lost interest.
- Can I use kibble instead of treats?
- Yes, and you should. Take the games out of the daily ration so you're not adding calories.
