puppy problem solving

How to solve common puppy problems

From barking to jumping up, here's how to solve 10 of the most common problems you may have with your puppy.

Twix a black and brown Crossbreed puppy, outside, in enclosed area, standing on grass.

Puppies aren’t born knowing how they’re expected to behave. This is why you may find some of their behaviours problematic. Don’t worry – this is normal and puppies simply need to be taught in a careful and positive way. That way, they learn what they can and can’t do.

Most common puppy behavioural issues

To help, here’s a list of behavioural issues alongside the solutions. These will help you to understand your dog’s behaviour and deal with any problems.

Solution: It’s normal for dogs to bark. But, if they do it constantly – or always at something in particular – it can be problematic. It’s important to act early. Doing so will prevent normal barking (or the reasons for barking ) from developing into something more serious.

The key to reducing and even preventing barking is to understand why your dog is barking in the first place. Then remember:

don’t tell your puppy off for barking
ignore them and wait until they stop
reward them when they remain calm and quiet, not only as soon as they stop barking
if they bark because they are scared, try and avoid the triggers for this
show your pup there’s a calmer way to tell you what they want
make sure they are getting enough exercise and don’t get bored.

You need to teach your pooch to be confident and calm from when they’re a puppy. Your pup should experience the hustle and bustle of life early on, in a positive and gradual way. This includes learning to be calm when alone and getting used to people coming in and out of the house .

This will give them the best chance of coping well in future unusual and unexpected situations.

2. Frequently seeking attention

Solution: Dogs are social creatures. But, is your pooch clingy? Do they follow you around the house? Are they constantly seeking attention? Then you need to teach them how to spend time alone . This is important to avoid separation anxiety from developing.

You could use a baby gate to do this, so you can introduce time apart while allowing them to still know you are there. Make sure they have a cosy bed and a long-lasting treat with them. Then, gradually move further away from the gate and slowly start to increase the time you leave them for.

3. Unsure when being handled

Solution: Your pup will need to interact with, and be handled by, various people throughout their life. But, whether it’s a vet or a dog groomer, it can be worrying or confusing. This is why you need to teach them to feel comfortable when being handled.

To do this:

Handle your pup on parts of their body they are comfortable with.
Keep an eye on their body language to ensure they remain comfortable. If they stay calm and relaxed, move your hand away and then reward them with a treat.
Gradually increase the length of time you handle them for. Stop if they move away, use their mouth on your hand or show signs of worry.
Once they are comfortable, move to other parts of their body such as ears, tails and paws.
Over time, you can introduce grooming equipment and new people. You can also do it in different environments.
Touch their collar (increase the time you hold it for and reward them.) Plus, teach them to wear a harness .

4. Hide or move away when approached

Solution: If your pup appears to lack confidence or is a little shy, don’t worry! There are lots of things you can do to help:

learn to recognise when your pup is feeling worried and avoid things they find scary
if your pup is worried, don’t force them to interact and give them space
provide a cosy den at home so your pup has the option to hide away for some quiet time should they choose to
reward bravery and don’t be tempted to coax your pup into a scary situation
train your pup using kind, reward-based methods , and avoid telling them off
have fun with your dog and engage them in things they enjoy. This will build up a bank of positive experiences that boost their confidence.

5. Pulling on the lead

Solution: It’s not unusual for dogs to pull but you need to teach them to walk calmly and on a loose lead. Firstly, continue to use the comfortable collar or harness you already have, to do this.

Now, start the training at home, rewarding and praising your pup for being close by. Then start to walk around, continuing to reward your pooch for staying by your side.

By this point, your pup should be walking nicely next to you. But, if they happen to pull, it’s important they don’t find this behaviour reinforcing. If they do, they’ll be more likely to do it again.

If the lead tightens, stop walking. Stand still, keep quiet and don’t move forward again until the lead is slack. Don’t jerk the lead back or tell your dog off – just stand and wait calmly and quietly. If your pup doesn’t turn back to you, try walking a couple of steps in the opposite direction to get their focus back.

Then, reward your dog when they walk nicely by your side again.

6. Mouthing, biting and chewing

Solution: Mouthing, biting and chewing are all normal behaviours. But, some pups can start doing it to you (or your furniture!) Although they won’t mean to hurt you, their little teeth can be very sharp. Here’s some do’s and don’ts to stop your puppy mouthing.

How to stop your dog chewing a...

7. going to the toilet inside.

Solution: It may take puppies a few months (and the odd accident) before they are completely housetrained . Don’t worry if it seems to be taking a while. Their bowels, bladders and the muscles that control them are still growing, after all.

To stop your dog going to the toilet indoors, you need to show your dog where they should go. Then, reward them for doing their business somewhere appropriate. This will help them form good toileting habits.
Give them plenty of opportunities to go to the toilet outside. This is particularly important while they’re learning to control their bowel and bladder.
Learn to recognise the signs that show your pup needs to go to the toilet. This includes sniffing the ground, turning in a circle and starting to squat.
If you see these signs inside, gently interrupt your pup, and take them outside to see if they’ll go to the toilet.
If they go, reward them. If not, just quietly return indoors. But make sure to give them enough time to do their business before returning inside – patience is key.
It’s important that you give your pup a reward as soon as they have been to the toilet. Then they’ll know that you are really pleased with this behaviour.
Don’t tell them off if they have an accident indoors. This could make them anxious about you and make the problem worse.
Make sure to clean up with a biological cleaning preparation. You want to ensure the smell is completely broken down and removed from the area.

8. Jumping up

Solution: Many dogs jump up when they are excited. It’s tempting to give puppies attention when they do it. But, this will encourage them to keep doing this into adulthood. Don’t tell them off – instead, stay calm and quiet. Teach them to keep all four paws on the floor and then reward them for doing this.

9. Ignoring you

Solution: Does your puppy always ignore you? Then you need to do focus training to get their attention.

Make sure your pup knows their name first. Then:

say their name once, then when they look at you, mark and reward them
repeat this until your pup is responding quickly when they hear their name
if they’re not able to pay attention, avoid saying their name over and over again as they may learn to ignore it
instead, try again in a quieter place with fewer distractions
alternatively, use a treat to gain their focus - then say their name, mark and reward them
remember that saying your dog’s name should always be positive for your dog.

Does your dog now know their name? Once they do, you can use it to gain their attention before asking them for something else, such as “come” on walks.

It’s also important to reward them when they voluntarily ‘check in’ with you. This will encourage them to offer attention. It will also help to build their focus on you when you’re out and about. On walks, simply watch your dog. Whenever they look at you, mark and reward them for ‘checking in’ with you.

You can also make your walks engaging by bringing your pup’s favourite toy. Get it out halfway round and ask for some basic, known behaviours at random timepoints. Alternatively, play a ‘find it’ game where you sprinkle some treats on the floor. This will all help to keep focus on you.

10. Not coming when called

Solution: If your pup ignores you when you call them then you need to brush up on their recall training .

Teach your pup to respond to their name.
Then use a recall cue such as “come” or “here.”
Start in your garden and always reward them for coming back. Give them tasty treats, a fuss or play a game – use whatever reward your pooch likes best.
Gradually increase the distance and add in distractions.

Don’t get angry if they don’t come back. We want to teach our dogs that coming back is always a good thing. That way they’ll be more likely to do it again.

Check out our Dog School classes where your pup will learn vital life skills. These will help prevent behavioural problems from occurring in the first place. Are you really struggling with your dog’s behaviour? Speak to a vet and they will be able to refer you to an accredited behaviourist.

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Puppy behavior: Five tips from a vet for solving problems

Start your puppy off on the right paw with these five puppy behavior tips

Puppy training is one of the most important tasks you’ll take on as a new pet owner. New puppies are super fun, but they can also be a handful! If this is your first puppy, or it has been a while since your last one, you may not realize just how much work training a young dog can be.

Fortunately, most puppy behavioral problems can be solved if you address them early. However, it’s important to make sure you’re addressing behavior problems the right way.

Punishment-based training methods – like yelling, hitting, spraying with water, or 'alpha rolls' – are scary for your puppy, and may cause more behavioral problems in the future. Instead, check out these tips for using positive reinforcement training to address some of the most common puppy behavior concerns.

Best puppy food : Make sure your new dog grows up strong and healthy

1. Whining and barking while in their crate

No one wants to be locked up away from their family! It will take some time for your puppy to get used to being in the crate, but you can help by teaching your puppy to view the crate as a safe and comfortable resting place.

Make sure you’re providing your puppy with a comfortable bed in the crate and using lots of positive reinforcement during training. Feeding your puppy in the crate or providing a special puzzle toy to keep her busy are great ways to encourage quiet behavior when crated.

The biggest mistake pet parents make is letting the puppy out of the crate when she is whining. Unfortunately, this only teaches the puppy that whining and barking will get her what she wants! Never let your puppy out of the crate or give her any attention when she is whining or barking while crated. Remember that even negative attention – like yelling or startling the puppy – is still attention, and may reinforce this nuisance behavior! Instead, ignore the puppy until she is calm and quiet. You can reward calm behavior by occasionally dropping some of the best puppy treats into the crate for her, which reinforces that the crate is a fun place to be!

2. Urinating and/or defecating in the crate

Accidents in the crate are another common problem that pet parents encounter during crate training and potty training. Often, this occurs because the crate is too large for your puppy. While it may be tempting to purchase a larger crate to fit your puppy’s expected adult size, a crate that is too large will allow your puppy to urinate and defecate in one area and sleep in another, which may encourage soiling.

A properly sized crate should be just big enough for your puppy to stand up to her full height and turn around in a circle. If your current crate is too large, purchase a smaller one until your puppy reaches her adult size or use a solid barrier such as pieces of cardboard to help section off part of it while your puppy grows into it.

3. Inappropriate or destructive chewing behavior

Puppies will start teething as their adult teeth begin to erupt, much in the same way that human children do. Just as human children need teething rings and other toys to help relieve the discomfort associated with these new teeth, puppies will also look for things to chew to ease their pain – and this often includes your furniture!

Puppies also naturally like to explore the world through their mouths, which may be a contributory factor to this destructive behavior. Some puppies will outgrow inappropriate chewing behavior, but it’s still best to curb this behavior as quickly as possible.

Make sure you provide your puppy with plenty of the best dog chew toys of varying shapes, sizes, and textures. When your puppy tries to chew the furniture, redirect her onto a more appropriate object, and reward her with plenty of praise and treats to encourage her to continue chewing the right toys.

You can also use deterrents such as bitter apple spray or even hot sauce applied to the inappropriate surfaces she likes to chew, such as your furniture – just be careful not to apply them to upholstery, which may stain, and never spray them on your dog or around her face.

4. Jumping up on people

Does your puppy get so excited at meeting new people that she just can’t control herself? You can help curb this behavior by teaching her to keep 'four on the floor' when greeting new people. To start, you’ll need to get your friends and family on board with this training – consistency is the key to making any training plan a success! You’ll need to make sure your friends and family don’t inadvertently encourage the behavior by petting or talking to your puppy while she is jumping on them. Even pushing your puppy away may be seen as part of the game and may encourage her to continue jumping. Instead, they should calmly turn and walk away when she jumps so that she will learn she cannot get anyone’s attention this way.

When a new person is approaching, ask your puppy to sit and stay. You may need to start at quite a distance at first if your puppy is too excited to listen. Once she is sitting and calm, reward her with a treat, and allow the person to calmly approach and say hello. If the interaction is going well and your puppy is staying calm, they can even offer her a few treats as a reward for this good behavior. If your puppy tries to jump, simply turn and lead and lead her away – she has lost her opportunity to greet that person today! With patience and repetition she will soon learn that she needs to sit politely and keep 'four on the floor' if she wants to say hello.

5. Nipping and inappropriate play behavior

Pet owners often worry that their dog is becoming aggressive when they start biting at a young age. But in a young puppy, this is often inappropriate play behavior. Puppies frequently nip at moving hands or legs in an effort to initiate play. To stop this behavior, it’s important to avoid sending mixed signals. Never play with your puppy using your hands or body – including wrestling or rough housing – as this can teach them to use you as a chew toy! Instead, try to redirect them onto a more appropriate toy. If they continue trying to nip, put your hands behind your back until they settle down or get up and walk away. With patience and consistency, they'll learn that play time stops if they get too rough. Never hit your puppy, grab them by the muzzle, or use other punishments, as these responses may cause fear and worsen aggression in the future.

Patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement

Whether you’re addressing an unwanted behavior or teaching a new trick, being clear and consistent with your training is the key. Always use positive reinforcement by rewarding desirable behaviors with a good experience, such as praise, petting, or a tasty treat. Using this method consistently will teach your puppy that good behavior is far more fun and rewarding than causing trouble.

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Dr. Elizabeth Racine is a small animal general practice vet covering all things pet health and wellness. Her special interests include veterinary behavior, nutrition, and internal medicine. As a freelance writer, Dr. Racine has written content for major companies in the industry such as the American Kennel Club, Merck Animal Health, Bayer PetBasics, Elanco, and CareCredit. In her free time, Dr. Racine enjoys playing trampoline dodgeball, hiking with her beagle Dasher, and spending time with her three mischievous cats.

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10 Common Dog Behavior Problems and Solutions

Causes and Solutions When Your Pet Misbehaves

Dog behavior problems are often misunderstood or mishandled by dog owners. Perhaps you are new to dog ownership , considering getting a dog , or just wish to help your dog with a challenging issue. Thoroughly understanding the most common dog behavior problems is the first step to solving and preventing them. A solid foundation of obedience training will help you prevent or better control many of these issues.

The Spruce / Charlotte Engelsen

Most dogs vocalize in one way or another. They may bark, howl, whine and more. Excessive barking is considered a behavior problem.

Before you can correct excessive barking, determine why your dog is vocalizing in the first place. The most common types of barking are:

Warning or alert
Playfulness and excitement
Attention-seeking
Responding to other dogs

Learn to control excessive barking. Consider teaching them bark/quiet commands . Be consistent and patient. Address any underlying causes of barking. Dedication and attention to detail can go a long way to stop a dog from barking .

Chewing is a natural action for all dogs. In fact, chewing is an important activity for most dogs; it's just part of the way they are wired. However, excessive chewing can quickly become a behavior problem if your dog causes destruction. The most common reasons dogs chew include:

Puppy teething
Boredom or excess energy
Curiosity (especially puppies)

Encourage your dog to chew on the right things by providing plenty of appropriate chew toys . Keep personal items away from your dog. When you are not home, keep your dog crated or confined to an area where less destruction can be caused.

If you catch your dog chewing the wrong thing, get your dog's attention and replace the item with a chew toy. One of the most important things you can do is to make sure your dog gets plenty of exercise to burn off energy and be stimulated in that way rather than turning to chewing.

If given the chance, most dogs will do some amount of digging ; it's a matter of instinct. Certain dog breeds, like terriers, are more prone to digging because of their hunting histories. In general, most dogs dig for these reasons:

Anxiety or fear
Hunting instinct
Comfort-seeking (such as nesting or cooling off)
Desire to hide possessions (like bones or toys)
To escape or gain access to an area

It can get rather frustrating if your dog likes to dig up your yard. Try and determine the cause of the digging, then work to eliminate that source. Give your dog more exercise, spend more quality time together, and work on extra training . If digging seems inevitable, set aside an area where your dog can freely dig, like a sandbox. Train your dog that it is acceptable to dig in this area only.

Separation Anxiety

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

Separation anxiety is one of the most commonly discussed dog behavior problems. Manifestations include vocalization, chewing, inappropriate urination and defecation, and other forms of destruction that occur when a dog is separated from his owner. Not all of these actions are the result of separation anxiety. Signs of true separation anxiety include:

The dog becomes anxious when the owner prepares to leave.
Misbehavior occurs in the first 15 to 45 minutes after the owner leaves.
The dog wants to follow the owner around constantly.
The dog tries to be touching the owner whenever possible.

True separation anxiety requires dedicated training, behavior modification, and desensitization exercises. Medication may be recommended in extreme cases.

Inappropriate Elimination

Inappropriate urination and defecation are among the most frustrating dog behaviors. They can damage areas of your home and make your dog unwelcome in public places or at the homes of others. It is most important that you discuss this behavior with your veterinarian first to rule out health problems. If no medical cause is found, try to determine the reason for the behavior, which can come down to one of the following:

Submissive/excitement urination
Territorial marking
Lack of proper house training

Inappropriate elimination is unavoidable in puppies, especially before 12 weeks of age. Older dogs are another story. Many dogs require serious behavior modification to rid them of the habit once it becomes ingrained. Eventually, most grown (potty trained) dogs can learn to ring so-called “ doggy doorbells ” to let their owners know when to let them out for a bathroom break.

Begging is a bad habit, but many dog owners inadvertently encourage it. This can lead to digestive problems and obesity. Dogs beg because they love food. However, table scraps are not treats, and food is not love. Yes, it is hard to resist that longing look, but giving in "just this once" creates a problem in the long run.

Before you sit down to eat, tell your dog to go to their place , preferably where they won't be able to stare at you. If necessary, confine your dog to another room. If they behave, offer a special treat after you and your family are finished eating.

A dog's desire to chase moving things is simply a display of predatory instinct. Many dogs will chase other animals, people, and cars. All of these can lead to dangerous and devastating outcomes. While you may not be able to stop your dog from trying to chase, you can take steps to prevent disaster.

Keep your dog confined or on a leash at all times (unless directly supervised indoors).
Train your dog to come when called .
Have a dog whistle or noisemaker on hand to get your dog's attention.
Stay aware and watch for potential triggers, such as cars, joggers, and wildlife.

Your best chance at success is to keep the chase from getting out of control. Dedicated training throughout your dog's life will teach them to focus their attention on you first, before running off.

Jumping up is a common and natural behavior in dogs. Puppies jump up to reach and greet their mothers. Later, they may jump up when greeting people. Dogs may also jump up when excited or seeking an item in the person's hands. A jumping dog can be annoying and even dangerous.

There are many methods to stop a dog's jumping, but not all will be successful. Lifting a knee, grabbing the paws, or pushing the dog away might work in some cases, but for most dogs, this sends the wrong message. Jumping up is often attention-seeking behavior, so any acknowledgment of your dog's actions provides an instant reward, which reinforces the jumping.

The best method is to simply ignore your dog. Walk away if necessary. Do not make eye contact, speak, or touch your dog. Go about your business. When he relaxes and remains still, calmly reward him. It won't take long before your dog gets the message.

Dogs bite and nip for several reasons, most of which are instinctive. Puppies bite and nip to explore the environment. Mother dogs teach their puppies not to bite too hard and discipline them when needed. This helps the puppies develop bite inhibition. Owners often need to show their puppies that mouthing and biting are not acceptable by continuing to teach bite inhibition .

Beyond puppy behavior, dogs may bite for several reasons. The motivation to bite or snap is not necessarily about aggression. A dog may snap, nip, or bite for a variety of reasons.

Defensiveness
Protection of property
Pain or sickness
Predatory instinct

Any dog may bite if the circumstances warrant it in the dog's mind. Owners and breeders are the ones who can help decrease the tendency for any type of dog to bite through proper training , socialization, and breeding practices.

Dog aggression is exhibited by growling, snarling, showing teeth, lunging, and biting. It is important to know that any dog has the potential to show aggression, regardless of breed or history. However, dogs with violent or abusive histories and those bred from dogs with aggressive tendencies are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior toward people or other dogs.

Unfortunately, some breeds are labeled "dangerous" and banned in certain areas. However, it's not usually about the breed so much as it's about history. A dog's environment has a major impact on behavior. Also, regardless of breed, a dog may inherit some aggressive traits.

Reasons for aggression are the same as the reasons a dog will bite or snap, but overall canine aggression is a much more serious problem. If your dog has aggressive tendencies, consult your vet first as it may stem from a health problem . Then, seek the help of an experienced dog trainer or behaviorist . Serious measures should be taken to keep others safe from aggressive dogs.

Dogs and Destructive Chewing . VCA Animal Hospitals.

Separation Anxiety . Merck Veterinary Manual.

Loftus, John P, and Joseph J Wakshlag. Canine and feline obesity: a review of pathophysiology, epidemiology, and clinical management . Veterinary medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 6, pp. 49-60, 2014. doi:10.2147/VMRR.S40868

Why Breed-specific Legislation is not the Answer . American Veterinary Medical Association.

Solving Dog Behavior Problems – Dog Training That Works

By Michele Welton , Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books

All puppies (and adult dogs, too) do some things you would rather they not do!

So you're reading this page because your dog is doing something you don't like – some behavior you want him to do differently – or simply stop doing.

Housebreaking "accidents"
Barks too much
Won't let go of things
Steals food when you turn your back
Jumps on people
Chews on your hands
Constantly seeks attention
Guards his food or toys
Pulls on the leash
Aggressive toward people or other dogs
Struggles when you try to restrain him
Chases the cat
Chews on the furniture or your belongings
Did I mention housebreaking "accidents"?

Solving dog behavior problems by telling your dog No

The "magic word" for virtually all dog behavior problems is "No." But what you do AFTER you say "No" is the true solution for stopping dog behavior problems. Do you know what to do next?

"How can I stop my dog from....?"

One of the most common questions dog owners ask me is: "How can I stop my dog from (doing some specific behavior problem)?"

Alas, my answer is almost always the same, no matter what the misbehavior is. Here it is (free of charge):

You need to tell your dog, "No. Stop that."

Does that sound too simplistic? It probably does, because most owners respond in a frustrated voice, "But I already tell my dog No! He still doesn't listen!"

Fair enough. Here is what is going on. Either he really doesn't understand what No means (this is the truth in MANY cases), or else he understands it but doesn't see any reason why he should obey it.

