How to Pick Mentally Stimulating Toys for Dogs

Dogs and people have a lot in common, including mental health and disorders. Dogs can suffer from boredom, stress, anxiety and even depression. One of the best ways to keep your dog’s mind sharp and prevent mental health problems is with mentally stimulating and interactive toys and activities.

Recent research has shown that increased mental activity in dogs is linked to greater mental health, cognitive function, learning capacity and attention span. Mentally stimulated dogs are also more attentive, they perform better during training and are quicker at solving problematic daily tasks.

The connection and messages between the neurons in a canine’s brain slow down if they’re not used. The good news is that activity in neuron pathways increases shortly after stimulation has been provided. This means that even the laziest dog’s brain can be stimulated and exercised for more/better activity.

There are plenty of ways to stimulate your dog’s brain. Some are simple and can be done in just a few minutes, while other mentally stimulating games may take time. You might even have to train your pet to participate in the activity, and in the end it will be fun for both of you and worth the time for several reasasons.

Exposure to different environments, stimulating different sensory receptors, playing games, and teaching your dog new tricks or commands are all viable methods of mental stimulation that positively impact canine behavior, prevent mental issues and may even trigger changes.

There are hundreds of dog supplies on the market designed to stimulate animals and increase their mental health. So if you’re looking for a quick way to provide mental stimulation for dogs, check out puzzle toys or games at your local pet store or online. In this podcast, I’ll explain how to choose the best mentally stimulating dog toys that benefit your pet’s brain, and helps to keep him happy and healthy.

Listen to the podcast episode in the video above and subscribe below.