The Simple Training Trick That Tires Dogs Faster Than Toys

There are more dog toys available now than ever before, but expecting new toys alone to replace exercise and other forms of enrichment for dogs is a mistake.

While toys, from the classic tug and chew toys to food puzzles that provide problem-solving challenges, can be a part of a dog’s enrichment routine, there are also simple training games that offer unique benefits for tiring dogs out.

A few minutes of training a day can make a big difference and provide a much-needed mental workout.

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Every Training Session Is Different

Working training into your dog’s daily routine provides value beyond having a well-trained dog. Training practice can provide physical exercise for dogs in addition to a mental workout. Meeting exercise needs helps prevent boredom-related behaviors.

If your dog knows a few tricks, you might begin by asking your dog to go through them before feeding time or at another predictable time of day. While this is a great idea to start incorporating training into your daily routine, repeating the same skills, in the same order, doesn’t do much to challenge a dog’s problem-solving abilities.

Instead, choose a few skills and create new routines and challenges for every training session. One example of this kind of training is Trickovation, which combines the skills the dog has been trained in with the different reward-delivery techniques the handler uses. Once you know a few core skills, you can mix and match to challenge your dog.

Even without any previous training, you can give your dog a Trickovation workout. A routine might look something like this: you teach your dog to go pick up a treat you toss to the floor after saying “search,” and reward your dog for coming back to you. After a few times, your dog easily goes for the treat when you say “search,” and then rushes back to you.

You then break the pattern of going out and coming back by adding a spin: your dog follows your hand in a circle, then you cue a “down and stay” for a few seconds. Once you get your dog moving, you can keep building on the routine. In just a few minutes, you get your dog moving and thinking while also working on a few core skills such as the stay.

These sessions don’t ever look the same, but they always involve creative, positive training. Leaving your dog a new toy doesn’t compare to challenging your dog to think. Even a game of fetch can be too repetitive for many dogs.

Scent Training Beyond Food Puzzles

There are plenty of toys available that provide dogs with a nose-based challenge. One kind of popular dog toy is a food puzzle. The dog has to locate a treat and move the puzzle to access it. While this is a great challenge for dogs and fun for owners to witness, it’s only one small activity.

READ MORE: Wet Nose Wednesday: More Dog Training Information and Tips

Scent training is great for giving dogs a job they naturally excel at, and there are many ways to approach it. One of the easiest ways to begin is by starting with a container search where the target odor is a treat. This activity involves the person, unlike leaving a dog to do a puzzle toy by itself. Set up a few cardboard boxes or other small containers in your home. In one box, hide treats. Encourage your dog to check out the boxes. When the dog pauses at the box with treats, open it to allow access to the reward, and praise your dog. For more serious scent training, dogs are trained on other target odors.

Indoor Exercise That Works

If you’ve ever needed to tire out your dog when the weather isn’t agreeable, you know how challenging that can be. Indoor exercise is entirely possible, and you don't need much space. You might not have the room to toss a ball for your dog to chase indoors, but there are other games you can play.

The key to providing exercise indoors is teaching your dog skills beyond sit and down. Think about tricks that require different movements from your dog, such as walking backward, lifting each front paw on cue, or sitting up in the beg position. Tricks like these can get your dog moving, and the training process offers a mental workout, too.

Make it a Part of Your Daily Routine

While dog toys should be incorporated into everyday training and play, people shouldn't expect dogs to exercise themselves or gain enough of a mental workout from the toys they can access to meet daily enrichment needs. Trying to change your entire routine to fit in training time will feel overwhelming. Instead, start to mix in a few minutes of training each day while keeping in mind the importance of variety and training new moves.

Dogs gain a lot from training and bonding with their people, and for us, training provides a way to unleash our own creative thinking.

Melissa Viera is the owner of MJ's Pet Training Academy in Acushnet.