There are two key points here, you see...your dog must understand the word (I can show you how to teach words properly) and then he must respect you enough to obey it. Because without respect, your dog may UNDERSTAND what you say, but he doesn't see any reason why he should DO what you say. (Unless you're bribing him with a cookie, which only works sometimes – usually NOT when you need it most.

Dog behavior problems solved in large and small dogs

No matter how large or how small, all dogs need to respect their owners. I teach my small dogs to respect me in the exact same ways I taught my German Shepherds.

Getting your dog to respect you means interacting with him in specific ways that encourage respect.

You might be thinking, "But I already know how to interact with my dog. I care for him and I love him.... it's easy."

Actually, it isn't so easy, because canines see and interpret the world differently than we do.

Whenever you do anything with your dog, even just walking through the kitchen, or petting him, or speaking to him.... he is busy judging your tone of voice, your facial expression, your body language, how you're touching him, how you're responding when he does "X" or "Y".

All of these seemingly little things are very, very important to your dog. They're the clues he uses to draw conclusions about you and to decide whether you're worthy of respect or not.

If you interact with your dog in certain ways that are WRONG for canines, he will conclude that even though he loves you, he doesn't need to obey you. And you will see behavior problems.
If you interact with your dog in all the alt ways, he will conclude that he not only loves you, but also that you're a capable leader worthy of respect. Then he will obey when you say, "No. Stop that." (assuming, of course, that you have taught him what it means so that he understands)

Respectful dogs don't misbehave. It is as simple as that.

Well, okay....ALMOST as simple as that. There are a few more things your dog needs in order to be well-behaved.

Dog behavior problems solved by exercise and active play

Dogs need enough exercise and active play sessions to tire them out. Some dogs need only moderate exercise, while others need LOTS to make them feel content. You must meet the needs of your particular dog.

Exercise, Activities, Companionship

Even respectful dogs will misbehave if they don't get enough exercise, interesting activities to do, and daily companionship.

Dogs are sociable creatures.

If you leave your dog home alone for 8 hours , he will feel bored and frustrated.
If you leave him outside for hours at a time, he will feel bored and frustrated.
If you don't provide enough exercise and activities, he will feel bored and frustrated.

Boredom and frustration are major causes of behavior problems in dogs.

Dogs vent boredom and frustration by destroying things.... digging holes.... rambunctiousness.... escaping.... barking...

Those "misbehaviors" cannot be solved by training. Your dog has every right to vent his boredom and frustration when his needs of Exercise and Companionship are not being met. You must meet those needs while ALSO teaching commands and a respectful attitude. That's how you raise a well-behaved and contented dog.

What you should do right now to prevent or stop behavior problems

You need to learn the right ways to interact with your dog – and the wrong ways too, so you don't do those!

You need to know how to teach the Magic Word ("No") to your dog and how to respond if he doesn't obey it.

That's how you stop behavior problems. With that one word.... plus respect... plus however much exercise and companionship it takes to keep your dog satisfied.

I can guide you with my complete training program, which is available free on my website. Scroll down to read it!

My best-selling books – now available FREE on my website

Learn more about how Purina and Zigzag are making a difference together

50+ Fun Puppy Training Games for Any Scenario

By Zigzag Puppy Expert, Petrina Firth

Fully Qualified COAPE Behaviourist and Registered Training Instructor with The Animal Behaviour and Training Council

Obedience/Recall Games

Why should i play recall dog training games.

One of the most joyful things is to have your dog running back to you with glee!

You don’t want it to be the opposite…and find yourself screaming after your dog at the park. It’s only a matter of time until you encounter a person that’s actually called Alfie, and replies to your screams with a loud ‘WHAT?!”

These recall dog training games will help you get the walks in the parks and thrilling games of fetch you’ve always dreamed of. It all comes down to teaching them to come back!

PRO TIP: If your recall is a little…err patchy, use a long recall line like this one , or start the games off indoors to keep your dog safe while you play.

Okay, okay! We know you’re ready to play, here we go!

Chase Recall

Where: Outdoor

Purpose: Obedience/Recall

Suitable for: Puppies (<1 year) / Dogs (1 – 6 years) / Older Dogs (>6 years)

Game description::

Up the level of your recall, and play chase with your dog. Dogs are naturally excited when they see fast movement, and it’s even better when it involves us – so let’s have them running towards us full of joy!

How to play:

Have your treat pouch stuffed some super yummy treats
Say ‘come’ in a nice happy voice, and take a few step backwards
Repeat 5 times
Start running back further so your puppy has to cover more distance to get to you each time
Repeat this 5 times
As you’re running backwards, turn your back on your dog and keep on running (forwards though…don’t start running backwards towards your dog. You’ll look awks).
Don’t forget to reward when they get to you!
Now, try adding a ‘sit’ at the end of the recall – it’ll help stop your dog playing ‘keep away’ and it looks flashy!

Make the game even more fun: Try adding a ‘wait’ cue so you can get further away before you call your dog.

Problems you might run into: Tripping – no not like the Summer of Love, . make sure the area is clear so you don’t run into people!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Hide and Seek

Play Tennis with Your Puppy

You are gonna have a ball with this one (pun intended). Playing tennis with your dog doesn’t mean they’ll literally whack a tennis ball with a racket – it will be more of them embracing the role of the ball, and them running between you and a friend. The point is to teach them to respond to everyone; strengthening their recall in the end. Plus, they get lots of yummy treats, can’t get any more fun than that!

How to play:

Give treats to each of your friends or family members and spread out in a triangle/square
Have one person call your puppy.
When your puppy gets to them, they’ll need rewarding.
Then, the next person calls them and rewards them when they get to them.
There you have it – a puppy ping ponging between people for treats!
Slowly spread out so your puppy has to run further for goodies.

Make the game even more fun: Make the recalls unpredictable so your puppy doesn’t always know who or when they will be called next.

Problems you might run into: If your dog is going too fast towards people, they can make them sit at the end to slow things down.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Try the same game with toys as a reward…see how they like the change.

The Name-Game

Where: Indoor/Outdoor

Game description:

Teaching your dog their name is probably the most important thing you’ll have to do…so why not have fun with it?When you call your dog’s name you want a quick fast head turn from them – we call it a switch back in dog training. Kind of like you do when an ice cream van starts playing their tune.

This dog training game is also great for getting some excess energy off dogs and puppies when the weather is terrible. In the UK, we all know this is kind of standard.

Load your treat pouch up with yummy treats.
Throw a treat on the floor to take your dog away from you.
Just as they’ve finished their treat, say their name in a clear happy voice.
When they turn to look at you, say ‘good’ and then throw a treat the opposite way.
Keep repeating this by throwing the treat across your body the opposite way.

Make the game even more fun – Start throwing the treat in unpredictable ways – toss it over your shoulder, bowl it down the hallway, chuck it between your legs…the possibilities are endless.

Problems you might run into: If you’re playing outside, distractions may make it difficult to play, so practice this game inside first.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Hand Target.

Hide and Seek puppy training game

Suitable for Puppies (<1 year) / Dogs (1 – 6 years) / Older Dogs (>6 years)

Game description:

This is a great game to play with children, and is fantastic for working on your dog’s searching skills (good practice for when you want them to find your keys for you). Your dog will love to search for you (and your keys someday); especially when they know they’ll get a great reward. Start off indoors and nice and easy before moving outside so your dog has a good hang of the game.

Load everyone up with some yummy treats – you’ll probably want to call some friends for this game.
Hold your puppy in the room while someone disappears just outside.
Have them call your puppy and reward them when they find them – clever dog!
Now, get them to hide in the next room and call them.
Hide further and further away all around the house.
Now, outside try hiding behind trees or bushes. Did they find you? Yay!

Make the game even more fun: Switch out the treats for a toy and see if your puppy still wants to play when they get to the other person.

Problems you might run into: Don’t make it too difficult too early on as your dog might lose interest if they can’t find the person. Remember when they forgot about you when you played hide and seek in primary school? Wouldn’t want to relive that.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Try find the toy game

‘Hand Target’ training games for dogs

Teaching your dog to hand target is great for building a very visual recall – it’s also useful for teaching them tricks, which we know you’re very excited about getting into. Dogs enjoy this game because it doesn’t have to mean ‘I recall and the lead goes on’ it can just mean come and touch my hand for a treat.

You’ll just need a treat pouch loaded up with yummy treats
Hold your hand out to the side of your dog’s muzzle.
They will likely go to sniff your hand – good, this is what you want.
Say your marker word ‘good’, and give them a treat.
Hold your hand out again – the first time can be a fluke, so be patient and try to hold it there.
When they touch it mark it ‘good’ and give them a treat.
Now, bring your hand down a little bit further away and wait for them to touch it.
Did they do it? Great! Mark it ‘good’, and then give them a treat.
Gradually take your hand a little further away on each repetition.
Your puppy should start really shoving that hand once they understand the game. Excellent.

Make the game even more fun: Try getting them to target your hand through your legs. The wonkier you look, the better.

Problems you might run into: Don’t make it too hard – your dog can lose interest if we make games too hard too soon.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Trick training

Best Dog in the World Recall dog training game

Each one of us has the best dog in the world, right? Well, this game lets our dogs know that. For the millionth time – since you probably tell them every day already.

Take your dog’s favorite toy in your pocket.
Call your dog.
When they come to you, get down on the floor telling them they are the best dog in the world, kissing, cuddling, stroking them (if they’re into that) and playing with their toy for a full three minutes.

Make the game even more fun: Play for longer, of course! Your dog will LOVE all of the attention they are getting from you. Who wouldn’t?

Problems you might run into: Every dog in the neighborhood might come running to you when they hear what a brilliant owner you are. Expect dirty looks from jealous owners around the area.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: More recall games with them

Obedience/Lead walking Games

Why should i play lead walking games with my puppy or dog.

Too often, we try to teach lead walking out in the real world straight from the off. With so many distractions fluttering all over the place, we forget that we actually set our dogs up to fail because they’ve simply got too many things going on. But playing lead walking dog training games will keep them on their toes, while staying rather educational about how to walk nicely beside you. It’s also quite fun!

Join The Dots puppy training game

Where: Outdoor

Purpose: Obedience/Lead walking

We can’t stress enough how important it is to train our dogs to walk nicely on the lead. This puppy training game works great when you have a visual marker to walk towards. For this game, it also means that you’ll remember to reward your dog extra times.

Set out visual markers. These can be cones, football markers, cardboard boxes or even jumpers in a straight line. Have them about 2 paces apart.
Walk to the first cone, and reward your dog with a ‘good’. Then stop to treat them at the cone.
Now, onto the next one and say ‘good’ as you’re walking. Then, stop and treat at the cone.
Now, go back down the line the other way, stopping to reward at every cone. Do you see the point of the exercise?
Has your dog done well? Start to spread the markers out a little so that you have further between the markers – it will make your dog learn to walk a larger distance for one treat.

Make the game more fun: Turn the cones from a line into a square or a Zigzag (wink, wink) so that you’re changing your direction in unpredictable ways. Funny how spontaneity entertains us.

Problems you might run into Spread the cones out slowly so we can raise the difficulty slowly

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Playing the Drunk Walking Game

My Little Shadow game to play with puppies

Where: Indoors/Outdoors – yard at first

Purpose: Obedience/Lead walking Obedience/Recall

This puppy training game will make your dog obsessed about being with you (we all secretly want this). Essentially, we’ll get your dog to look at you all the time as if you were their knight in shining armour. Or a bag of chicken liver treats. But the reason why you’ll want this in particular is to finally achieve a nice lead walking pace, and for a good recall.

Start with your dog on lead and just walk forwards.
If your dog stays with you, give them some verbal praise and reward them.
If they get ahead of you, turn 180 degrees away from them and pop the treat on the floor.
As they’re eating the treat, keep walking forwards and then reward them when they catch up to you.

Make the game even more fun: Go forwards, backwards and sideways to make the game even more fun. Try it over obstacles and around trees; your dog should be just like your little shadow!

Problems you might run into: Distractions in the environment are quite annoying and can make playing the game quite hard. Start off at home where they can focus easily first!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Why not try a Rally Obedience class and put that heelwork to good use?

Figure of 8 puppy training game

Where: Outdoor – yard at first

Figure of 8 lead walking is a brilliant dog training game. It’s actually quite a calming game, so perfect for dogs who get hyped up on a walk. It can lower arousal while increasing focus and engagement on you as your dog gets ‘into the zone’ of walking around slowly and being with you.

You’ll need a couple of cones and a treat pouch with some yummy treats
Pop the cones out 2 meters apart
Walk very slowly with your dog to the next cone – reward as you’re walking.
Walk around the back of the cone with your dog, and then walk slowly to the next one.
Walk around the back and go the opposite way. Can you see you’re walking in an 8 figure around the cones?

Make the game even more fun: Once your dog has got the hang of this at home, you can up the level by moving it outside where all the distractions live.

Problems you might run into: Remember that your puppy thinks of fast things as exciting, so go really slowly with the walking to help them enter the ‘zen zone’.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To try a Rally Obedience class

Drunk Walking Game

Drunk walking? Yes, you head right. But we don’t mean that you’ll be walking your dog after a few pints. This game will just teach your puppy to focus on you wherever you are, and however unpredictable you are being.

Load your treat pouch up with yummy treats, and have your dog on a harness and lead.
Walk no more than 4 steps in one direction.
Your dog will follow, so you can mark it with ‘good’ and then reward them.
Now do 4 steps in the opposite direction.
Say ‘good’, and reward your dog for following.
Now do 4 steps in the other way at a slightly quicker pace. Ooh, getting exciting.
Is your dog following? Good dog!
Keep going 3 or 4 steps before rewarding. Then switch to 2 steps one way, and 3 steps another before you reward your dog. We do wonder if this is what you walk like on the way home from the pub…
Ultimately, we’re looking for the lead to remain slack while your dog keeps following and stays engaged with you no matter how weird you’re walking.

Make the game even more fun Once your dog has mastered the loose lead part, wait until they’ve given you eye contact before you mark and reward.

Problems you might run into: Do this in a low distraction environment first such as your yard or a quiet corner of the park so that your dog can focus on you, rather than Daisy, the neighborhood Poodle.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To try it drunk? Just kidding, any of the other lead walking games will make your dog happy.

Brain Training Games

Why should i play brain training games with my dog .

Well, simply because they’re their favorite. They love them actually. Obsessed.

Nowadays, dogs live in places where they were never designed to live, and living lives they weren’t really genetically programd to enjoy. They live with us, on sofas, inside houses and cities – a far cry from being out hunting, shepherding, ratting or protecting. Therefore, we need to stretch and scratch their brains by giving them other activities to do to compensate for this strange life they’ve got to come to terms with.

Digging Pit dog training game

Where: Outside

Purpose: Brain Training/Enrichment Games

Dogs love to dig, so this game really does bring fun and games to dog training. They love getting their paws in the mud and scratching the earth away. By giving them a special place to do so, you can save your flower beds!

You’ll need a child’s sandpit or make your own digging pit as shown here
Bury some toys or treats just under the first layer of soil, and help your dog to discover them the first time.
By the second time round, they’ll probably get it perfectly and won’t need much help. They’ll absolutely love this game!

Make the game even more fun Hide the treats and toys when your dog isn’t there and then run over to the digging pit and let them dig them up

Problems you might run into Your dog might get quite dirty – but that’s nothing doggy shampoo can’t fix. If you’re worried about the mess or don’t have access to a yard, try our foraging pit or swap out the soil for balls to make a ball pit out of it! Have fun trying to pull your kids from them too.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To take them to a beach! It’s the ultimate digging pit to play this game, really.

Foraging Box game to play with puppies

Where: Indoors

Building a foraging box will bring them back to the old days; back to the historical way of eating by foraging for food. It makes meal times last longer, will make them less bloated, and is a great way of getting them to problem solve.

You will need a large box, some of your dog’s kibble and some scrunched up newspaper or packing materials.
Scrunch the paper into balls and pop it into the box
Sprinkle your dog’s kibble in, and then let them dive in – they likely won’t need much help with this…their instincts will kick in for sure.

Make the game even more fun: Size matters – make the box bigger! And add high value treats; they won’t be able to look away.

Problems you might run into: Don’t let your dog eat the packaging, so keep an eye on that

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Try our scatter feeding game…it’ll be a good one.

The Muffin Tin Game

The muffin tin game is a cheap and easy enrichment game to play with your dog. It’s loved by dogs of all ages, and works great to improve their problem-solving skills; sadly, not their muffin baking skills.

Grab a 6-hole muffin tin, 6 tennis balls and some yummy treats.

Place a treat or two in each muffin hole, and then add a tennis ball on top.

Hand it over to your dog, and watch them pull the tennis balls out to eat the treats underneath!

To increase the difficulty, turn it into a bit of Russian Roulette…only put treats in two or three holes but still cover them all with the tennis balls.

Make the game even more fun: Try different objects instead of tennis balls – you can use empty yogurt pots or some of your dog’s small toys.

Problems you might run into: If you have a ball obsessed dog they might just want the ball, which is completely fine, balls are fun (not in a naughty way). Next time, have fun and switch up the objects.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To play some scent work games

Which Hand?

Purpose: Brain Training Enrichment

Abracadabra. In this puppy training game, you get to pretend you’re a magician and have your dog find the (disappearing) treat!

Sit on the floor with your dog in front of you.
Let your dog see you place a treat in one of your hands and close your fist.
Hold both fists out – one with the treat in and one that’s empty – just like a magician.
Give them a cue like ‘which hand?’, and your dog may nose or paw at one of your hands.
Open the hand they choose, and if it’s the one with a treat inside, hand it over with lots of verbal praise. Smart doggy!
If they get it wrong, show them the empty hand (they might have sad puppy eyes, sorry) and ask them to pick again. They’ll get it next time for sure.

Make the game even more fun: As time goes on, they’ll work more on sniffing out the treat rather than seeing you place it in your hand. They’ll love getting it right each time!

Problems you might run into Puppies might be a little bitey for this one…watch out for their little razors!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: The Cups Game!

The Cups Game

Your dog will use their brain (rather than their nose) to find treats. It’s a great indoor dog training game – also good for recycling!

Start off with three cups that look different to each other – empty yogurt pots are great for this.
Line the three pots up in a row
Let your dog see you pop a treat under one of them.
Then give them a release cue, and let them choose a cup.
If they choose the right one, tell them they’ve done a ‘good job’ and let them gobble down the treat.
If they get it wrong, show them the empty cup and then the cup with the treat under. Ask them to try again – hope they get it right!

Make the game even more fun : Once your dog’s got the idea, start moving the cups around so that they have to follow the cup to find the treat. Try it with three cups the same to challenge them further

Problems you might run into: Your dog might get a bit carried away with this game, so you might need to teach them a wait cue if they struggle with the waiting. We’re sure they’re not a sore loser, but we understand how games can bring out the worst in us competitive types.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: The ‘Which Hand?’ game, or more of the scent work games.

Where: Indoor

Purpose: Brain Training /Feeding

This classic puppy training game is a great one for those inquisitive pups. Puzzle feeders are a great way to keep your puppy entertained. It just so happens that the empty plastic pop bottles you have in your house make great DIY puzzle feeders.

Grab an empty plastic pop bottle (take the lid off so your dog doesn’t eat the lid) and make some holes in the bottle, big enough to let treats fall out.
Pop some treats and some of your puppy’s kibble inside. A good mix of all kinds of yums.
Hand to your puppy and watch them go crazy.

Make the game even more fun: To make the game more challenging, reduce the number of holes you make when you use a new bottle.

Problems you might run into: It’s definitely one of the noisier games. Pop bottles are surprisingly loud for being so…inanimate. Don’t let your puppy eat the plastic too!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Try making this pop bottle enrichment toy!

Hol-ee Ball Food Toy

Purpose: Brain Games

For dogs who love to shred or tear toys apart, this dog training game can provide them with a safe outlet to this very normal doggy behavior without ripping your wallet apart! We know it can be costly to support your dog’s toy dissecting hobbies.

Grab yourself a Hol-ee roller ball – they come in different sizes so pick the one suitable for your dog’s bite.

Cut some old blankets or fleece jumpers into strips.

Roll some treats inside the strip, and feed them through the holes in the ball. Hand it over to your puppy, and watch them go bonkers.

Make the game even more fun: Stick some extra treats inside. Dehydrated meat strips are absolutely delicious for them!

Problems you might run into: If you have a dog who is likely to rip the toy to shreds rather than go for the treats, simply use the fleece strips without food in. Some just like the taste of fabric better, I guess.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: A foraging box

Build a Puppy Adventure Box

Suitable for: Puppies (<1 year)

Your puppy will definitely appreciate this puppy training game, in which you build them an adventure box. Adventure boxes bring early stimulation for puppies and teach them to be confident around odd-looking objects. They’re a huge success among puppies because they find objects moving in unpredictable ways fascinating. Here’s a great link to show you how to build a good one. Your neighbors won’t be able to compete with you.

You will need something to make a rectangular box frame – plastic piping or wood works well for this. Drill holes 2 inches apart on the frames at top and bottom and thread plastic string between the holes.

Once you have made the frame and hung the string up, you’ll want to hang things off it. They’re kind of like baby gyms – the things babies who can’t walk yet like to play with when lying down.

This can be anything you like such as

· Lengths of cut up hose pipe

· Toilet roll inners (not actual toilet roll…you’ll never see the end of the mess)

· Plastic cups or empty tins

Good! Now give it to your puppy to investigate and explore.

Make the game even more fun: Noisy items can make your puppy have a startle response, which although sounding scary to begin with can actually make them grow with confidence. Hanging small bells on the box is a good idea to help them build up to that terrible tinny sound!

