Mental Stimulation for Canines
Over the years, as I have written this blog, I have often talked about the necessity of mental stimulation for a canine in addition to physical exercise. As dog owners, giving our dogs physical exercise is top on our priority list for canine health. But often, dog owners neglect the mental stimulation a dog needs on a daily basis-- and they need a lot. A domestic dog's wild relative-- a coyote, a wolf, etc. -- will spend the day hunting, scavenging and foraging for food. Our domestic dogs need the same sort of stimulation on a daily basis. Otherwise, we pay the price in unwanted behaviors that cause stress to the human- dog relationship. When a dog is mentally bored, unwanted behaviors pop up: excessive barking, digging, escaping, inappropriate chewing and other destructive behaviors. The dog is bored. This can also lead to a mental decline in happiness, aka canine depression . Mental enrichment on a daily basis stimulates and assists a dog's brain growth, improves proble...