Problems you might run into Puppies like to get into EVERYTHING so make sure the objects are safe and don’t have sharp edges.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To build a Foraging Box or a Puppy Exploration Course.

Puppy Exploration Course

Exploration courses are great to help your puppy build confidence. Gather various safe objects and surfaces; from bath mats, AstroTurf, to planks, a step, a large ball (beach ball or small Pilates balls work well for this), a metal bowl or a metal saucepan. You can already tell this one’s gonna be a noisy game, can’t you?

Lay out the items on the floor
Place some treats inside the saucepan, and lightly half put the lid on so your puppy can investigate it.
Use things that will fall over easily, like empty water bottles or plant pots. Doing this adds movement and novelty so changes the experience for your puppy – surprise! Don’t worry it won’t traumatize them!
Hide treats and toys underneath or on top of objects throughout the course so that your puppy has fun discovering them.
As long as your puppy is having fun, we’re sure you’ll find yourself quite entertained as you watch them too.

Make the game even more fun: Use something slippery once they start getting the hang of it. A tray shallow filled with water next time you play is a good one – but maybe do that outside as this WILL turn into a circus.

Problems you might run into: Don’t force your puppy to have fun…if they fall off something or it makes a loud noise, see if they recover from it well and toss some extra treats their way.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Some scent games

‘ What’s Under My Feet?’ puppy training game

This game to play with puppies is also good to give your puppy confidence. By walking on different surfaces, your puppy will start to enjoy exploring and feeling the items under their feet…as funky as they might feel.

Gather some surfaces such as

· A tray with a small layer of water in

· A piece of AstroTurf

· A carpet tile

· A large piece of tin foil or something crinkly like packing paper

Pop the surfaces out safely on the floor.

Allow your puppy to investigate the surfaces. Giving them random treats will teach them that the surfaces aren’t scary, they just feel different!

Let them walk, sniff or pick them up if they like. It’s all part of the investigative process.

Do this for around 15 minutes so your puppy can go back and forth as they like.

Make the game even more fun: Pop in some temperature changes to keep it spicy. Think about a hot water bottle or an ice pack under a blanket to get them ready for the change of weather in the winter and summer!

Problems you might run into: Let them go at their own speed! This is the key to helping them feel confident to stick their feet anywhere. Almost anywhere.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Making a uppy Exploration Course.

Meet the Vacuum Cleaner puppy training game

Ooh, the vacuum cleaner can be quite a daunting character for puppies. Their big noses and loud sounds can seem quite scary at first, but all they do is suck air inside. We know it can look quite entertaining when puppies chase them away, but what we really want to do is make your puppy feel like there’s no need to chase it, simply because it’s not dangerous.

Bring the vacuum cleaner in when your puppy is out of the room – keep it unplugged for now.
Bring your puppy back into the room. If your puppy investigates the vacuum let them. If they just ignore it, that’s quite fine too.
Once they have finished inspecting it, get their attention and give them a treat by dropping it on the floor.
Do this all around the room so that your puppy gets used to paying attention to you when the dreaded vacuum cleaner is around.
After 10 repetitions, push the vacuum cleaner out of the room and put it away so that your puppy can see that it moves. Well, you’re moving it, but just so they know it can be present in other places.

Make the game even more fun: Try this for a few days first, and then try the same exercise leaving the vacuum running in the corner. Don’t forget to treat your puppy while it’s running too!

Problems you might run into: If your puppy starts to chew it or try to play with it, use a treat to get their focus back onto you. You may already know by now that food makes a uppy’s world go round.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To read more about Puppy Socialization here.

The Box puppy training game

This game to play with puppies encourages your puppy to explore a box, but also learn that their actions can have good consequences. It’s a great game to have them work out what gets them rewards, which helps them feel more confident and self-assured.

How to play: Have your treat pouch loaded up with treats, and a low sided box.

PRO TIP: You’ll need to either use a clicker or a word marker such as ‘good’ when playing this game so we can mark and treat the exact moment our puppy does what we want them to.

Place the box between you and your puppy.

As your puppy walks towards the box, click (or marker word ‘good’) and reward with a treat.

If they touch the box with their nose or paw – it’s worthy of a click and treat.

If they stand in the box, fantastic! A click and treat is in order.

Make the game even more fun: Turn the box on its side the next time to give them variety.

Problems you might run into: Don’t try and train anything just yet, that will come later. Just remember to reward your puppy for interacting with the unfamiliar, boxy object in front of them.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To build A Puppy Exploration Course, or try trick training with a clicker.

101 Things to Do with a Box

101 things…really? Yep. Bet we could name more. But this game encourages your dog to do new things and use their brain! It’s a great one to teach dogs who need a bit more of a confidence boost to go and try doing different things.

Load up your treat pouch with yummy treats and have a clicker or your marker word (‘good’) ready. You’ll also need to take a box and cut the sides down to about 8 cm tall.
First, pop the box on the floor. As soon as your dog so much as looks at the box click (or mark it with ‘good’) and treat throwing it near or inside the box.
If your dog walks towards the box to collect the treat, give them another click and throw the treat towards the box again.

PRO TIP: This way, your dog is learning that any movement towards the box means that they’ll keep getting rewarded. Ah, sounds like the best box in the world!

Keep on doing this – maybe your dog has got inside the box now to collect their treats. Wow, the mission is pretty much accomplished!

Do this for about 5 minutes, and then end the session with a click and a jackpot of treats on the floor for your dog to devour while taking the box away.

Make the game even more fun: In the next few sessions, you can start to shape behaviors by only clicking and treating behaviors that you want to see. For example, only treating them when they get inside the box if that’s your goal.

Problems you might run into: If your dog is worried about the box at first, that’s ok. Just keep the session short and sweet. They’ll learn that the box is not a trap eventually! After two or three sessions, they’ll start to feel more confident about the whole thing.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To try teaching some tricks with a clicker.

Feeding dog training games

Like us, mealtimes are often the highlight of a puppy’s day. Some dogs are so excited about gobbling down their food that they start swimming in their own bowls of kibble!

Puzzle toys can make mealtimes even more interesting, while helping to slow down those hectic moments, and reduce the chance of bloating. Studies show that some dogs actually prefer eating out of puzzle toys rather than just straight from a bowl. We say no to farts today. Besides for mealtimes more of a blast, puzzle feeders also help exercise your dog’s brain!

Here are a couple of good games to play with puppies to get them extra happy for their food times.

Scatter Feeding

Where: Indoors/Outdoors

Purpose: Feeding Games

Scatter feeding slows down meal times, and gets your dog using their nose – their most powerful sense. It also helps stimulate them mentally by encouraging them to hunt to find the food, rather than handing it to them on a silver platter. Or rather a steel dog bowl.

Grab your dog’s kibble
If playing indoors, use a knobbly bath mat or make your own enrichment mat like this one here
If playing outdoors, a patch of grass is ace.
Scatter the food out into the mat or into the grass, and let your dog find their meal by sniffing about.

Make the game even more fun: Scatter the food when your dog isn’t with you…nobody likes a cheater!

Problems you might run into: Make sure the area is safe for your dog to snuffle in. Wouldn’t want any nasty things stuck up their nose.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Why not try making A Foraging Box.

Toilet Roll Finds

This puppy training game is great to encourage problem solving. By scratching out whatever is stuck between the rolls, your puppy will have the chance to destroy things, as many dogs naturally love to do. We’d rather they rip these apart, rather than your nice pair of Hunter boots. This is also a great way to find another use for toilet roll thingies.

Get a toilet roll core and scrunch up one end completely so that it’s sealed.
Pour some kibble or treats in the other end, and then scrunch that up closed so that it looks like a box.
Hand it over to your puppy, and watch them tear, pull them apart, and throw them up in the air to get the food out. It;s quite fun to watch, to be fair.

PRO TIP: You can also use kitchen towel inner rolls if you want a longer tube. Maybe size matters here too.

Make the game even more fun: Seal up both ends and poke some holes in the tube so it turns into more of a treat rolling game.

Problems you might run into: Make sure to keep an eye on your puppy, we don’t want them eating cardboard.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: A game of Cardboard Box Treasure Hunt.

Cardboard Box Treasure Hunt

This is a great game to play with puppies. Dogs love sniffing out their food, so this game will be perfect to get their brains and senses activated as much as possible. It can also give your puppy confidence around boxes (boxes seem to be quite a scary thing for puppies) by teaching them how to navigate around them.

Have a number of cardboard boxes of different sizes: shoe boxes, cereal boxes and larger mail order boxes are good examples.
Place the boxes on their side, upside down, as well as inside one another.
With your dog out of the room, place treats or pieces of kibble inside the boxes and watch them explore away.

Make the game even more fun: The more the merrier – increase the number of boxes to get your dog searching a wider area.

Problems you might run into: Make sure it’s safe, and that they don’t spook themselves if they end up climbing on a box that falls over!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Scent work games – those that get their noses going.

Ice Cube Tray Enrichment puppy training game

Purpose: Feeding

On hot days, there is little that can beat licking through an ice cube to get treats out. You lick ice cream, they lick ice cubes.

Get a silicone ice cube mould – the larger ice cube sized moulds work especially well for this.

Grab some yummy things to put inside the mould. These might be pieces of:

· Meat

· Vegetable

· Dried fish skin

· Tuna

Pop the food inside the mould, and then top with water and freeze. Freeze them up, and give to your dog on a hot day! What a treat.

PRO TIP: This exercise is much better to do outside…we’re pretty sure a puddle of tuna water isn’t on your list of nice surprises to have indoors.

Make the game even more fun: Instead of using water to freeze, you could try freezing some bone broth. You’ll find 4 recipes here

Problems you might run into: Not much, just make sure to play this game outside.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Some of our other food enrichment games.

Where’s my dinner?

Do you always feed your dog in the same place? Let’s keep it exciting. Move their dinner bowl somewhere and encourage them to seek out and find it. To them, it will feel like changing restaurants for the night. Eating times can be made extra fun with this exciting dog training game.

Pop your dog’s food in their bowl.
Instead of putting it in the usual spot pop it in the next room.
Ask your dog to ‘find your dinner’.
We guarantee it won’t take long…nothing gets in the way of dogs and their dinner. They’ll have fun while they’re at it too!

Make the game even more fun: Hide it further away each time so they have to use more of their search skills to find their meals.

Problems you might run into: If you have an anxious dog who worries about their food, maybe try another game. It wouldn’t be nice to have your dinner hidden from you against your liking.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Scent work or tracking with your dog.

Health and Fitness Dog Training Games

Why should i play health and fitness games with my dog .

Dogs need to stay fit, just like us – although it’s no secret that we struggle far more than they do. For dogs to be healthy, we need to make sure we give them the right kinds of exercise – both mental and physical.

Here’s some games that will help your dog stay fit, as well as some bonus training to look at. Don’t be afraid to play some of these yourself – we all know you need a bit of a push to get off your sofa sometimes.

Home Agility Jumps

Purpose: Health and Fitness Games

Dogs love to jump and do things cooperatively with their owner. They love you too! You can see this quite clearly in agility dogs. But you don’t have to go to a club to get some of this fitness into them – you can do some basic training at home and build your own obstacle course. You could go the whole hog and build your own as shown here , or simply use things you have lying around the house like piles of books and a broomstick.

Set up a couple of books into two piles and pop broom handles between them to make a jump.
Throw a toy or a treat over the jump and see if your puppy will go over. If they do, woah that’s definitely worth a good reward.

Make the game even more fun: If you have enough materials and space, do a few jumps in a row. Squeeze some training in there and teach your dog to wait until you call them at the other side of the jump.

Problems you might run into: Puppies should jump at low levels at the moment as they’re still growing and don’t want to mess up their joints. Make sure everything is safe and that nothing falls on your dog!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To build your own home agility course . You can also teach your dog to do a solid wait in the ZigZag puppy training app.

Quick Sits puppy training game

This is a great game to play with puppies. It helps them respond quickly to cues, and is very easy to get the hang of!

Load up your treat pouch with treats
Ask your puppy to sit.
Did they sit? Good job. Mark it with ‘good’, and then toss the treat away from you so they have to run to get it.
As soon as they turn to look at you for the next treat, ask them to sit.
When they do, mark it as ‘good’ and then throw the treat further away.
Keep repeating the quick sits game, throwing the treat further away each time

Make the game even more fun: Does your dog know ‘down’ yet? Do quick downs instead or alternate between sit and down to keep it exciting.

Problems you might run into: Nothing much, except that your dog might become even more obsessed with you!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To try some obedience games.

Dog/Puppy Parkour Two Feet On

Dog Parkour is a fab activity. In this dog training game, the goal is to teach them to put their two front feet of an object. It teaches them valuable body awareness skills, and does wonders for their general conditioning and fitness. It’s also great fun for them, and easy to do at home. Since you and the environment will be interacting with them quite a lot, it makes walkies twice as much fun too.

Load your treat pouch with treats and have a small step or sturdy wooden/plastic crate set up on non-slip flooring – yoga mats are ideal.
Pop some food on your dog’s nose and lure them so their front paws are up on the object.
Say your marker word ‘good’ and keep rewarding them for being up on the object.
Say your release cue ‘go’ or ‘free’ and throw a treat away from the object so your dog gets down to collect it.
Repeat this x 5
Now, lure your dog up onto the object but don’t reward just yet.
Take your hand away and say your marker word ‘good’, and then reward them. Repeat this about 5 times.
Now try the same movement without food in your hand to get your dog to put their paws up – did your dog do it? Amazing! Still mark it ‘good’ and then reward.
After you release them off the object, say the verbal cue ‘paws up’, ‘2 on’ or whichever you prefer about two seconds before you give the hand signal.
They did it? Wonderful! You’ve taught them a great trick!

Make the game even more fun: Once they’ve mastered this indoors, you can take it outside. Use interesting objects you find such as logs and fallen trees…like the real Parkour professionals.

Problems you might run into As always, safety first! Slippery objects early on can make a dog lose their confidence and may not want to play anymore. Let’s stick to non-slippery surfaces – grass will often work well as a sturdy flooring to work on.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: The ‘spread ‘em’ trick (we know…questionable name) or teach them to ‘Paws up’ on your arm.

Spin and Twist dog training game

Spin and twist is a great trick – makes you feel like a magician! It’s also a great exercise for their mobility as it keeps them agile and nimble. Plus, with the amount of treats they’ll be eating, they’ll love being a winner every time!

Load up your treat pouch with soft yummy treats.
Have your dog in a standing position (on all fours…not standing like a human).
Pop a treat on their nose and lure their nose round towards their tail.
They should follow the treat and spin around. When they do, say ‘good’ and give them the treat.
Keep drawing your dog around with food until they are confidently following your hand.
Now, try it without food in your hand. When they spin, still mark it ‘good’ and reward with a treat.
After you’ve repeated this several times, make the hand gesture a bit smaller and more of a hand signal. Like you’re waving a magician’s wand.

Make the game even more fun: Try teaching them to spin the other way too! Some dogs prefer to spin to the left while others to the right – but let’s try to get them doing both. It’s a good challenge!

Problems you might run into: Keep your hand movement looking horizontal; if you spiral up, your dog will sit at the end – don’t want that.

If your dog likes this, you might also like:. Trick Training! Turn your dog into the star they were born to be.

Chasing Bubbles puppy training games

Where: Outdoors

Most dogs love to catch bubbles… especially when they’re made with gravy! Yes, gravy. Trust us, this is a fantastically interactive game to play with puppies.

Make some dog safe bubble solution like they show here .
Blow one or two bubbles at a time, and encourage your dog to chase them.

Make the game even more fun: Grab a kids’ giant bubble set to trap them in a huge gravy bubble. It’ll be like a dream come true! Or you can attack them with endless gravy bubbles with an electric dog bubble maker here too.

Problems you might run into: Make sure you wipe your dog’s face when you finish playing the game so that the bubble mixture doesn’t irritate them. Also, please use the dog safe bubble solution – not regular bubble recipes.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To play Chase Recall.

Vet/Health Dog Training Games

Why should you play vet games with your dog .

We all want our dogs to stay healthy and well until the end of time. Besides your love and care, you’ll also need some help from the Vet to make sure your pup stays strong and happy. We know how scary going to the Vets’ can be for your puppy…those needles never really end up being terribly well-liked.

But in all honesty though, Vets really can be superheroes, and are nothing to be frightened about. Playing Vet dog training games can truly help puppies overcome their skepticism; making getting handled and health check-ups much easier and enjoyable for everyone.

Happy days.

The Vet dog training game

Purpose: Health and Vet Games

Dogs and puppies get seen by the vet on a raised table, have you seen them before? This is a fun dog training game to teach your dog that being handled and staying on a high surface is nice, and that it doesn’t come even close to being Frankenstein’s table.

Have a suitable table with a non-slip surface covering on it – a yoga mat, a piece of rubber or a vet bed like this works well.
Pop your dog up on the table and feed them treats for just being up there – what a brave dog!
Now, pick up a paw and give them a treat
Next, their ears and give them a treat. Then their eyes, and so on.
Check every part of your dog’s body, just like the vet would.

Make the game even more fun: A child’s stethoscope can be a fun addition so your dog gets used to someone listening to their heart.

Problems you might run into: Some dogs might take more time to adjust to the high table – that’s okay! Just reward them extra so they have a better time at making peace with it.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: A Doggy Massage – who wouldn’t?

Doggy Massage

Who doesn’t love a nice rub? Most dogs are no different and will be delighted in getting some good rubs or a massage. Massages – whether for dogs or humans – can lower stress and anxiety, are great for increasing circulation, and generally strengthen the bond between the two of you.

Have a comfortable mat or blanket on the floor for your dog to lie on – take their harness and collar off so you’re able to get in there properly.

Pick a quiet time of day when your dog feels relaxed. Doing this after a walk is often a good idea as your dog will generally be calmer.

Stroke the area you want to massage first.

Go for long, slow strokes – this will help to relax them, fast strokes tend to make them jump in excitement.

PRO TIP: For dog massage, you want to move your hands slowly around their body with apartment hands, making sweeping motions. Taking care not to press on bones or joints!

Pay attention to their body language . If there is a sensitive area, they’re not big fans of you touching, better stay away from those.

PRO TIP : Dogs quite enjoy getting massages on the base of the skull and tail, and the little wells in their chest. Circular motions are a winner too.

By the way, no means no in doggy language too. If they get up and walk off, let them. They’re just choosing not to have a massage at the moment, but might feel like it later.

Make the game even more fun: – Why not try a lavender candle or some calming music? Looks like you’ll have to open a spa if your dog spreads the word about you.

Problems you might run into. Not all dogs enjoy massages. Some are very sensitive to touch or can be a little hand shy, so just go slowly at first.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Yes, professional dog massages are a thing. Give them a special treat and book them in for a massage with a member of The k9 Massage Guild !

Pretend Ear and Eye Drops puppy training game

It’s quite common for dogs to have to deal with something related to their ears or eyes at some point – especially those who like going swimming in murky water. Teaching your puppy to feel at ease with drops is hence very important; you never really know when you might need to pull out the bottle, so it’s best to get some good practice runs in to avoid them escaping in fright.

Load your treat pouch up with soft yummy treats and sit on the floor
Have the bottle behind your back at first, and bring it out to show it to your dog.
Give them a treat, and repeat this about 10 times.
Now, bring it a little closer to your dog, and treat him again.
In fact, treat your dog every time you bring the bottle out in view.
Now you’re going to repeat the following exercises about ten times each. The goal is to have them get used to the bottle touching all parts of their body. Lightly make the bottle touch:
Your dog’s side
The area near their head
Try lifting an ear and check it (without the bottle first, and then with it).
Remember to treat them each time!

Make the game even more fun: You can do the mighty peanut butter trick. Spread some peanut butter on the floor and have them lick it once they’re no longer scared of the bottle, and continue to touch them with the bottle.

Problems you might run into: This game should be taken slowly and played in sessions over several days so your dog starts feeling happy when they see the bottle rather than wanting to run away.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To try the same game with eye drops.

This is a great game to play with puppies as well as a great dog training game. Dogs like their stinky selves so much that it can make (the much needed) bath time feel like mission impossible. Here’s how to get them loving the bubbles and foamy rubs so much that they want to stay in the bath…and not spring away leaving your house looking like it’s been taken over by a bath bomb. Literally.

There are two parts to this game. But for both, you’ll need your mighty treat pouch loaded with soft yummy treats and a non-slip mat in the bottom of the bath – you don’t want a puppy worried that they might slip.

Pop your puppy in the bath and just give them treats for being in there. Switch between feeding them in their mouth or popping treats on the floor to keep it engaging.

Now have the shower head in the bottom of the bath and switch it on so that it’s firing water away from your puppy.

Keep giving them treats from your hand and on the bath floor.

Good job! You can take a break now.

Pop your puppy into the bath and turn the shower head on firing away from them

Treat them for being in the bath with the shower head turned on.

Now comes the good part. Try soaking them with water while you still feed them treats – leave their head alone for now, that part’s still a bit of a funky one to touch.

Squeeze some shampoo on and massage it in nicely – they’ll probably enjoy this quite a lot. Your hands look like they’d do a good job.

Keep feeding them treats as you rinse them off, it’s gonna bring your bathing skills through the roof.

To finish, take them out of the bath wrapped up in a warm towel like a puppy burrito (great opportunity for a picture), and give them a lovely dry.

Make the game even more fun: You can also smear peanut butter onto the side of the bath as you’re shampooing and rinsing, or buy a stick on lickimat such as these to keep them busy and happy.

Problems you might run into: Washing your puppy’s head can be troublesome – I tend to use a flannel rather than the shower head to wipe all round their face to avoid getting water in their eyes. Nobody likes that!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: More vet and health-related games such as pretend ear or eye drops.

Take your Dog’s Pulse

For future vet visits, it’s always good to get them used to being handled in the way the Vet needs to in order to find their pulse. It’s always good to find that little bugger. This is a great dog training game to play with them, to make a stressful situation, more fun!

Download this first aid guide and have a look at the heart rate section (Or anything else that takes your fancy – no CPR on live dogs though please!)

Check what your dog’s pulse is by feeling their inner thigh – their pulse should be quite strong here so fairly easy for you to find.

Make sure you give your dog lots of treats for being such a good patient!

Make the game even more fun: See if you can find all the pulse points on your dog using the guide.

Problems you might run into: You’ll need to get your dog used to and liking handling before you try this, so have a go of The Vet Game before this one.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Trying bandaging your dog as outlined here.

Self-Control Dog Training Games

Why teach self-control dog training games.

We don’t need to get into how tricky self-control can be. Your relationship with Mini Cheddars says it all. It’s similar in the case of dogs; teaching them to control their impulses gives them an opportunity to think, and make the right choices by themselves rather than being dependent on us to tell them what to do all the time.

It’s Yer Choice! Self-control dog training game Part 1

Purpose: Self/Impulse Control Games

This game to play with puppies is a bit of a riddle. It will teach them ‘they get what they want by not trying to get what they want’. Makes sense? Well, as you can see, it’s a great exercise for problem solving and getting those little cogs turning in your puppy’s brain. Ultimately, it will be all about showing them everything about good doggy manners around food.

Start by having several treats in your hand with a closed fist.
Hold your hand down at your dog’s nose level so that they know the treats are in there.
As soon as they know you have a goodie hidden in there, they will likely sniff, paw, and lick to get the treat out.
You’ll have to ignore these interactions and hold your hand steady. Don’t fall for those puppy eyes!
As soon as they get bored and stop interacting with your hand, say ‘good’, take a treat with the opposite hand and reward them for being such a clever dog.
Repeat this 5 times until your puppy is deliberately staying away from the hand. Crazy how food works.
Now, hold out your hand and start to open it slowly. If your puppy dives in, calmly close your hand. If they stay back, good job! They can get a reward with the opposite hand as you did before.

It makes sense now, doesn’t it? They should get the idea that their actions have consequences, so if they try to snatch the food, oops the food hand closes

Make the game even more fun: You can start lowering the hand towards the floor as your dog gets the hang of it.

Problems you might run into: Think about what value of food you need to use. Some dogs may get this faster if we use a lower value of food to start off with – the yummiest treats are just so hard to resist. Bit like me when I have chocolate in the house…

PRO TIP Also, try not to look like you’re ‘offering’ or handing your dog the treat – keep it at nose level, but maybe have your hand further away from your dog’s nose and more toward you to keep it a success.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To try ‘It’s yer choice’ but with food on the floor.

It’s Yer Choice! Self-control dog training game Part 2

If your dog’s mastered Part 1 of this game, you can raise the difficulty by having food on the floor.

Pop some treats on the floor and cover them with your hand.
Wait until your dog backs away before you say ‘good’, and then give them a treat.
Repeat this five times with your hand covering the treats or until your dog isn’t trying to get the food at all.
Now comes the interesting part. Slowly uncover the treats with your hand, but keep your hand close, ready to jump and cover them if your dog goes in to snatch the treats!

Repeat this until you can fully take your hand away without having your dog going for them. Did they make it? Wonderful!

Make the game even more fun: Have low value food (like kibble) on the floor. Instead of rewarding them back with kibble, teach your puppy if they leave the food on the floor they can get something super yummy instead, like a piece of dehydrated meat. A delicacy in dog’s ideas of gastronomy!

Problems you might run into: Your dog might be quicker than you and steal all of the treats. If this happens, go back a few steps or redo part 1 until they’re truly acing it.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Other self-control games to work towards your dog going full Zen.

This game will put their self-control truly to the test with a bit of eye contact work. Here, we’ll show them that paying attention to you brings about wonderful things.

You will need some soft yummy treats inside a treat pouch. You’ll also need to use a clicker, or a word marker such as ‘good’ to tell your puppy that they got it right.

Have some treats in your hand and hold them out at about your eye level and to the side of your face – high enough so that your puppy can see them but not be able to snatch them.

As soon as they look at you or turn their head towards your face, click or give your marker word ‘good’| and hand them a treat from your hand.

Keep repeating this, and soon they won’t be able to take their eyes off of you!

Make the game even more fun: Once they have the idea of the game, see if they will keep that eye contact for a little while longer.

Problems you might run into Some dogs might find it simply too difficult to play this game with a high value treat (we get it, food is simply too good). For food-obsessed dogs like Labradors try it with low value food such as kibble.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To try the same game using something like a tug toy or a tennis ball – practice exactly the same way, but reward with a toy instead.

SMART 50 dog training game

SMART 50 is a game that dogs of all ages will love. It stands for:

50 times per day

The goal of this game is to have a ‘thinking’ dog with better manners who will offer you lots of desired behaviors, without having to be told what to do all the time. It also helps boost their confidence and independence, which are very powerful motivators. No such thing as an ‘underdog’ with this game.

Count out 50 treats and pieces of food in the morning

Put them somewhere you can easily access them – a treat pouch or high up on your kitchen worktop are good places.

As soon as your dog does something you like, say ‘good’ and give them a treat. Do this throughout the day whenever your dog is doing something you want to see without you telling them like:

· Lying on their bed

· Sitting while waiting for their meals

· Not jumping up when they come to say hello

Consistency is key for this one – Every time they do something you want to see reward them and they’ll start doing it more over the course of time.

Make the game even more fun: Make a list of behaviors you’d like your dog to do and see how many times you can reward them for it throughout the day. You can take it to the next level and add gold stickers on your calendar if you’re feeling extra.

Problems you might run into: Nope, couldn’t think of a single one for his game. All good things!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: More impulse control games.

Default Leave Part 1

This game is going to rock your lead walking, and keep your dog from scavenging food on the floor. By the end of this game, they’ll be able to walk past fish and chip scraps without lunging toward them.

Have your dog on their harness and lead and have your treat pouch loaded up.

Throw a treat quite far away from you so that your dog sees it, but can’t reach it.

Your dog will likely try to pull you towards the treat, but you’ll have to stand firm and wait for them to release the tension.

When they do, say ‘good’ and reward them with a treat from your pouch.

Eventually, your dog should start to lunge for the treat far less when they realize they can still get goodies from you without the hectic pulling part.

Make the game even more fun: Call a friend and have them pick up the treat you threw and place it in a different location.

Problems you might run into: If you throw the treat too close or before your dog’s not ready, they might snaffle it – don’t want to undo all the good work you’ve done so far!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: – To try Part 2 of Default Leave

Default Leave Part 2

Great! You’ve made it to part 2 of the Default Leave game. Now we’re going to see if you can walk past the treat on the floor and your dog manages to leave it. Brilliant. One step closer to not making scenes on the street when walking past a Tesco Express.

Have your dog on their harness and lead, and your treat pouch full of a mix of super yummy treats and lower value kibble.

Throw a piece of kibble away from you – did your dog turn to look at you for a reward for leaving the treat like they did before? Ah! Mission accomplished.

Mark this with good and reward with a yummy treat.

Now we’re going to see if we can walk past the kibble…drumroll please.

It’s important that you set your dog up for success here, so make sure there is a big distance between your dog as they walk by and the treat on the floor, so that they don’t pull or lunge heavily towards it (your goal is also to keep a loose lead walk). Have they done it? Yay!

Keep walking around the treat getting a little closer each time…gotta keep them challenged!

Don’t forget to reward!

Make the game even more fun: I like to use empty take away cartons as a bit of a ‘temptation alley’ for my dog to walk down, that way I know exactly what is or isn’t in them! If she can focus on me when there’s food containers around, then we have a higher chance of her doing it in the real world.

Problems you might run into: Better not rush this exercise because your dog might start thinking that they can never eat things off the floor again. If they sometimes can get the treat from the floor, it’s going to act as a huge motivator that will keep them hooked on learning. Wow, we really do think of everything.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Lead walking games.

Scent Dog Training Games

Why should i play scent work games with my dog .

Scent work is what I like to call meditation for dogs. It is the thing that most dogs absolutely love to do, and are best at thanks to their fancy noses and good sniffing skills. This is a great game to play with puppies to take their mental stimulation from 0 to 100!

Find the Toy

Purpose: Scent Games

Your dog’s most powerful sense is their smell. Let’s put it to good use and have them search for their favorite toy around the house. It will give them a natural outlet for all of that sniffing, and give you a chance to bond as the dynamic duo you are.

Have your puppy’s favorite toy ready. Then say ‘find it!’ and throw the toy for your puppy to get. Kind of like playing fetch.
When they bring the toy back, give them that verbal praise you do so well – what a good dog!
Now, let’s change it up a bit. This time, put the toy under a cushion on the floor.
Give your puppy the cue to ‘find it’, and cheerlead them on when they bring it back for you.
Now you can start hiding the toy in more and more difficult places; behind the sofa, table, or maybe up on a chair. Let the games begin.

Make the game even more fun: Take things up a notch and hide the toy in another room before you bring your dog in to ‘find it’. It will be like the ultimate game of hide and seek for them.

Problems you might run into: Always give your dog the cue ‘find it’ so they know when the game starts and ends. Make sure to not hide the toy in places you don’t want your dog to go, or where they break somethings like your nan’s porcelain.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: A Scent work class!

Toilet Rolls and Biscuit Tins

Purpose: Scent Games/Feeding

This game will make mealtimes more of a challenge. A fun one though.

Grab an old biscuit tin (those your mum always used to store needles and thread) and as many toilet roll middles, kitchen roll or wrapping paper inners you can get your hands on.

Stand the tubes on their ends, and stack them up inside the box side by side.

Then, sprinkle your dog’s kibble in amongst the tubes.

Now watch your dog try to take the tubes out in order to nibble on their food. Let us tell you – it’s going to be chaotically entertaining to watch.

Make the game even more fun: Place a few yummier treats alongside the kibble to make the game even more interesting.

Problems you might run into Don’t let your dog eat the cardboard!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: Other feeding or scentwork games

Drag Race Dog Training Game

I’m afraid there’s no glitter or lashes for this one. But it will involve what your dog loves the most – using their noses to hunt down a good reward – especially breeds who were quite literally born to do this. Believe us when we say that there will be no bigger rush, they feel than when playing ‘Drag race’ with you…everything they love in a single game! (Including you). It’s definitely among the favorites!

You’ll need a sandwich bag filled with something stinky and juicy inside – anything like kidneys, liver, or juicy squishy meat is brilliant.

Tie the bag on to a long piece of string

Cut a small hole in the bag so liquid can come out and then start dragging a path along the ground. Oh yes, you’ll definitely want to play this game outside.

Make the path short and straight the first time so it’s easy for your dog to get the hang of.

At the end of the track, lay a jackpot prize like a pile of kibble or your puppy’s favorite toy. What a surprise will they have!

Put the bag away, and then bring your dog out to where you started the track on the ground and encourage them to follow it.

Allow your dog to get the jackpot at the end – yay! What a treat!

Make the game even more fun: Take the drag around trees and through forests, and in zigzags (no pun intended!). Try to let your dog do the work; their noses are brilliant, so they shouldn’t need much help for this. Switch up the food in the drag – liver works very well!

Problems you might run into: The human can often lose the track to find where the prize is – sorry to say your nose is not quite as great. Just use some visual markers to help you at the start and the end.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: More Scent work of course!

Who is THAT?! Game to Play with Puppies

It’s always a bit funny to see puppies get confused. Let’s bring another animal’s scent into your home and have them find it. Maybe you have a cat owning friend? Have them rub their cat all over with a piece of blanket then hide it somewhere in your yard for your dog to find. This dog training game not only teaches them socialization smells, but also gets that nose working!

Take the scent imprinted blanket and hide it without your dog seeing.

Then ask them to ‘find it’!

Make the game even more fun: Try different scents, maybe you have a friend with a rabbit or a bird?

Problems you might run into: Don’t let your dog eat the blanket, and make sure you always reward them for finding the scent. Also, we’re not suggesting you go around hunting for birds to rub to play this game…let’s keep it simple!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: More scent work or tracking games.

Hansel and Gretel

Purpose: Scent Games /Feeding/ Brain games

Start puppy scent games off with a trail of treats. This will get your puppy’s nose straight on the floor, following the food all the way until they reach the jackpot. Who does want to play a game with puppies that will make their tails wag like mad?!

Pop your puppy outside of the room while you lay out a trail of 10 treats at around half a metre apart. At the end of the trail, lay a pile of the remaining treats.
Bring your puppy in and show them the first treat. They will likely follow the rest of the trail all on their own and relish on their beloved jackpot when they find it.

Add a cue word such as ‘find it’ as your puppy trots down the trail as encouragement!

Make the game even more fun: Swap the prize treats for a toy at the end of the trail to keep it exciting.

Problems you might run into: Your dog might be very quick at hovering the treats up! Comparable to a vacuum cleaner.

If your dog likes this, you might also like: To try Drag Race!

Adding a Target Scent

If you’re looking for a challenge with scent games, look no further. This is it.

Get your puppy’s favorite toy and pop a few drops of essential oil on it – dog-safe oils include lavender, clove and valerian. You can find a full list of odours used in Scent work classes as well as how to use them properly here .

With the scented toy, play a game of fetch indoors.

The next day (when your dog’s not with you) hide the toy and place scented up pieces of fleece or kitchen roll from the room entrance up to the toy. Think back to the Hansel and Gretel story, they should be like breadcrumbs that lead your dog to a fun time.

Bring your dog in and cue them to ‘find the toy’, and when they do, give them lots of verbal praise!

Next time you play, reduce the number of scented fleece and tissue pieces to make the game more challenging.

Make the game even more fun: Try this outdoors once your dog has mastered playing indoors.

Problems you might run into: Some dogs will try to eat the scented pieces. If they do, try it without the bread crumb trail so they are going directly to the scented source. It’s also a good way to make it a bit more difficult!

If your dog likes this, you might also like: A Scent work class find one here

FAQ’s

What are good games to play with an 8-week-old puppy.

An 8-week-old puppy would be delighted to play: – The Box game – The Name-Game – Scatter Feeding

What are some games to mentally stimulate a puppy?

Mentally stimulating your puppy is key so that they don’t get bored and are eager to keep on learning. Our favorites for early sensory development and brain training are: – The Puppy Adventure Box – Find it – Who is THAT?

What dog training games should you play with an older dog?

Older dogs may not be as fit and agile as those young whippersnappers but one sense that’s still sensational is their sense of smell. Mic drop. To keep those old timers busy with their noses, we recommend: – Drag Race – Adding a target scent – Giving your dog a massage (nothing to do with their nose – but they do love a good rub). They will also love you so much more for it.

What is the first thing you should train your puppy to do?

The first few things you should train your puppy to do is to learn their name, come back when called, walk nicely on a lead and come back when you call them. Safety is generally the main reason why.

Here are some games we recommend to help you train them: – The Name-Game – so that they respond to their name – pronto! – The Vet Game – so they get used to being touched all over. And in all the weird places. – My Little Shadow – A lead walking game that teaches your puppy to stick to you like glue. – Hand Target Recall – Dogs of all ages LOVE this, but puppies have a special place for it in their hearts.

Did you enjoy playing our games? Check out the Zigzag app for more fun ways to train your puppy.

By Petrina Firth, <a href="https://zigzag.dog/en-us/" style="text-decoration:underline;color:#FC5756">Zigzag</a> Puppy Expert

By Petrina Firth, Zigzag Puppy Expert

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Common Puppy Behavior Problems and How to Solve Them

Puppies are adorable and playful, but they can also display some undesirable behavior. Addressing these behavior problems early on is crucial to ensure that they don’t become habitual or develop into more serious issues. In this post, we’ll discuss common puppy behavior problems and provide solutions for each of them.

Biting and Nipping

Puppies often bite and nip during play, but it can also be a sign of aggression or discomfort. To address this behavior, redirect your puppy’s attention to an appropriate toy or activity. Additionally, it’s essential to teach your puppy bite inhibition, which involves gradually decreasing the force of their bites. Provide a high-pitched yelp when your puppy bites too hard and stop playing immediately. Praise and reward your puppy when they exhibit gentler behavior.

Chewing and Destructive Behavior

Puppies explore the world through their mouth, and chewing is a natural behavior for them. However, destructive chewing can be a problem when your puppy chews on furniture, shoes, or other inappropriate objects. Provide your puppy with appropriate chew toys and reward them when they chew on them. Supervise your puppy’s playtime and prevent access to objects that they shouldn’t chew on. Consistency is key, and your puppy will eventually learn what they are and aren’t allowed to chew.

Excessive Barking

Barking is a natural form of communication for dogs, but excessive barking can be disruptive and annoying. Identify the cause of your puppy’s barking, such as fear, anxiety, boredom, or attention-seeking behavior. Addressing the root cause is the key to solving the problem. Provide your puppy with adequate exercise, mental stimulation, and attention. Teach your puppy a “quiet” command and reward them for not barking.

Jumping on People

Jumping on people is a natural greeting behavior for puppies, but it can be intimidating and potentially dangerous for both the puppy and the person. Teach your puppy an alternative behavior, such as sitting, and reward them for exhibiting that behavior instead of jumping. Consistently reinforce positive interactions and avoid rewarding your puppy for jumping.

Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is a common problem in puppies and can cause excessive barking, destructive behavior, and other issues. Gradual desensitization and counter conditioning can help alleviate separation anxiety. Start by leaving your puppy alone for short periods, and gradually increase the duration over time. Provide your puppy with an appropriate space and comforting objects, such as toys or a blanket. Seek professional help if necessary.

In addition to these solutions, prevention is key in addressing puppy behavior problems. Socialization and training are essential for a well-behaved puppy. Provide your puppy with appropriate exercise and mental stimulation, and create a consistent routine. Consistency and patience are essential in addressing behavior problems, and it’s important to remember that training takes time.

Addressing common puppy behavior problems requires a combination of patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement. By understanding the root causes of these problems and providing appropriate solutions, you can help your puppy grow into a well-behaved and happy dog.

Finding The Perfect Food For Your Puppy

Bringing home a new puppy is an exciting adventure! One of the most important things you can do for your furry friend is make sure they’re eating the right food. With so many options how there, how do you know what’s right for your puppy? Don’t worry! In this guide we’ll walk you through some […]

How To Train Your Puppy Not To Bite

So you’ve just got your new furry pup and you’re ready to start training him. One of the first things you’ll want to teach your puppy after teaching them their name is teaching them not to bite! We’ve put together a series of steps you can follow to make sure your new friend learns that […]

The Essential Guide To Teaching Your Puppy His Name

Bringing a new puppy into your home is an exciting adventure. As you embark on this adventure, one of the first things you’ll want to do is teach your pup their name. This first step lays the foundation for effective communication and obedience training. In this article, we’ll walk you through a step by step […]

Scary but Common Dog Problems

25 dog problems and how to solve them.

Having a dog is a joy for singles, couples and families. But it doesn't always come without problems — what’s the fun in that? Thankfully, the most common dog problems you'll experience can be resolved with simple solutions.

From flaky, itchy skin to irritable behavior in dogs, these are common dog problems pet owners have faced many a time. Let's look at some of the concerns you may face as a dog owner and help you figure out exactly how to solve them.

The Problem: Barking

Many dogs bark, howl, whimper or whine as a means of communicating with you and other dogs.

This only becomes a concern when the barking is excessive or disturbing to you and your neighbors.

The Solution

The important first question to ask is, why is your dog barking? It could be a sign of excitement, attention-seeking, anxiety, boredom, a warning or simply a response to other dogs.

Teaching your dog to obey "bark" and "quiet" commands by rewarding your dog when they're quiet or cease barking is the best remedy. This requires dedicated training time, but it's worthwhile.

The Problem: Chewing

Whether it's your couch, your shoes or your wardrobe, when your dog takes to chewing your things, you'll soon find a trail of destruction in the home.

It's not uncommon for dogs to chew on things, but when it becomes regular and destructive, it's time to consider what's causing the behavior. Puppies regularly chew on things when they're teething. Other reasons may include boredom, attention-seeking or anxiety again.

Encourage your dog to chew on dog toys by rewarding your dog for doing so and providing ample appropriate chew toys. When your dog is chewing on something it shouldn’t be, make a sharp noise and immediately remove the object.

The Problem: Digging

This is not uncommon for dogs. Many breeds, like terriers, are prone to digging due to their hunting tendencies.

They typically dig to alleviate excess energy or boredom, to hide their possessions or to escape.

If your dog is digging as a means to escape, consider how you can make the environment more comfortable and appealing for your dog. Do they need more space, toys, access to water and food, or somewhere quiet to feel safe?

Make sure you're providing your dog with plenty of exercise and playtime. If your dog is digging due to hunting instincts, give it a dedicated space to dig like, say, a sandbox.

The Problem: Separation Anxiety

Just like humans, dogs can become lonely and anxious when left alone for extended periods of time. Your dog may be destructive towards their environment, noisy or prone to chewing or urinating inappropriately.

To know if this is due to separation anxiety, consider whether this behavior starts as you are preparing to leave or whether the problem behavior begins within 15 minutes of leaving.

The solution to anxiety separation requires dedicated, professional dog training since you obviously can't remain with the dog constantly. It is not a problem that will be solved quickly, but once training has been engaged, this should be solved long term.

In cases of extreme agitation, medication may be required. A vet is the best resource.

The Problem: Pooping and Urinating Inappropriately

For many families, keeping your dog indoors or adapting to smaller spaces requires that your dog has a dedicated "puppy pad" or patch of lawn where it knows to defecate inside or out.

You know you have a problem when your dog is urinating or pooping in public places, in the homes of friends and family, or inside the home in the bedroom, kitchen or other unwelcome areas.

If your dog is already house trained, the first step is to discuss the problem with your vet. It may be a health problem, wherein your dog can't control its behavior. If they're younger, it could also be that your dog is trying to establish its territory by marking it.

Either way, your dog isn't understanding that it should be defecating and urinating in a specific area. After all, it's not instinctive for dogs to relieve themselves in a certain place. The only place they won't do it is where they sleep.

So, patience is key. American Humane says never to rub a dog's nose in urine or feces or punish the dog for an accident, as it will instill fear. Instead, reward the dog whenever they do relieve themselves in the appropriate area. Having a feeding schedule will also help you both better understand certain times when your dog needs to go outside.

The Problem: Begging

It's not uncommon for dogs to become excited when you pull the lamb roast from the oven. When it whines, leaps on you, trails you and refuses to calm down though, you know there's a problem.

Indulging your dog when it begs by feeding it may lead to unhealthy weight gain and digestive problems.

Don't indulge your dog. Giving in "just once" can result in making excuses to do so regularly. Train your dog to know that they have specific food and a specific feeding time. This way, your dog is secure in knowing they will be fed.

Before you sit down to a meal, ensure your dog is away from the kitchen and table — preferably, out of sight where it won't be tempted to linger and try to catch scraps. If you want to treat your dog for behaving during your meal, make sure you give it a small treat after you've finished your meal.

The Problem: Chasing

Dogs with hunting instincts are particularly prone to chasing.

This can be a dangerous habit though, especially if your dog takes to chasing other animals, people or cars.

While you can't necessarily change your dog's desire to chase, you can make sure it is as safe as possible. Keep your dog confined to a fenced and secure area when you're not with it.

When walking, ensure your dog is securely on a leash at all times. Train your dog to respond to its name immediately through dedicated training and reward.

The Problem: Jumping

As exciting as it is for your dog to see you after a day at work, sometimes the jumping can be excessive and, in the case of bigger dogs, harmful.

Often, your dog is jumping to gain attention, so the solution is to address the cause.

Let your dog know that jumping isn't going to result in attention by trying to ignore the behavior. Turn and walk away from your dog. Do not make eye contact or touch the dog, but continue your business.

When your dog calms down and has sat down or held still, reward them with a treat. This is all about training your dog in what behavior is acceptable.

The Problem: Biting

Dogs typically bite out of curiosity. Puppies tend to bite and nip at their mother or their brothers and sisters as they are exploring their environment. Mother dogs tame their pup by disciplining them for biting too hard.

That means owners may need to undertake this training themselves when their dog is biting and causing harm or damage to people or the environment.

Your dog may be biting out of curiosity, but they may also be biting out of fear, defensiveness, to protect or defend its home or owners, because they're in pain or ill, or because they learned this is acceptable.

Dedicated training that rewards good behavior and results in a withdrawal of attention for misbehavior is the best solution. Your vet may also recommend particular topical products to prevent biting people or things.

The Problem: Aggression

Dogs are naturally protective of their owners. This is a problem when your dog becomes aggressive toward people and other dogs though.

Some breeds are more prone than others to become aggressive, but it is typically more a result of breeding, training and the environment.

Consult your vet if your dog is becoming aggressive towards you, other people or other dogs. It may be that there's a health problem your dog is trying to alert you to, or it is fearful or in pain and lashing out.

If your vet gives your dog the all clear, seek the assistance of a professional trainer or behaviorist to ensure your dog learns appropriate behavior toward humans and animals. This is for your own safety and the safety of your dog and others, and is really something you shouldn't take on yourself.

The Problem: Allergies

Dogs, like humans, can have reactions to particular plants, foods or topical products like shampoos or sprays.

Identify what is causing the allergy, which may require professional testing by a vet to determine. While in most cases you can simply avoid the allergen by removing it from the environment, it may be that your dog reacts to a product of the environment. like pollen or dust, which is unavoidable.

Your vet can prescribe an allergy supplement, typically an antihistamine, or recommend a desensitization routine.

The Problem: Shedding

Most dogs shed hair, but there are some breeds that don't. These are considered hypoallergenic breeds .

The shedding is problematic when it covers your furniture, carpets and when it seems excessive.

Regularly washing and brushing your dog to ensure there isn't a build-up of hair or skin that is causing excessive shedding is the first step. But you may also want to inquire with your vet as to whether there are dietary or environmental causes for your dog shedding excessively.

Note: There are particular dog hair vacuums that easily and quickly remove hair from surfaces.

The Problem: Bad Breath

Nobody wants to ditch their dinner to raid the dog food. It often doesn't look or smell appealing to us.

That said, it shouldn't cause your dog to have smelly, offensive breath if it is healthy, nutritious and not causing a digestive problem.

Bad breath can be a sign that your dog has an allergy to particular foods, so see a vet or try different dog food. Your dog may also have plaque or dental problems, which could simply require you to brush its teeth with antibacterial toothpaste designed for dogs.

But if an inspection indicates decay or discoloration of the teeth and gums, see your vet for a check-up ASAP.

The Problem: Scrapes, Cuts and Rashes

Your dog may have a particularly sensitive reaction to grasses, fabrics, food or perfume. While prevention is better than cure, when your dog has a skin reaction, a topical treatment should fix the problem (unless it's severe).

If the reaction is severe, see a vet immediately.

An antifungal and antibacterial spray can usually treat redness, sensitivity or discoloration of the skin.

If your dog has scraped or cut a paw, make sure there's no glass, thorns or matter caught in the wound by cleaning gently with a saline solution. Follow up by applying the spray and bandaging if necessary.

The Problem: Sharp or Long Claws

Your pup may inadvertently be scratching you or your furniture with long or sharp nails.

Their nails can also prove problematic in catching on things, potentially resulting in breakage, painful pulling or even tearing from the paw.

Regularly investing in nail clipping is the best solution. Often, dog groomers will do this as a part of standard grooming treatment, but you can also specifically ask for nail clipping alone.

Your vet can also clip nails, or you can do it at home with a nail grinder, which is less daunting for puppies or dogs that are spooked by regular nail clippers.

The Problem: Smelly Coat Between Washes

Regularly washing your dog is a good idea for both its health and the cleanliness of your environment.

That said, between regular washes your dog may be smelly after a walk or rubbing itself against something unpleasant.

Rather than washing your dog every second night, invest in dry shampoo. There are low-irritant formulas that have the added benefit of moisturizing the skin and soothing it.

Products with oat milk and aloe vera often treat sensitive skin and soften the coat upon application.

The Problem: Knots and Tangles

Dogs of various breeds may have high-maintenance coats. We're looking at you, poodle!

Those with long hair or thick coats require dedicated grooming to prevent tangles and knots, which can only worsen if not treated.

To prevent tangles and knots, have your dog groomed so that their coat is kept at a manageable length. If you prefer not to cut the length of your dog's coat, then ensure you are brushing it daily to prevent a build-up of knots and tangles.

Use a softening, moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to prevent dryness and tangling. If the knot can't be brushed out, clip it before it becomes more tangled. Avoid using a brush with sharp or harsh bristles so that your pet doesn't fear being groomed.

The Problem: Loneliness

Your dog seeks company and occupation as much as humans seek to alleviate loneliness.

You can't be with your pet at all hours, but you can certainly make their environment healthier and less lonely.

Make sure you are walking and exercising your dog sufficiently. Your dog craves the company of other dogs, so try to make sure you are walking your dog at a time when it will meet other dogs and people.

Socializing is a healthy part of your dog's life. Sometimes leaving the radio or television on can alleviate anxiety. Make sure there's plenty of toys and space to play if you're going to be out for more than an hour or so.

The Problem: Tongue Hanging Out

Dogs commonly let their tongues hang out when they’re entirely relaxed or excited.

There are conditions, though, in which your dog’s tongue hanging out may indicate a condition or health concern.

Hanging tongue syndrome occurs when your dog leaves their tongue hanging out where it will become dry and painful. This can occur more regularly in smaller dog breeds like chihuahuas but is not isolated to them.

Your dog may have an injury to their muzzle or jaw. It could also be a neurological disease or a deformity to the mouth or teeth. The best solution is to have your dog checked by a vet.

The Problem: Humping

Dogs typically mount and engage in humping behavior in response to energy arousal. This can include either humping your leg or a cushion.

And it may be an attempt at trying to play with you if you are ignoring them.

Humping is a common play gesture that both male and female dogs engage in, even when they've been neutered or spayed. If your dog has never been taught otherwise, this behavior can become a normal part of their play.

If you find it excessive or problematic, it's a matter of stopping your dog as soon as it starts the behavior and rewarding your dog for settling and ceasing the behavior. If training isn't successful, inquire with your vet about the cause and potential treatments available.

The Problem: Pus or Mucus in the Eyes

Your dog may have pus or mucus around their eyes, which indicates an inflammation of the lining of the eyes.

It could be conjunctivitis or dry eye caused by anything from allergies to trauma, birth defects or tear-duct problems.

Treating excessive tearing or conjunctivitis may require topical antibiotics or steroids, although more serious cases could result in surgery for duct obstruction, ulcers or abnormal eyelashes.

Don't diagnose and treat this yourself, and instead, make sure you seek a professional diagnosis.

The Problem: Pulling on the Lead

Sometimes, it's simply annoying when your dog gets excited and pulls you along.

But if it becomes habitual, your dog's pulling can risk tripping you or causing strain in your shoulder and back muscles to the point of injury.

Try to handle this problem as soon as it starts rather than allowing your dog to continue the behavior and believing it's normal. Try walking your dog around on home territory (inside and in the garden) on a leash so that they feel safe in the familiar space. Consider using a harness or a head halter.

Train your dog to respond to the "sit" command, and provide treats when your dog sits and walks calmly. Repeat these commands and reward good behavior as you progress the walks from familiar territory to longer walks outdoors.

The Problem: Fearful of Stairs

Dogs may look at stairs as a major hazard since they can appear as a sharp drop or a mountainous challenge.

If your dog gets excited or too enthusiastic, they may end up tripping and falling or hurting themselves climbing or descending the stairs.

Begin by teaching your dog to sit and stay while you take the stairs to the other end (top or bottom). Once you have reached the other end, command your dog to come. This way your dog won't need to navigate around you as it takes the stairs and can focus on each step.

Reward your dog for successfully climbing or descending the stairs with a treat. If your dog is fearful of the stairs still, it's possible that there's a joint problem or an injury. It may be valuable to have a veterinary opinion.

The Problem: Eating Dog Poop

Nothing can make you feel more nauseous than the idea of your dog eating their own poop and then giving you a juicy big lick.

But this can be more than just disgusting and unhygienic. It may pose a health problem.

Dogs may be eating poop out of curiosity or to garner attention. It could also be a response to anxiety and being alone for long periods of time. Make sure you clean your dog's environment to prevent leaving their poop accessible.

Also, avoid leaving your dog alone for extended periods. You could ask a friend or family member to check-in, or invest in a dog minding service. Traditional training, where you reward your pup for leaving the poop alone is recommended, but if this is ineffective, book an appointment with your vet.

The Problem: Too Much or Too Little Dog Walking

Especially if you’re entirely new to owning a dog, the basics on how much to feed or walk your dog can be confusing. The amount of exercise your dog needs is dependent on size, breed, age and how much natural exercise your dog gets in the home environment.

For example, if you own two dogs and they spend hours chasing each other or they have miles of running space on your property, walking them for extended periods isn’t a necessity, as it would be if they weren’t so active.

Regardless, it's always a good idea to start your day by walking your dog. This gives them the opportunity to poop and urinate after hours of sleeping. The ideal time is mid-morning since there are less traffic and busyness, but this isn't convenient for many people who work standard hours.

Evening walks are ideal since your dog has been at home for many hours with energy to spare from their breakfast meal. The evening walk also gives your dog time to feel cared for and noticed by you. Your dog typically needs between 30 minutes to an hour per walk to get ample exercise and do its business. If you can't commit to this daily, seek a reliable dog walker.

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5 common puppy problems and how to solve them

Including how to stop a puppy biting

an image of a golden retriever puppy in a pack

To make your life easier, money.co.uk has revealed the biggest puppy problems for Brits by analysing search volumes in the UK — and provided helpful tips for each query.

"The sheer number of average online searches every year indicates that we want what's best for our furry friends, as well as ensuring an easier transition into their new home," says Salman Haqqi, pet insurance expert at money.co.uk .

"Many people forget the importance of taking the correct precautions, especially with older dogs and younger children at home, so it's best to introduce everybody slowly and in a safe manner."

Take a look at the most-asked puppy questions, along with how you can solve them...

1. How to stop a puppy from biting (176,100)

Teaching your puppy not to bite is hard, and with over 170,000 annual searches, it seems Brits need a little more help.

"To help train your puppy to stop biting, you can ignore the puppy or walk away as the more you respond (even by telling them off) the more they'll think it's a game," say the experts at money.co.uk. "When they do back off, reward them."

2. How to toilet train a puppy (67,400)

Toilet training an excitable puppy can be a challenge. According to the experts, one of the ways you can train them like a pro is by agreeing on a command at home so that your puppy associates the term with going to the toilet.

Money.co.uk add: "Adding newspapers they've already soiled to their toilet area can also help navigate them to their next toilet break adventure."

3. When can puppies go outside? (63,000)

Are you wondering when your puppy can head outside to public places, such as dog parks? Well, according to the experts, owners should wait until two weeks after your puppy has had their second vaccination.

4. When do puppies open their eyes? (59,200)

Puppies are born with their eyes closed and gradually open their eyes between 10 and 14 days old. It depends on the individual puppy, of course, so sometimes puppies may open their eyes a day or two earlier or later than that.

5. How to train a puppy? (55,400)

"Training a puppy has never been easier with the vast amount of information on the internet," explain Money.co.uk. "You can browse YouTube videos or buy a puppy training book for specific training. Likewise, check your local area for any puppy training classes as this will also encourage the dog to socialise."

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12 dog winter coats to keep your pups cosy

H&M Quilted dog jacket

Keep your pup snug and secure with this thick quilted dog jacket from H&M. Perfect for a winter's walk, it has quilted seams, a stand-up collar with an open front, and a belt with a hook and loop fastening at the back.

Waterproof Brooklyn Dog Coat - Graphite - Medium

Designed to resist whatever the weather throws at you, this waterproof dog coat is ideal for older pups with joint problems or less fur and has a particularly warm inner lining.

Joules Olive Green Waxed Dog Coat

Keeping warm and snug just got a whole lot easier thanks to this gorgeous waxed coat from Joules. In olive green, it has a tweed lining and beautiful bee prints.

H&M Pocket-detail faux shearling dog jacket

In a gorgeous white, this pocket-detail faux shearling dog jacket has been designed to add an extra layer of warmth during those cold winter days. It has two small holes for their legs, as well as a zipped pocket on the back.

Thermal Self-Heating Dog Coat - Black

This thermal dog coat is excellent for winter walks, thanks to its self-heating technology.

"Our reflective technology lining, combined with a hollow fibre core maximises the dog coats thermal properties," say petslovescruffs.com. "The thermal dog coat has a fleece collar and chest pad to provide greater comfort, improved fitment and allow unrestricted movement."

Hurtta® Expedition Dog Parka

A warm pet coat is great to ward off the chill during winter. Not sure which one to pick up? We love this technical dog parka, which has been specially developed for short-haired dogs and dogs without an undercoat.

Barbour Baffle Dog Coat- Olive Medium

In olive green, this luxurious Barbour coat is ideal for dogs who like the finer things in life.

Barbour Fairisle Dog Jumper, Grey, Small

On the hunt for a warm knit jumper? To keep your furry friend extra cosy, why not pick up this Barbour jumper. Boasting a unique design with a roll neck for elite comfort, it's perfect for them to wear on a Christmas Day walk.

READ MORE: The Barbour Christmas advert 2021 stars Paddington Bear and his heart-warming family

Rosewood Teddy Bear Dog Hoodie - Large

Made from super-soft fleece fabric, this blue fluffy coat has teddy bear ears attached to keep your dog warm and cosy. It also has a stretch jersey fabric, making it easy to pull on and off.

William Morris at Home Blackthorn Reversible Dog Coat, Small

William Morris fans will love this adorable reversible dog coat in the brand's classic print. With a water-resistant, waxed cotton outer fabric, it also helps to keep rain off.

OVER GLAM Medium faux leather sleeveless dog jacket

This sleeveless dog jacket looks so cosy! It has small holes for their legs and black poppers to keep them cosy.

Microfibre Dog Coat

In vibrant blue, this microfibre dog coat is light and absorbent to offer protection from getting cold. It has a click fastener on the back and openings for legs and tail.

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clock This article was published more than 2 years ago

Thinking about how dogs think

Back in 2002, when Alexandra Horowitz was working toward her PhD at the University of California at San Diego, she believed that dogs were a worthy thing to study. But her dissertation committee, which favored apes and monkeys, needed convincing.

“They were primate people,” she said. “They all studied nonhuman primates or human primates, and that’s where it was thought that the interesting cognitive work was going to happen. Trying to show them that there would be something interesting with dogs — that was a challenge.”

Oh, how things can change in just two decades, especially in a nation that includes about 90 million dogs among its residents — everything from beloved pets to working dogs doing all kinds of tasks, from sniffing out drugs in airports to assisting blind people with crossing a street. Today, Horowitz is a senior research fellow at Barnard College in New York City, where her specialty is dog cognition: understanding how dogs think, including the mental processes that go into tasks such as learning, problem-solving and communication. Dog cognition is now a widely respected field, a growing specialty branch of the more general animal-cognition research that has existed since the early 20th century.

“This field, and animal cognition, really, is all within our lifetimes,” Horowitz said. “It’s not as if nobody ever looked at dogs, but they weren’t looking at their minds.”

Looking at dogs’ minds, so far, has revealed quite a few insights. The Canine Cognition Center at Yale University, using a game where humans offer dogs pointing and looking cues to spot where treats are hidden, showed that dogs can follow our thinking even without verbal commands. The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany figured out that dogs are smart about getting what they want — they will eat forbidden food more frequently if humans can’t see them. Researchers from Austria, Israel and Britain determined that seeing a caregiver, versus a stranger, activated dogs’ brain regions of emotion and attachment much as it does in the human mother-child bond. Other European researchers showed that negative-reinforcement training (like jerking on a leash) causes lingering emotional changes and makes the dog less optimistic overall.

Read more stories of dogs, humans and the relationship they share

Some dog owners hear about this type of research and think: “They did a whole study to figure out that my dog looks where I point? I could have told you that.” But the studies aren’t just about what a dog is doing. They’re indicating areas to research so that we can better understand why and how the dog is doing it — in other words, what’s happening inside the dog’s mind.

“Maybe they’re not looking at your finger at all. Maybe they’re paying attention to your face and not to your hand,” said Federico Rossano, whose team at the University of California at San Diego is trying to determine whether dogs can translate their thoughts into words that humans can understand through a language device. “A lot of this becomes interesting in terms of how you can train them better.”

An evolving area of research

Right now, with no organizing body in the field, it’s hard to say exactly how many people are doing dog-cognition research. You can count on two hands the number of dedicated university spaces led by professors with graduate students and funding grants. When the leaders from those places get together once a year, it’s usually at someone’s home.

But researchers at universities doing studies on dogs? There are now many dozens of those, and there’s no lack of students wanting to at least dabble in the work.

“The thing that gets my students all abuzz is that people always want to know whether their dog loves them back,” said Ellen Furlong, associate professor of psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University and leader of its Dog Scientists Group.

Every semester, on the first day, she asks students if their dogs are happy. It’s her way of helping them understand why the study of dog cognition is important.

“They’re always kind of offended — ‘O f course my dog is happy. I love my dog,’ ” she said. “But then you dig a little bit and push them and say: ‘Your dog’s life is different from your life. You get to decide when your dog gets to eat and play and go outside. You decide everything about your dog’s life, but your dog isn’t human. They have different wants and needs than you do.’ They have a semester-long assignment where they have to consider how their work on cognition can help to design some enrichment activities to improve the dogs’ lives.”

The topics that dog-cognition researchers focus on today often are chosen based on personal interests. While Furlong is most curious about ethics, welfare and how humans can meet dogs’ psychological needs, Horowitz is focusing her research on what dogs understand through smell. At the Duke Canine Cognition Center in North Carolina, Brian Hare is trying to determine — when a dog is still a puppy — whether the way a dog thinks might make her a good candidate for different jobs as an adult.

“We’re saying, ‘Here are some cognitive abilities that are critical for training for these jobs,’ ” Hare said. “It’s a little bit like talking about personality, but we’re talking about your cognitive personality, in a way. Maybe you have a really good memory for space, or maybe you’re good at understanding human gestures. The question is whether we can identify some of these dogs really early, in the first two to three months of life, who will do well in these programs.”

How the research is done

One example of dog cognition research with a potential training application is a study that Horowitz did on nose work — an activity that lets dogs use their natural abilities with scents to find everything from a treat hidden under a cone to marijuana in somebody’s suitcase.

Horowitz and her team showed the dogs three buckets and taught them that one of the buckets always had a treat under it, and one did not. Then she measured how quickly the dogs went to the “ambiguous bucket” in the middle.

The dogs then attended nose-work classes. These types of advanced classes are widely available at the same types of schools that teach basic obedience. In the nose-work classes, dogs are encouraged and trained to use their noses to search for and find treats or favorite toys that are hidden under boxes or cones, inside suitcases or in other places.

After a few weeks of nose-work classes, Horowitz repeated the bucket test.

“What we found was the dogs in the nose-work class got faster at approaching ambiguous stimulus,” she said, adding that the results suggest that for some dogs, taking nose-work classes could help them feel more optimistic. “The group that had nose work changed their behavior afterward, so I have to say it’s something about the nose work. I don’t know exactly what it was, but if the effect is profound and we keep seeing it, we would go in and try to see what it was that made it useful for the subjects.”

Hare is widely credited with having jump-started America’s dog-cognition research field. In the late 1990s as an undergraduate, he was doing research with chimpanzees when he realized they couldn’t do something that his dogs could do: follow a human’s pointing gesture to find food. Chimpanzees are the closest animal relatives humans have, and dogs could do something they couldn’t. Researchers suddenly wanted to know why dogs could understand something that chimpanzees could not.

In his most recent study , published in July, Hare and his team looked at the difference between wolf and dog pups. There had been some debate in the dog-cognition field about where dogs’ unusual abilities to cooperate with humans originate — whether those abilities are biological or taught. So the team gave a battery of temperament and cognition tests to dog and wolf puppies that were 5 weeks to 18 weeks old. The pups of both species were given the chance to approach familiar and unfamiliar humans to retrieve food; to follow a human’s pointing gesture to find food; to make eye contact with humans, and more. The team found that even at such a young age, the dog pups were more attracted to humans, read the human gestures more skillfully, and made more eye contact with humans than the wolf pups did.

The conclusion? The way that humans domesticated dogs actually altered the dogs’ developmental pathways, meaning their abilities to cooperate with us today are biological — a research result that is likely to have many practical implications.

“It’s highly inheritable, and it’s potentially manipulatable through breeding,” Hare said, adding that dogs might be bred to specialize in certain types of thinking. The finding opens up the idea of studying dogs in ways that could make deep-pocketed entities like the U.S. government want to fund more dog-cognition research, Hare said.

By way of example, he talked about dogs he has worked with for the U.S. Marine Corps, compared with dogs he has worked with for Canine Companions for Independence in California. The Marines needed dogs in places like Afghanistan to help sniff out incendiary devices, while the companions agency needed dogs that were good at helping people with disabilities.

Just looking at both types of purpose-bred dogs, most people would think they’re the same — to the naked eye, they all look like Labrador retrievers, and on paper, they would all be considered Labrador retrievers. But behaviorally and cognitively, because of their breeding for specific program purposes, Hare said, they were different in many ways.

Hare devised a test that could tell them apart in two or three minutes. It’s a test that’s intentionally impossible for the dog to solve — what Star Trek fans would recognize as the Kobayashi Maru. In Hare’s version, the dog was at first able to get a reward from inside a container whose lid was loosely secured and easy to dislodge; then, the reward was placed inside the same container with the lid locked and unable to be opened. Just as Starfleet was trying to figure out what a captain’s character would lead him to do in a no-win situation, Hare’s team was watching whether the dog kept trying to solve the test indefinitely, or looked to a human for help.

“What we found is that the dogs that ask for help are fantastic at the assistance-dog training, and the dogs that persevere and try to solve the problem no matter what are ideal for the detector training,” Hare said. “It’s not testing to see which dog is smart or dumb. What we’ve been able to show is that some of these measures tell you what jobs these dogs would be good at.”

What comes next in the field of dog-cognition research is probably a bit more of everything. Some researchers are following their interests, while others are following the research grants. Those grants can come from a wide array of sources, including the government trying to help soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder, shelters trying to rehome animals and neuroscience institutes looking for insights across species.

“It’s a really exciting moment,” Hare said. “I think we can continue on with individual researchers pursuing fun, interesting things — the students and the universities love it — but most successful academic endeavors have two parts. Being intellectual is wonderful, but that kind of research tends to struggle with funding. Academic endeavors with practical application tend to be incredibly well funded, and then the field grows.

“If you can have both of those things, then it will grow, and it will grow phenomenally,” he added. “If it’s just, ‘We’re going to do this because people love dogs,’ that’ll be fun, but it will stay small like it is now.”

In a pandemic, these pups have made all the difference August 17, 2021 In a pandemic, these pups have made all the difference August 17, 2021
The voices we make when we pretend our dogs can talk August 12, 2021 The voices we make when we pretend our dogs can talk August 12, 2021
Thinking about how dogs think August 12, 2021 Thinking about how dogs think August 12, 2021

Puppies can become hyper-stimulated. Often this type of behavior is due to too much free, unchallenging, and unsupervised time. If your puppy has become wild and is nipping and biting at your ankles, hands, or clothing you need to review the amount of time he’s spending out of the crate and what is happening during this time (for proper crate use review House Training ) .

This is similar to babies and children. Babies need plenty of nap time in a safe spot, otherwise they get over tired and cranky. Small children also need naps and structured time during the day, otherwise they become frustrated and overtired. Puppies are the same and require stimulation, guidance, and plenty of nap time.

Do a clock watch. Let’s say that you see this behavior begin to take place 30 minutes after you take your puppy out of the crate. The next time you take your pup out, put him back in the crate after 20 minutes for some quiet downtime.

Make sure his time out of the safe spot is stimulating and interesting for him. Is there a challenge in place, something fun and exciting for him to think about and do? By motivating and properly supervising your puppy you not only preempt the development of wild behavior, you are wisely and effectively making use of your time together. Better yet, you will feel confident that you are putting your pup back in the crate when he is tuckered out and needs a rest. Both you and your pup will be happier because you are providing what is necessary for him to blossom into a great friend for life and you are setting your puppy up to succeed.

With a clock watch in place and every effort to keep your puppy successful, you should see a decline in wild-biting behavior. Isolated incidents may be solved successfully with the following suggestions.

Does your puppy need a nap? An overtired puppy can be extra bitey.
Is your puppy hungry? Does he need a meal or a snack – a hungry puppy can be extra bitey.
Direct your puppy to an acceptable activity. If it is on his own you will most likely need to include food or a chew (bully, knucklebone, yak cheese, hoof, etc)
Does he need to burn some energy with a game of tug followed by a good chew?

When it comes to nipping and biting there is no single, easy solution for all puppies. This type of problem-solving requires you to be creative. You need to stay engaged with your puppy and set him up for success. It also means not putting any responsibility on the puppy, but rather, assessing each situation on an ongoing basis and coming up with an appropriate solution.

Dogs explore the world with their mouths. It is very important to keep in mind that biting is a natural behavior for your puppy and to get angry with him or punish him is not solving the problem. You need to teach a young puppy what is acceptable. This takes patience, effort, and consistency.

All of these exercises should be done regularly during the first year of the dog’s life. Make a point to do these exercises once or twice a week during his first 14 weeks. Progress to once every couple of weeks and then periodically until the dog is sexually mature (see Your Puppy’s Development .) Even after sexual maturity, now and again it is important to lay some of these exercises on your grown-up dog. Just like people, dogs can get rusty.

Prevention — SHORTCUTS:

Prepare Puppy to be Lifted
Child Proofing
Educate, Motivate and Stimulate!
Food Bowl and Hand-Feeding Exercises
Meet, Greet, and Treat
Handling Exercises
Happy Handling Worksheet
Simulated Vet Exam
Scary Monster (Prepare for the Unexpected)
Flying Solo (Time Alone)
Nipping and Biting (Problem Solving)
Prevention Checklist Worksheet

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Original research article, assistance and therapy dogs are better problem solvers than both trained and untrained family dogs.

1 Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
2 Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas y Biomédicas del Sur (INBIOSUR), Departamento de Biología Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS)- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bahía Blanca, Argentina
3 Grupo de Investigación del Comportamiento en Cánidos (ICOC), Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
4 MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary

When faced with unsolvable or difficult situations dogs use different behavioral strategies. If they are motivated to obtain rewards, they either try to solve the problem on their own or tend to interact with a human partner. Based on the observation that in problem situations less successful and less perseverant dogs look more at the humans' face, some authors claim that the use of social strategies is detrimental to attempting an independent solution in dogs. Training may have an effect on dogs' problem-solving performance. We compared the behavior of (1) untrained, (2) trained for recreational purposes, and (3) working dogs: assistance and therapy dogs living in families ( N = 90). During the task, dogs had to manipulate an apparatus with food pellets hidden inside. We measured the behaviors oriented toward the apparatus and behaviors directed at the owner/experimenter, and ran a principal component analysis. All measures loaded in one factor representing the use of the social strategy over a more problem-oriented strategy. Untrained dogs obtained the highest social strategy scores, followed by dogs trained for recreational purposes, and assistance and therapy dogs had the lowest scores. We conclude that assistance and therapy dogs' specific training and working experience (i.e., to actively help people) favors their independent and more successful problem-solving performance. General training (mainly obedience and agility in this study) also increases problem-oriented behavior.

Introduction

Problem-solving behaviors involve a diverse set of cognitive processes, such as perception, learning, memory and decision making, among others ( 1 , 2 ).

Several studies have focused on dogs' problem-solving abilities using a wide variety of tasks (e.g., puzzle boxes in Frank and Frank ( 3 ) and Marshall-Pescini et al. ( 4 ); unsolvable task in Miklósi et al. ( 5 ); string pulling in Osthaus et al. ( 6 ); interactive dog toy in Shimabukuro et al. ( 7 ). Different kinds of tasks require different skills, thus allowing the thorough study of the diverse strategies that dogs use to solve problems [see e.g., Polgár et al. ( 8 )]. While some studies focus on the manipulation of the physical environment, others analyse social strategies, including communicative interactions. With regard to the latter, dogs' gazing behavior has received the most attention. One frequently used protocol to assess dogs' communicative intents toward people is the so-called unsolvable task. In this situation, dogs try to obtain a reward from an apparatus that cannot be opened. When faced with this problem, most dogs tend to gaze at their owners, which can be interpreted as a referential request for assistance by the human partner [e.g., Miklósi et al. ( 5 ), for a review see Cavalli et al. ( 9 )].

Dogs' selection for socio-cognitive abilities during the domestication process might have had a detrimental effect on their physical cognition ( 3 ). This hypothesis has been supported by several comparative studies in which dogs privileged the use of social strategies such as gazing to the human face, while wolves spent more time manipulating an apparatus and were thus more successful in solving the problem ( 10 , 11 ). However, other authors have highlighted that this discrepancy in the performance of the two species may not be (only) due to differences in their ability to solve physical problems, but other factors, such as motivation and persistence ( 12 – 14 ), and vague definitions ( 15 ). Persistence is a reliable predictor of problem-solving ability, and might be linked to trial and error learning strategies ( 16 ). In this regard, persistence has been operationally defined as the time spent interacting with an apparatus ( 17 ). Accordingly, those individuals that persist longer in their problem-solving attempts are more likely to solve a problem than those that give up earlier [e.g., ( 16 )].

Several other factors appear to influence dogs' problem-solving abilities, including their relationship with humans ( 18 ), their living conditions ( 19 , 20 ), and their breed. For example, compared to Siberian huskies, border collies looked more at the owner in an unsolvable problem situation ( 21 ), and herding dogs tended to look more at the person than working and mastiff like dog breeds when confronted with a puzzle box ( 22 ). However, herding dogs did not interact more with the apparatus than other breed groups in this study, and when taking into consideration both breed and training experience, training had a major influence on dogs' orientation to the apparatus ( 22 ).

In line with this, many studies have focused on the role of training experience. This is of particular relevance, considering the importance of training in working dogs' performance and the increased number of tasks in which dogs participate nowadays. For instance, Marshall-Pescini et al. ( 4 ) tested the performance of untrained family dogs and highly trained family dogs that participated in different activities (i.e., agility, schutzhund, retrieving, search and rescue, freestyle performances). All dogs were exposed to a commercial feeding box which could be opened by pressing a paw pad or nosing the lid. While untrained dogs spent significantly more time looking at either the experimenter or their owner; trained dogs interacted significantly longer with the apparatus and were more successful in opening it. Marshall-Pescini et al. ( 22 ) observed similar results using the same apparatus, as dogs with training experience (i.e., agility, police, search and rescue, and man-trailing) were more successful in the task and looked less to people than untrained dogs. It is important to note that in both of the aforementioned studies trained dogs' groups were heterogeneous given that the subjects differed in the types of training they received and their everyday experiences. While some dogs were trained working dogs, others were trained for recreational or sporting purposes such as agility. Thus, to disentangle the relative effects of training for recreational purposes and for specific work, we aimed to compare the performance of dogs trained for assistance and therapy work with family dogs which had been trained for recreational purposes (see subjects' details). Assistance and therapy dogs differed from trained family dogs in the purpose of their training, their everyday tasks and in the methods of training.

Range et al. ( 23 ) carried out a similar experiment, using a wooden box with a handle which could be opened by pushing it down with the mouth or a paw. In line with previous results, trained dogs (i.e., agility and search and rescue) spent more time interacting with the apparatus and were able to open it significantly more often than untrained ones ( 23 ). On the contrary, Brubaker and Udell ( 24 ) found no significant differences between search and rescue dogs and untrained family dogs in gazing or persistence in a similar task. However, significantly more search and rescue dogs opened the container when they received encouragement ( 24 ). The divergence between these studies may be related to differences in the training the dogs from each sample had received [i.e., agility and rescue dogs in Range et al. ( 23 ); only rescue dogs in Brubaker and Udell ( 24 )]. Furthermore, the encouragement in Brubaker and Udell ( 24 ) may have also influenced the results and this difference in the protocols hinders a straightforward comparison. All in all, results regarding the effects of training on dogs' problem-solving skills and strategies are contradicting. This could be due to differences in the protocols and tasks used, samples, the dogs' breed, and the training received as discussed above.

Professional working dogs represent a special group of dogs which, unlike family dogs, are specifically trained to regularly perform a specific activity such as detection of substances, search and rescue or helping disabled people, among others ( 25 ). Importantly, working dogs face a variety of cognitive challenges during their training and working activities which may influence their behavior and performance during cognitive tests. Even more, as different working roles require different sets of skills, it would be expected that working dogs vary in their performance during such tasks according to the specific activities they carry out ( 26 ). In line with this, it must be taken into account that there are variations in the goals of training, the methods employed for it and the frequency in which those abilities need to be performed, which add to the expected variability among working dogs as a whole. Thus, it is important to assess dogs with different training and working experiences to further understand how these aspects influence dogs' problem-solving skills.

In this study we focused on two types of working dogs: assistance and therapy dogs. Assistance dogs are individually trained to perform tasks for the benefit of their owner with a disability affecting everyday life situations ( 27 ). Therapy dogs participate with their owners in planned, goal-oriented therapeutic interventions directed by providers of health and human service ( 28 ). Both types of working dogs need to be sensitive to their owners' wishes, but at the same time they have to be independent in order to solve problems on their own and flexibly adjust to new scenarios.

Gácsi et al. ( 29 ) studied the interactions between assistance dogs and their owners during a carrying task. They observed joint attention during different parts of the task as well as the use of both verbal and non-verbal communication to guide the dogs' actions. In the case of a task that was impossible to perform, they observed that assistance dogs did not give up easily and were very persistent before they showed communicative signals directed at the owner ( 29 ). The results suggest that assistance dogs are not only persistent, but also able to switch between different strategies, such as communicating with the owner, if they failed in independent problem-solving.

Thus, in this study we aimed to compare the problem-solving performance of dogs with different levels of training and working experience. To this end, we tested three groups of dogs in a problem-solving task; untrained family dogs, family dogs trained for specific tasks (e.g., obedience, agility, herding), and working assistance and therapy dogs. For the sake of simplicity, we will refer to dogs working in assistance and therapy as “working dogs.” We expected working dogs to perform better at independent problem-solving and thus to obtain more food rewards than family pet dogs. Also, we expected untrained family dogs to depend more on their owners and prefer the use of a social strategy such as gazing toward people. In the case of trained family dogs, training experience may increase their independent problem-solving abilities [e.g., ( 4 )]. If this is the case, they should behave similarly to the working dog group. Alternatively, the trainings these dogs had (mainly obedience and agility) may have not prepared them for independent problem-solving, thus their performance may be indistinguishable from that of untrained family dogs.

Materials and Methods

Ethical statement.

The procedures comply with national and EU legislation and institutional guidelines and in accordance with the recommendations in the International Society for Applied Ethology guidelines ( www.applied-ethology.org ). In Hungary, the behavioral observations conducted in this study were not identified as animal experiments by the Hungarian Animal Protection Act (“1998. évi XXVIII. Törvény,” 3. §9.), which identifies animal experiments, as this study was non-invasive. The application number of the ethical commission by the Pest County Government Office is PE/EA/2019-5/2017. Each owner filled in a consent form stating that they have been informed of the tests. Our Consent Form was based on the Ethical Codex of Hungarian Psychologists (2004).

We tested a total of 90 dogs between 1 and 12 years of age, of different breeds and mixed-breeds (see below). Owners volunteered to participate in the test and were recruited through the Family Dog Project database of Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary. All dogs had been living with their owners for at least 6 months before the test. Dogs were assigned to three groups according to their work and training experience. Size, sex, and breed were balanced across groups:

1. Untrained family dogs had no certification exams. N = 30, 14 males, 16 females, mean age = 4.05, SD ± 2.74, breeds: 1 beagle, 7 border collies, 3 German shepherd dogs, 4 golden retrievers, 3 Labrador retrievers, 1 Maltese, 10 mixed, 1 English cocker spaniel.

2. Trained family dogs are dogs trained for recreational purposes. They had 1–4 certification exams (27 obedience, 23 agility, 11 herding, 5 guarding, 9 other: rescue dog, frisbee, dog dancing, K99). N = 30, 15 males, 15 females, mean age = 4.66, SD ± 2.67, Breeds: 8 Border Collies, 1 Bouvier, 1 Dobermann, 2 Golden Retrievers, 1 groenendael, 1 kelpie, 1 Labrador retriever, 2 malinois, 8 mixed, 1 mudi, 1 sheltie, 2 Hungarian vizslas, 1 Yorkshire terrier.

3. Working dogs worked as certified assistance or therapy dogs. assistance dogs were trained to aid individuals with disabilities by the dogs for human charity ( http://kea-net.hu/ ). Therapy dogs were all certified trained dogs, and lived with their owners at their homes. N = 30, 15 males, 15 females, mean age = 4.47, SD ± 3.32, 1 Airdale terrier, 3 border collies, 1 Cavalier King Charles spaniel, 4 golden retrievers, 1 groenendael, 1 Irish setter, 2 Labrador retrievers, 1 Malinois, 8 mixed, 2 standard poodles, 1 English cocker spaniel, 4 Tervuerens, 1 Hungarian vizsla.

Experimental Setup

All dogs had at least 1 h of fasting time before the testing. Dogs were tested in a room unfamiliar to them at the Eötvös University, Department of Ethology. Four cameras in each corner of the room videotaped all testing sessions. The room was 3 × 6 m 2 and there was a drawer where the problem box was stored before the start of the test and a chair for the owner to sit on ( Figure 1 ).

Figure 1 . The experimental setup. Written informed consents were obtained from the individuals for the publication of this image.

As a problem box we used a commercial wooden dog toy (Nina Ottosson® Dog Brick) that comprised a rectangular base with eight holes where treats could be hidden. A sliding wooden brick covered eight holes on both longer sides of the toy, so dogs had to slide the covers toward the middle with their paws or nose in order to get the treats. The bricks could not be lifted. Eight pellets of dry food in the eight holes on both longer sides were used as treats. None of the dogs were familiar with the apparatus prior to the task.

At the beginning of the test, the owner sat on a chair holding the dog on leash. The experimenter (female, 22 years old), who was the same for all dogs, took the interactive dog toy out from the drawers, placed it on the ground, and put a pellet of dry food inside each hole. Thus, dogs were able to see the baiting. When she was ready, the experimenter stepped back, the owner released the dog and the testing began. The dog had 2 min to obtain the food pellets from the apparatus. During this period, the owner was allowed to encourage the dog to find the pellets, verbally and by pointing at the apparatus, but we forbade the use of any previously trained or known commands relevant to the task such as “catch” or “nose.” The owner could not touch the apparatus nor the dog ( Figure 1 ). After the 2 min had elapsed, the experimenter put the toy back in the drawer. Dogs were allowed to eat only the food pellets they had recovered.

Behavioral Variables

We measured the duration of the vocalizations using a 0–3 score. We also measured the proportion of time dogs spent wagging their tail and the proportion of time oriented to the apparatus (including manipulating it, as gazing at the apparatus was often immediately followed by manipulation, therefore it would have been difficult to separate the two behaviors). We counted the number of times the dog gazed at the owner/experimenter, because gazing was generally a short event (just a glance) and provided more information than duration. We also counted the number of food pellets eaten after the behavior tests, on the spot. Other behavioral measures were coded from the videos using Solomon Coder (András Péter). See Table 1 for details and descriptive statistics.

Table 1 . Descriptive statistics of the measured raw variables and factor loadings of the standardized variables.

Statistical Analysis

We analyzed the inter-rater reliability of the variables using two-way random intraclass correlation, looking for absolute agreement between average measures. The inter-rater reliabilities were satisfactory (ICC > 0.741, N = 10).

After standardizing the variables, we ran principal component analysis and calculated factor scores. Cronbach alpha (CA) was used for checking the internal consistency of the factor. For investigating differences in the behavioral factor score (“social strategy” score, see below), as a function of group, sex (as fixed factors), and age (as covariate) we applied General Linear Model with Student–Newman–Keuls (SNK) post-hoc test, including all main effects and two way interactions. We used backward elimination to obtain the minimum adequate model. SPSS v25 ( 30 ) was used for the analyses.

Descriptive statistics of the variables and factor loadings are presented in Table 1 . Standardized variables loaded on a single factor. The total explained variance of the factor was 51.5%, CA = 0.8. The factor included looking at the owner, looking at the experimenter, tail wagging, and vocalization with positive loadings while orientation toward the apparatus and number of food pellets eaten had negative loadings. We labeled this factor as “social strategy,” because high score indicated that the dog uses communicative signals toward the human partners, including gazing, vocalization, tail wagging.

Only group affected the social strategy score [ F (2, 85) = 16.477, p < 0.001, partial eta squared = 0.275, Figure 2 ), age or sex had no effect and there were no interactions (all p > 0.05). According to the SNK post-hoc tests, all groups differed from each other (alpha = 0.05). Untrained dogs obtained the highest social strategy scores, trained dogs had lower scores, followed by working dogs.

Figure 2 . Social strategy factor scores of the three dog groups.

We set out to investigate the problem-solving abilities and related behaviors of dogs with different levels of training and working experience (trained and untrained family dogs as well as working assistance and therapy dogs) in a problem-solving task. Working assistance and therapy dogs displayed a less social and more problem-oriented strategy with a higher success rate than both untrained and trained family dogs. The frequent use of social strategies (i.e., gazing) is correlated with less persistence on the task (i.e., independent manipulation of the apparatus) and consequently with lower success ( 17 ). The results are also consistent with prior literature stating that animals persisting more on their problem-solving attempts are more successful in actually solving the task ( 16 ).

As it was mentioned in the introduction, the literature is mixed regarding the effects of training on dogs' persistence and gazing behavior during problem-solving tasks. For instance, Marshall-Pescini et al. ( 4 , 22 ) found differences in trained dogs' gazing and persistence patterns, but other authors did not find these differences ( 18 , 24 , 31 ). Results regarding working dogs' abilities should be taken with caution, as dogs from different studies vary in the type and amount of training they have received. For example, dogs in Marshall-Pescini et al. ( 22 ) were trained for different purposes (agility, police, search and rescue, and man-trailing), while Brubaker and Udell ( 24 ) tested search and rescue dogs, D'Aniello et al. ( 31 ) focused on water rescue dogs, and in Topál et al. ( 18 ) dogs were trained for basic obedience. A possible explanation is that specific training and working experience confounded the results. We have tried to independently assess ( 1 ) the effect of training for recreational purposes as dogs in our trained family group were trained for different hobby activities, mainly obedience and agility, and ( 2 ) the effect of specific training, as working dogs were trained as assistance and therapy dogs. Therefore, the type and methods of training could be an important aspect to take into account in future studies. Most probably the broad category “trained vs. untrained” is not precise enough to unravel the effect of training on problem-solving behaviors. Furthermore, working dogs may vary in their independence levels according to the context in which they work. For instance, water rescue dogs did not differ from pet dogs in their interaction with the apparatus during an unsolvable task, but they directed their first gaze significantly more often toward the owner and spent more time gazing at people than untrained pet dogs ( 31 ). Water rescue dogs are rewarded for looking at the handler during their training, and during their service they have to remain inactive for a long time in the vicinity of their owners in order not to cause any disturbance, and they take initiatives only upon command. These specific requirements probably affect their performance during problem-solving tasks.

A direct antecedent in the literature is the study of Mongillo et al. ( 32 ) who measured dogs' attention toward the owner in untrained family dogs, agility trained dogs, and assisted intervention animals. They assessed the number of gazes and the amount of time dogs spent watching their owner in a baseline condition where the owner walked alone in a room, and in a selective attention test where the owner's movements were mirrored by an experimenter. During the baseline phase, agility dogs shifted their gaze frequently toward the owner and were also the ones who spent the lesser amount of time looking at their owners, while assistance dogs gazed longer. In addition, assistance dogs gazed longer at their owners during the selective attention test. These results support the idea that different training and everyday activities may modify dogs' attentional patterns. Contrary to our results, Mongillo et al. ( 32 ) found that dogs participating in animal assisted interventions were the most attentive to their owners. This apparent contradiction could be due to the differences in the task. Unlike Mongillo et al. ( 32 ), we presented dogs with a problem-solving situation, in which dogs had to manipulate an apparatus to access a reward. In this latter scenario we observed that working dogs (which include dogs participating in animal assisted interventions) displayed less social strategies than the other group of dogs. Assistant and therapy dogs have to be attentive to their owners' needs but once they understand them or receive a specific command, they should be independent to succeed in their tasks. This interpretation is also supported by the fact that agility dogs in Mongillo et al. ( 32 ) shifted their gaze toward the owner more frequently than family dogs which is an important feature in the agility sport, but they do not need to solve novel problems independently during it. In our study trained family dogs (which include agility dogs) differed in the use of social strategies from untrained pet dogs. Thus, training for specific purposes may yield different patterns of social behavior depending on the context, emphasizing the plasticity and adaptability of dogs' behavior.

Importantly, according to the SNK post-hoc tests, trained family dogs had lower social strategy scores than untrained family dogs. Possibly, trained dogs were more used to facing novel situations and they could have generalized their training experience to this situation as well. It is possible that during training sessions dogs have to persevere and try different behaviors before getting the reward and that the contextual cues of the testing scenario trigger some of those responses. Indirect evidence supporting this idea comes from studies indicating that dogs are able to generalize and learn to follow novel and complex communicative signals faster when they have previously received a brief training phase with a simpler communicative cue ( 33 , 34 ).

Nevertheless, training for recreational purposes did not seem to be enough for dogs to reach the effectiveness of working assistance and therapy dogs, as the latter were more successful problem solvers and had lower scores in the use of the social strategies component. This result suggests that dogs' everyday experience is an uttermost important aspect to take into account when assessing their skills in a problem-solving situation. There are at least two possible, non-exclusive, explanations for this difference. First, it is possible that working assistance and therapy dogs were more comfortable in the presence of strangers and in novel situations given that they usually accompany their owners to a variety of places. Second, it is possible that dogs that have successfully accomplished the training as assistance or therapy dogs had pre-existing characteristics that distinguished them from other dogs. For instance, it has been shown that personality traits such as boldness are related with the successful training of working dogs ( 35 ). We propose that these two explanations are complementary, because it is possible that those dogs that became working dogs were encouraged during their everyday activities to behave in a more independent manner. Owners were allowed to encourage their dogs during the task, verbally or pointing to the apparatus, but without using commands or touch. Interestingly, Udell ( 11 ) reported that dogs, who were encouraged, spent more time in contact and looking at the puzzle box, but they were not significantly more successful in solving the task. Similarly, in Brubaker and Udell ( 24 ) encouraged family dogs interacted more with the apparatus but their performance was not significantly better. Conversely, encouragement did improve the performance of dogs trained for search and rescue ( 24 ). Given that in the present study we did not systematically manipulate the quantity and quality of the encouragement, we cannot derive unambiguous conclusions regarding this aspect. Udell's ( 11 ) results suggest that the use of encouragement and verbal instructions modulates problem-solving behavior, but their particular effects could depend on the context as well as working and training experience ( 11 ). In this regard, it is also possible that dogs react differently to verbal commands. Working dogs are trained to respond to a command by performing a specific action. For example, if the owner points to a particular object and asks the dog to do something with it, trained working dogs will manipulate the object instead of looking at the owner, while untrained pet dogs may be uncertain about what to do and will gaze at the owner in search for further clues [similarly to young dogs in Miklósi et al. ( 5 )]. Furthermore, not only the type of commands given by the owner affects dogs' performance, but also the bond between them. Topál et al. ( 18 ) compared the performance of dogs categorized according to their relationship with the owners. “Companion dogs” were defined as dogs living indoors as a member of the family and “working dogs” were kept outside the house as a guard or for some other purpose. In a simple manipulative task dogs had to manipulate an apparatus in order to get the reward while the owner could encourage them to retrieve the food. Companion dogs gazed more at the owner, started to manipulate the apparatus later and also retrieved less food than working dogs. The authors also found that obedience training did not affect dogs' performance or gazing patterns to their owners. These results are in line with our findings about the similar gazing patterns between trained and untrained family dogs.

One limitation of the study is that the dogs' characteristics before training were unknown. As it occurs in many studies assessing the effect of training on dogs' cognitive skills, the lack of a baseline measurement before training makes it impossible to guarantee that dogs were not selected for such work based on their pre-existing characteristics such as an increased persistence. Another limitation of these kind of studies is that training methods may differ between specific trainers and yield different results on dogs' problem-solving strategy. Thus, in future research, specific types and methods of previous training should also be taken into account when assessing dogs' problem-solving skills.

Summing up, we have shown that working assistance and therapy dogs were more independent problem solvers compared to both trained and untrained family dogs, who privileged a more social strategy. Thus, although assistance and therapy dogs need to show highly developed social understanding in their interactions with the owner, their special training and work may have increased their persistence and independent problem-solving skills. However, obtaining training certificates (mainly obedience and agility in this study) also increased the independent problem-solving tendency in our task, suggesting that trained family dogs generalize their training experience of facing novel situations and perseverance for obtaining rewards.

Data Availability Statement

All datasets generated for this study are included in the article/ Supplementary Material .

Ethics Statement

The animal study was reviewed and approved by Pest County Government Office, PE/EA/2019-5/2017. Written informed consent was obtained from the owners for the participation of their animals in this study.

Author Contributions

EK, ÁM, and MG designed the experiments and collected the data. EK analyzed the data. FC, CC, and EK wrote the first draft. All authors finalized the manuscript. ÁM and EK provided funding.

This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No. 680040), the ERASMUS+ mobility program, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Grant F01/031), the National Research, Development and Innovation Office (Grant No. 132372K), and the National Brain Research Program (2017-1.2.1-NKP-2017-00002).

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful for Barbara Gáspár, Borbála Turcsán, and Vera Konok in collecting behavioral data and Ivaylo B. Iotchev for language editing.

Supplementary Material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00164/full#supplementary-material

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Keywords: human-animal interaction, canine-cognition, persistence, gazing, unsolvable task, working dogs

Citation: Carballo F, Cavalli CM, Gácsi M, Miklósi Á and Kubinyi E (2020) Assistance and Therapy Dogs Are Better Problem Solvers Than Both Trained and Untrained Family Dogs. Front. Vet. Sci. 7:164. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00164

Received: 03 January 2020; Accepted: 06 March 2020; Published: 31 March 2020.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2020 Carballo, Cavalli, Gácsi, Miklósi and Kubinyi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Enikő Kubinyi, eniko.kubinyi@ttk.elte.hu

† These authors have contributed equally to this work

This article is part of the Research Topic

Humans in an Animal’s World – How Non-Human Animals Perceive and Interact with Humans

Solving the Puppy Problem

Seeking the solution to a dream problem can resolve a situation in waking life..

Posted December 1, 2023 | Reviewed by Hara Estroff Marano

What Is Adoption?
Find a therapist who understands adoption
A recurring dream can signal an underlying issue that dogs us through different circumstances in our lives.
Finding a solution to a problem we create in a dream can help point us to a waking-life response.
Our dreams always provide an opportunity to solve a waking situation we are grappling with.

Marie dreamed repeatedly of trying to adopt a puppy, without success. Dream analysis uncovered the relation between her dream situation and a difficult life situation, and she realized that the same solution would work for both. Her dreams were pushing her towards a new response that could help her achieve her goals more effectively.

Marie’s Dream

Marie told me, “It's a recurring dream. I've had it six or seven times that I can remember since I've been an adult. I am either going to an animal shelter or the place of someone who is adopting out puppies, and I’m so excited! I think about how much fun it will be to walk and play with my new dog, but I never actually get to take the puppy home. The shelter isn't open or there is nobody there to help me. I'm always so disappointed, really crushed.

“I just had this dream again recently. I'm curious as to what it may mean.”

The Discussion

I began by observing, “I’m struck by your feelings in this dream. Can you think of a recent situation—maybe something new to you, like a new friend, a new job, or new situation—in which you started out with high expectations but didn’t end as well as you anticipated?”

Marie considered my question. “I had an interaction with my niece, who I haven't seen for a very long time. She is recently self-isolated and angry but also, I think, has undiagnosed Asperger's ."

Her tears beginning to flow, Marie added, “Our family seems oblivious, and I am so sad about it all. I want so much to just be there for her. When I sat with her, I felt such overwhelming love, and she is so alone. The visit affected me deeply."

Thinking aloud, I considered, “So it’s kind of like an adoption . Does this idea resonate for you?”

I added, “And you can’t take her home.”

She confirmed, “No. Definitely not. Wow! Thinking about this, I'm really overwhelmed right now.”

I surmised, “If we look inside the dream, there’s no place where you are asking for assistance. You say there is no one there to help, but you also don’t seem to seek anyone out. Is there no one to help you help your niece? Have you reached out to other family members?”

Marie explained, “I've talked a little about this to her father but only before I realized I think she may have Asperger's. I had no idea how affected she was, how socially awkward.”

“Do you have any thoughts on who in your family might be as upset as you are or at least might want to talk and see what you might do? Perhaps her dad doesn’t realize how bad his daughter’s situation is.”

She responded, “That’s a good idea. I'm adopted and I am definitely a horse of a different color when it comes to emotional expression. I have been discouraged from being emotionally expressive in my family, so the idea of reaching out is a bit foreign. But I’m so upset, I think it is definitely worth a try."

Connecting the dots with this new information, I exclaimed, “Your images are all around adoption! It’s a perfect choice of metaphor. You are hoping to figuratively adopt this girl who is so alone.”

Marie added, “My niece has so many obstacles in her life, and she probably feels a bit like me, an outsider. Maybe that's what I saw, too. She is transgender . She’s had all her surgeries, and this seemed to be the catalyst for her feeling so alienated.”

Wanting to leave Marie armed with potential and possibility, I offered, "In your dream, you want to adopt a puppy but you can’t, because there is no one there to help you adopt. This is a recurring dream, which suggests a problem that needs solving.

“Dream analysis can open the door for you to exercise new behaviours in working towards solutions for persistent problems. One way your dreams can help is by revealing what’s missing in your habitual responses.

“In your puppy-adoption dream, you arrive at a place where there’s no one to help you. If this dream really happened in your life, you would solve the problem by looking for a helpful person, which is just what you’ve been missing in your waking-life response, where the idea of reaching out is ‘foreign’ to you.

“You can let your dream encourage you to take the initiative in looking for someone to help you move the ‘adoption’ process along. Speak up more. If not your niece’s father, someone else will help you be present for her.”

What We Can Learn

Marie, who was adopted herself, created a dream in which she's trying to adopt a dog. It's a perfect mirror for her wanting to “take in” her niece. Knowing this job is not one she is able to fulfill on her own, she sets this situation up in the dream's story.

Notice how Marie explicitly compares herself to her niece in that both feel like outsiders. The similarities between their life experiences might partly explain why Marie is so moved and upset about her niece’s situation. The recurring nature of the dream also suggests that Marie has repeatedly dealt with this feeling since she became an adult.

Marie’s dream analysis shows how a dream may lead us to examine not only the behaviors we do engage in but also those responses that we don’t engage in. The process of interpreting our dreams can nudge us toward actions that can feel a bit foreign or definitely uncomfortable but that offer an effective response to a current situation.

A recurring dream can push us harder because it signals an underlying issue that continues to dog us through different circumstances in our lives.

Layne Dalfen, author of the Have a Great Dream books, established and runs The Dream Interpretation Center, founded in 1997, lectures at Concordia University in Montreal, and appears frequently on radio and television.

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Dog's Best Life

The information you need to keep your dog happy, healthy, playful and loyal.

Are wolves better problem solvers than dogs?

PUBLISHED: April 13, 2018 | UPDATED: March 18, 2023

The modern domestic dog has been the four-legged friend of humans for thousands of years. Distantly related to the modern day gray wolf, the domestic dog is thought to belong to a lineage of wolves now extinct. Over millennia the canine evolved like humans.

Selective breeding has created a variety of breeds that are prized for their unique abilities, physical qualities and sensory attributes. In fact, some dog breeds are prized for their reputation of being smart . Consider the border collie for example, the dogs have the highest score when it comes to working intelligence.

Recent studies, however, suggest that the domestication of dogs may have had a negative effect on dog problem-solving skills.

In a variety of studies, wolves outperformed dogs in simple problem-solving scenarios and maybe less surprisingly team-based tasks.

Oregon State studies dog problem-solving skills

One such study was conducted by animal behavior researcher Monique Udell of Oregon State University. During the experiment, individual dogs and wolves were presented with a plastic food container and were expected to remove the lid to retrieve the tasty reward inside.

Astonishingly, 8 out of 10 wolves successfully got the treat, while just 1 in 20 domestic dogs managed to do so in the same test.

Interestingly, however, puppies were successful more often than adult dogs, indicating that potentially human training may have an influence on the dogs’ behavior rather than them intrinsically lacking the dog problem-solving skills to open the container.

Wolves also seem better at understanding cause and effect relationships. .

Wolves have an intrinsic ability to find food

A recent study conducted by Radboud University’s Michelle Lampe highlighted that wolves, distinct from their close domesticated relative, appear to have an intrinsic ability for making observations of where food was concealed.

This suggests that the process of domestication may have changed dogs’ cognitive ability, or at least their motivation to act alone. This makes sense of course, since wolves live in the wild and are isolated from humans. To survive, they have to use problem-solving skills such as in hunting in order to survive.

While their domestic cousins, raised by humans from puppyhood, have no real motivation or need to be independent because their owners meet their needs.

Another important consideration is selective breeding. For generations, breeders have been choosing mates based on traits that have nothing to do with competence in the wild, which potentially compounds the issue even further.

Are wolves smarter than dogs?

You may reach the understandable conclusion that these studies show dogs aren’t as smart or that their intelligence is inferior to wolves, yet it isn’t that straightforward. In reality, there could be a variety of reasons for these behavioral differences unrelated to intelligence.

Clive Wynne, a leading expert in the field based at Arizona State University in Tempe, postulates that from the results of some studies wolves are practical problem solvers, while domestic canines are social problem solvers.

Essentially this means that domestic dogs may be raised in an environment that alters their natural behaviors.

For instance, in a human environment, dogs are trained to be obedient and soon learn that certain behaviors may cause aggression or discipline from their owners. For instance, if a dog tries to take food from a human’s plate, the dog would be scolded and either learn not to steal food or understand he needs to be more careful the next time.

Wolves on the other hand have received no such training about eating, so they are unlikely to have modified their behavior.

So while young dogs aren’t intrinsically bad at problem solving, over time they are socialized to be more obedient and cautious around food.

Of course, the fact domestic dogs have developed cooperation traits is a major reason they have become such sought after human companions. In fact, dogs are the only animals to understand a human finger point and are able to pick up on a variety of human signals.

It’s also important to remember domesticated dogs and modern wolves aren’t directly related, so making comparisons between their characteristics and behavior isn’t always reliable. Especially when you consider that their common ancestor is thought to have roamed Earth as long as 36,000 years ago .

Can owners help pets develop dog problem-solving skills?

It seems that the studies make it clear that domestic dogs appear to suppress their inherent problem-solving abilities in favor of remaining obedient to please their owners.

This was made especially clear in a study repeated by Udell, which showed that when their owners encouraged them, the dogs were more willing to take the food from the container.

Since we know dogs are social problem solvers, rather than adaptive problem solvers like wolves, how can we help dogs become better at solving problems?

The research highlights that in order to solve problems, unlike wolves, dogs will not act independently and are less likely to adapt to a new situation without encouragement. Wolves will persist in their quest to get the food, while dogs will instead make eye contact and look for help from their owners.

So by responding to your dog with encouraging body language , social cues and appropriate rewards for being obedient, the dog is more likely to succeed.

Another important misconception is that like wolves, dogs are cooperative and work together to solve a task.

But the evidence indicates that this isn’t the case. Dogs view it as a hierarchical relationship, with the owner as the leader of the pack. The truth is dogs have been bred to be obedient, rather than cooperative, which is why they seek their owner’s approval, which is a very important thing to note when training your dog.

– By Carl Green

Carl Green is a dog owner, wildlife enthusiast and blogger who’s other works can be found on AnimalMentor. If he’s not out walking his dogs, pruning his garden or tending his vegetable patch, he can be found writing about wildlife, animals and pets.

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7 Problem Solving Items Pet Owners Love

As a pet owner, you understand the joys and challenges that come with sharing your life with a furry friend. While the love and companionship they offer are priceless, pets also bring their fair share of messes, grooming needs, and health concerns. Fortunately, there’s a world of innovative pet products designed to make your life easier and your pet’s life happier. In this article, we’ll explore 13 problem solving items that pet owners love . From grooming tools to cleaning solutions and everything in between, these products can help you tackle common pet-related challenges with ease.

1.1.1 Precision-Engineered for Results
1.1.2 A Clean Home and a Happy Pet
1.1.3 Regular Grooming for Lasting Results
1.2.1 Hands-Free Cleaning Power
1.2.2 Effortless Operation
1.2.3 Versatile and Efficient
1.2.4 A Fresh and Clean Home
1.2.5 Safe and Pet-Friendly
2.1.1 Engaging Mealtime Fun
2.1.2 Slowing Down Mealtime
2.1.3 Reducing Boredom and Anxiety
2.1.4 Tail-Wagging Delight
2.1.5 Easy to Clean and Durable
3.1.1 The Persistent Problem of Pet Odors
3.1.2 The Power of Urine Gone
4.1.1 The Accessibility Challenge
4.1.2 The CozyUp Folding Dog Stairs Solution
5.1.1 Understanding the Challenge: Canine Eye Discharge
5.1.2 Nutri-Vet’s Solution: Gentle Eye Rinse
5.1.3 A Brighter Outlook for Your Canine Companion
6.1.1 The Challenge: Pet Dental Health
6.1.2 Nylabone’s Innovative Solution
6.1.3 A Healthier Smile for Your Pet
7.1.1 The Traveling Challenge: Pet Safety and Comfort
7.1.2 Petmate’s Solution: Soft-Sided Kennel Cab
7.1.3 Ensuring Your Pet’s Comfort and Safety
8 Final Remarks on Problem Solving Items Pet Owners Love
9.1 Q1. Are these products safe for my pets?
9.2 Q2. Can I use the stain and odor eliminator on different surfaces?
9.3 Q3. How often should I use the waterless cat bath?
9.4 Q4. Are these treats suitable for cats with dietary restrictions?
9.5 Q5. Can I use the water additive with my dog’s regular drinking water?

FURminator Dog/Cat Grooming Rake

Problem solved: shedding.

Dealing with pet shedding can often feel like an endless battle. Pet hair seems to find its way onto every surface, from your furniture to your clothing. It can be especially frustrating if you or a family member suffers from allergies. Enter the FURminator Dog/Cat Grooming Rake, a revolutionary solution to the shedding problem that has won the hearts of pet owners worldwide.

Precision-Engineered for Results

The FURminator grooming rake is not your average pet brush. It’s a precision-engineered tool designed to tackle the root of the problem: your pet’s undercoat. This is where most of the loose fur originates, and traditional brushes often struggle to reach it effectively.

The grooming rake features stainless steel teeth that are meticulously crafted to reach deep into your pet’s undercoat without causing any discomfort. These teeth grab onto loose hair, gently but thoroughly removing it. The result? A reduction in shedding by up to a remarkable 90%.

A Clean Home and a Happy Pet

One of the immediate benefits of the FURminator grooming rake is a cleaner home . You’ll notice fewer pet hairs on your furniture, floors, and clothing, making your living space more enjoyable and allergy-friendly. But the advantages go beyond just aesthetics.

Reducing shedding through regular use of the grooming rake can also prevent common pet issues, such as hairballs and mats. Hairballs are not only unpleasant for your pet but can lead to digestive problems. Mats, on the other hand, can be painful and uncomfortable. By keeping your pet’s coat well-groomed, you ensure their comfort and well-being.

Regular Grooming for Lasting Results

The key to success with the FURminator grooming rake is consistency. Regular grooming sessions with this tool can significantly reduce shedding over time. Not only will your pet look and feel better, but your home will also remain cleaner and more hygienic.

Moreover, the grooming process can become a bonding experience between you and your pet. Many animals enjoy the sensation of being groomed, and it can be a relaxing and enjoyable time for both of you. It’s an opportunity to show your pet love and care while addressing the shedding issue effectively.

potBot Pet handsfree Spot and Stain Cleaner

Problem Solved: Pet Messes

We love our furry friends , but every pet owner knows that accidents can happen. Whether it’s a puppy in the process of being house-trained or a senior cat with occasional mishaps, dealing with pet stains and odors is an inevitable part of pet ownership. Enter the potBot Pet Handsfree Spot and Stain Cleaner, a remarkable solution that simplifies the cleanup process and leaves your home smelling fresh.

Hands-Free Cleaning Power

The potBot spot and stain cleaner are designed with pet owners in mind. It’s a hands-free, portable cleaning device that takes the hassle out of dealing with pet messes. No more bending over, scrubbing, or using harsh chemicals to clean up after your furry friend . The potBot does the work for you, and all you have to do is place it over the mess.

Effortless Operation

Using the potBot is a breeze. When your pet has an accident, simply set the device over the stain, and it will automatically detect and start cleaning. The potBot uses a combination of gentle scrubbing and effective cleaning solutions to break down and remove stains and odors. It’s like having a dedicated cleaning assistant for pet messes in your home.

Versatile and Efficient

The potBot isn’t limited to one type of surface; it can be used on a variety of flooring materials, including carpets, rugs, hardwood, tile, and more. This versatility makes it a valuable tool for any pet owner, regardless of their home’s flooring types. Plus, it’s compact and portable, allowing you to take it wherever pet messes may occur.

A Fresh and Clean Home

One of the most significant advantages of the potBot is its ability to effectively remove not only stains but also odors. Pet accidents can leave lingering smells that are challenging to eliminate completely. The potBot’s cleaning solutions target and neutralize these odors, leaving your home smelling fresh and clean.

Safe and Pet-Friendly

Pet owners can rest assured that the potBot is safe for their furry companions. It uses gentle yet effective cleaning solutions that won’t harm your pets. Plus, by thoroughly cleaning up after accidents, it can help discourage repeat offenses by removing the scent markers that might attract pets back to the same spot.

Routesun Snuffle Mat for Dogs

Problem solved: boredom and overeating.

Dogs are naturally curious and active animals, and keeping them mentally and physically engaged is essential for their well-being. However, many pet owners face challenges such as boredom and overeating, especially during mealtime. This is where the Routesun Snuffle Mat for Dogs comes to the rescue, providing an interactive and enjoyable solution for both pets and their owners.

Engaging Mealtime Fun

The Routesun Snuffle Mat is designed to turn mealtime into a fun and engaging activity for your furry friend . It features a unique design with nooks and crannies that are perfect for hiding treats or kibble. This transforms the simple act of eating into a stimulating game for your dog . As your pet sniffs and explores the mat to uncover their food, it engages their problem-solving skills and keeps their mind active.

Slowing Down Mealtime

For dogs that tend to devour their food quickly, the Routesun Snuffle Mat can be a game-changer. By hiding their food in the mat, you encourage them to eat more slowly and thoughtfully. This can be particularly beneficial for dogs prone to digestive issues or those who need to manage their weight. Slower eating can also reduce the risk of bloating, a condition that can be dangerous for some dogs.

Reducing Boredom and Anxiety

Boredom can lead to behavioral problems in dogs, such as excessive chewing or barking. The Routesun Snuffle Mat provides mental stimulation and entertainment, helping to alleviate boredom and reduce anxiety. It can be especially useful during times when your dog needs to stay occupied, such as when you’re working from home or when the weather prevents outdoor activities.

Tail-Wagging Delight

One of the most rewarding aspects of using the Routesun Snuffle Mat is watching your dog’s delight as they interact with it. Their tail will likely wag with excitement as they explore the mat’s nooks and crannies to discover hidden treats or kibble. This not only provides enjoyment for your pet but also strengthens the bond between you and your furry companion.

Easy to Clean and Durable

The Routesun Snuffle Mat is made from high-quality, durable materials that can withstand enthusiastic pawing and sniffing. It’s also easy to clean, ensuring that your pet’s feeding area remains hygienic.

Urine Gone Stain & Odor Eliminator

Problem solved: stubborn odors.

For pet owners, dealing with stubborn odors caused by pet accidents can be a never-ending battle. Whether you have a new puppy in the house or an older pet with occasional accidents, finding an effective solution to eliminate urine odors and stains is essential. This is where Urine Gone Stain & Odor Eliminator steps in, offering a powerful and reliable remedy for pet-related odor issues.

The Persistent Problem of Pet Odors

Pet accidents happen, and when they do, they often leave behind not only visible stains but also lingering odors. These odors can be challenging to get rid of, and even after cleaning the affected area, the scent may persist, attracting pets to repeat the same spot. The persistence of pet odors can make your home feel less clean and welcoming, and it’s a problem that many pet owners face.

The Power of Urine Gone

Urine Gone Stain & Odor Eliminator is a powerful and effective solution designed specifically for pet owners. It is formulated to tackle the stubborn odors and stains associated with pet accidents, including urine, feces, and vomit. Here’s how it works:

Complete Odor and Stain Removal: One of the standout features of Urine Gone is its ability to completely eliminate both the odor and the stain. It doesn’t just mask the odor; it removes it at the source, discouraging pets from revisiting the same spot. This ensures that your home remains fresh-smelling and free from lingering pet odors.

Enzymatic Action: Urine Gone uses enzymatic action to break down the organic compounds responsible for the odor and stain. This biological approach is highly effective and environmentally friendly, as it doesn’t rely on harsh chemicals. It also ensures that the odor is eliminated, not just temporarily masked.

Versatile Use: This stain and odor eliminator can be used on a variety of surfaces, including carpets, rugs, upholstery, and hard floors. Whether your pet has had an accident on the carpet or on a tile floor, Urine Gone can effectively tackle the problem.

Preventing Repeat Accidents: By completely eliminating the odor, Urine Gone helps prevent pets from returning to the same spot for future accidents. This is a crucial aspect of house training and maintaining a clean home environment.

Easy to Use: Urine Gone comes in a convenient spray bottle, making it easy to apply directly to the affected area. Simply spray, allow it to work its magic, and then blot or wipe away the excess. It’s a user-friendly solution that delivers impressive results.

PetSafe CozyUp Folding Dog Stairs

Problem solved: accessibility.

For our furry companions, accessing elevated surfaces like beds and couches can sometimes be a tall order, especially for small or aging dogs. The need for a helping hand becomes evident as they struggle to climb up or down, risking injury with each attempt. This is where PetSafe’s CozyUp Folding Dog Stairs step in, offering a simple and effective solution to the accessibility challenge faced by many pet owners.

The Accessibility Challenge

Dogs, like humans, experience changes in mobility as they age. Even smaller dog breeds may find it increasingly difficult to jump onto higher surfaces as they get older. Furthermore, injuries or physical limitations can affect a dog’s ability to navigate elevated areas independently. These challenges are not only frustrating for your pet but also worrisome for pet owners who fear their beloved companions may hurt themselves attempting to reach their favorite spots.

The CozyUp Folding Dog Stairs Solution

PetSafe’s CozyUp Folding Dog Stairs are designed with the comfort and safety of your pet in mind. Here’s how these stairs effectively address the accessibility issue:

Sturdy and Reliable: These folding dog stairs are built to be sturdy and reliable. They are constructed using durable materials that can comfortably support your pet’s weight, ensuring their safety while using the stairs.

Convenient Folding Design: The folding design of these stairs is a game-changer. When not in use, you can easily fold them up and tuck them away, saving valuable space in your home. When your pet needs assistance, simply unfold the stairs, and they are ready to use.

Gentle Incline: The incline of the stairs is designed to be gentle and manageable for your pet. It provides an accessible and comfortable path for your dog to ascend or descend from elevated surfaces.

Reduced Risk of Injury: By offering your pet a safe and stable means of reaching higher places, these stairs significantly reduce the risk of injury. There’s no more worrying about your pet’s well-being as they navigate these everyday obstacles.

Ideal for Small and Aging Dogs: PetSafe’s CozyUp Folding Dog Stairs are especially beneficial for smaller dog breeds and aging pets. They provide the extra support and assistance needed to maintain their independence and quality of life.

Easy to Clean: Accidents can happen, and pet owners appreciate products that are easy to clean. These folding dog stairs are designed with this in mind, making maintenance a breeze.

Nutri-Vet Eye Rinse for Dogs

Problem solved: eye discharge.

Dog owners know that their canine companions can sometimes experience eye discharge, a common issue that, while usually harmless, can be bothersome for both pets and their owners. Nutri-Vet Eye Rinse for Dogs offers a practical and effective solution to address this problem, ensuring that your furry friend’s eyes remain bright and comfortable.

Understanding the Challenge: Canine Eye Discharge

Eye discharge in dogs can result from various factors, including allergies, environmental irritants, or eye infections. While it is typically not a cause for alarm, it can lead to discomfort, unsightly staining, and, in some cases, may indicate an underlying health issue. Dog owners often seek ways to manage and alleviate this concern.

Nutri-Vet’s Solution: Gentle Eye Rinse

Nutri-Vet, a trusted name in pet care, has developed an eye rinse solution tailored to the specific needs of dogs. Here’s how Nutri-Vet Eye Rinse for Dogs provides a solution:

Gentle Cleansing: Nutri-Vet’s formula is designed for gentle cleansing of your dog’s eyes. It helps remove debris, mucus, and other impurities that may accumulate in and around the eye area.

Soothing and Comfort: Beyond cleaning, this eye rinse soothes the eyes, providing relief from irritation and discomfort. Dogs with excessive eye discharge will benefit from the soothing effects of this rinse.

Bright and Healthy Eyes: Regular use of Nutri-Vet’s eye rinse helps maintain the cleanliness and clarity of your dog’s eyes. This can prevent unsightly staining around the eyes and promote a vibrant, healthy appearance.

User-Friendly Application: Applying the eye rinse is straightforward and hassle-free. The bottle typically comes with an easy-to-use nozzle that allows you to gently and safely apply the solution to your dog’s eyes.

Safety and Trust: Nutri-Vet is known for its commitment to pet health and safety. This eye rinse is formulated with your dog’s well-being in mind, using ingredients that are safe and suitable for dogs of all breeds and sizes.

A Brighter Outlook for Your Canine Companion

Nutri-Vet Eye Rinse for Dogs provides a simple yet effective solution to the common issue of eye discharge in dogs. By offering gentle cleansing and soothing properties, this product helps ensure that your dog’s eyes remain comfortable and free from unsightly stains.

Nylabone Advanced Oral Care Cat & Dog Water Additive for Dental Care

Problem solved: dental health.

Pet owners understand the importance of maintaining their furry companions’ oral health. Dental issues in cats and dogs can lead to discomfort, bad breath, and even more severe health problems. Nylabone’s Advanced Oral Care Cat & Dog Water Additive offers a convenient solution to this common challenge, helping you keep your pet’s teeth and gums in excellent condition.

The Challenge: Pet Dental Health

Dental problems are prevalent among pets, with issues like plaque, tartar buildup, gum disease, and bad breath affecting their overall well-being. Brushing your pet’s teeth regularly is an effective way to prevent these problems, but it’s not always easy or practical. Many pets are resistant to having their teeth brushed, making oral care a challenging task for their owners.

Nylabone’s Innovative Solution

Nylabone, a trusted name in pet dental care, has developed an innovative solution to address the challenge of maintaining your pet’s dental health: the Advanced Oral Care Cat & Dog Water Additive. Here’s how this product provides an effective and hassle-free way to care for your pet’s teeth and gums:

Freshens Breath: Nylabone’s water additive is formulated to combat bad breath in cats and dogs . By simply adding it to your pet’s water bowl, you can enjoy the benefit of fresher breath without any fuss.

Reduces Plaque and Tartar: This additive is more than a breath freshener; it also helps reduce plaque and tartar buildup on your pet’s teeth. Over time, this can lead to healthier gums and teeth, preventing dental issues.

Easy to Use: One of the most significant advantages of Nylabone’s water additive is its user-friendly application. There’s no need for brushing or complex routines. Just add the recommended amount to your pet’s water bowl, and they’ll ingest it naturally as they drink.

Safe and Effective: Nylabone prioritizes the safety and well-being of pets. The water additive is carefully formulated with ingredients that are safe for cats and dogs. It’s a gentle yet effective way to promote oral health.

A Healthier Smile for Your Pet

With Nylabone’s Advanced Oral Care Cat & Dog Water Additive, maintaining your pet’s oral health becomes a simple and stress-free part of your daily routine. By addressing bad breath, reducing plaque and tartar, and promoting overall dental wellness, this product offers a path to a healthier smile for your beloved cat or dog.

Petmate Soft-Sided Kennel Cab Pet Carrier

Problem solved: traveling with ease.

Traveling with pets can be an adventure, but it can also come with its fair share of challenges. Whether you’re heading to the vet for a routine checkup or embarking on a more extended journey, ensuring your pet’s safety and comfort is a top priority. That’s where Petmate’s Soft-Sided Kennel Cab Pet Carrier comes to the rescue, solving the problem of traveling with ease.

The Traveling Challenge: Pet Safety and Comfort

Pets, be they cats or dogs, often face anxiety and discomfort when it comes to traveling. The unfamiliar sights, sounds, and sensations of a car ride or a trip to the vet can cause stress for both you and your pet . Ensuring that your furry friend feels secure and comfortable during these journeys is essential for their well-being.

Petmate’s Solution: Soft-Sided Kennel Cab

Petmate, a renowned name in pet products , has designed the Soft-Sided Kennel Cab Pet Carrier to address these challenges effectively. Here’s how this pet carrier solves the problem of traveling with ease:

Comfortable Interior: The interior of the carrier is designed with your pet’s comfort in mind. It features a plush and cozy lining that makes your furry companion feel at ease during the journey.

Secure and Enclosed: The carrier provides a secure and enclosed space for your pet. The mesh windows on all sides allow for proper ventilation while keeping your pet safely contained. It also prevents escape during travel, ensuring your pet’s safety.

Easy to Carry: The Soft-Sided Kennel Cab is equipped with a comfortable carrying handle and an adjustable shoulder strap, making it easy for you to transport your pet. It’s lightweight and designed for convenience.

Travel-Ready: This pet carrier is airline-approved, making it suitable for both short trips and longer journeys. You can use it for visits to the vet, vacations, or any other travel plans with your pet.

Durable and Stylish: Petmate’s carrier is not only functional but also stylish. Its durable construction ensures that it can withstand the wear and tear of travel while remaining an attractive choice for pet owners.

Ensuring Your Pet’s Comfort and Safety

Petmate’s Soft-Sided Kennel Cab Pet Carrier is a practical solution to the challenges of traveling with your furry companion. By providing a comfortable and secure space, this carrier reduces your pet’s stress during travel, ensuring their safety and well-being. Whether it’s a short trip to the vet or a more extended adventure, you can trust that your pet will be traveling in comfort and style.

Final Remarks on Problem Solving Items Pet Owners Love

Being a pet owner comes with its unique set of challenges, but it also brings immense joy and companionship. These 13 problem-solving items are designed to make your life as a pet owner easier and more enjoyable. From grooming to cleaning, hydration to dental care, and even travel solutions, these products cater to both you and your beloved pets.

FAQs About Pet Problem Solvers

Q1. are these products safe for my pets.

Most of the products mentioned are specifically designed for pets and are safe when used as directed. Always read product labels and follow instructions.

Q2. Can I use the stain and odor eliminator on different surfaces?

Urine Gone is versatile and can be used on various surfaces, including carpets, hardwood floors, and upholstery.

Q3. How often should I use the waterless cat bath?

Use Vet’s Best Waterless Cat Bath as needed, typically every few weeks or when your cat needs a quick refresh.

Q4. Are these treats suitable for cats with dietary restrictions?

TEMPTATIONS Indoor Care Crunchy and Soft Cat Treats are formulated for indoor cats and have fewer calories to support a healthy weight.

Q5. Can I use the water additive with my dog’s regular drinking water?

Yes, the Nylabone water additive can be added to your dog’s regular drinking water to promote oral health.

With these innovative products, you can enhance the well-being of your pets and simplify the tasks that come with pet ownership.

1 thought on “7 Problem Solving Items Pet Owners Love”

Every other place states that water additives are ineffective for removing tartar from dogs’ teeth, so unless or until I see proof otherwise, I will continue to take care of my dog’s teeth the hard way.

How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam

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A massive scam targeting older Americans who own timeshare properties has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars sent to Mexico.

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COMMENTS

How to Solve Common puppy Problems
5. Pulling on the lead. Solution: It's not unusual for dogs to pull but you need to teach them to walk calmly and on a loose lead. Firstly, continue to use the comfortable collar or harness you already have, to do this. Now, start the training at home, rewarding and praising your pup for being close by.
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Place several small boxes or flower pots upside down on the floor and hide a treat under only one. Let your puppy sniff and explore until the treasure is found. Don't forget that fun and games ...
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Ear Infections: Head shaking, ear odor, or scratching are symptoms of possible ear infections in puppies. Regular ear checks and gently cleaning your pup's ears with a vet-approved solution can prevent these infections. Dental Problems: Puppy teeth are temporary and prone to dental diseases.
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Early puppy development is crucial. Early neurological stimulation, surface training, and sounds help develop problem-solving abilities in the first weeks.
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5. Nipping and inappropriate play behavior. Pet owners often worry that their dog is becoming aggressive when they start biting at a young age. But in a young puppy, this is often inappropriate play behavior. Puppies frequently nip at moving hands or legs in an effort to initiate play.
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Excessive barking is considered a behavior problem. Before you can correct excessive barking, determine why your dog is vocalizing in the first place. The most common types of barking are: Warning or alert. Playfulness and excitement. Attention-seeking. Anxiety. Boredom. Responding to other dogs.
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Dogs are sociable creatures. If you leave your dog home alone for 8 hours, he will feel bored and frustrated. If you leave him outside for hours at a time, he will feel bored and frustrated. If you don't provide enough exercise and activities, he will feel bored and frustrated. Boredom and frustration are major causes of behavior problems in dogs.
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Dog/Puppy Parkour Two Feet On. Where: Indoors/Outdoors. Purpose: Health and Fitness Games. Suitable for: Puppies (<1 year) / Dogs (1 - 6 years) / Older Dogs (>6 years) Game description: Dog Parkour is a fab activity. In this dog training game, the goal is to teach them to put their two front feet of an object.
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Identify the cause of your puppy's barking, such as fear, anxiety, boredom, or attention-seeking behavior. Addressing the root cause is the key to solving the problem. Provide your puppy with adequate exercise, mental stimulation, and attention. Teach your puppy a "quiet" command and reward them for not barking.
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Our problem-solving lessons at The Dog Wizard offer a structured approach, assisting owners in effectively identifying and tackling a range of behavioral issues in dogs. This training process facilitates a more profound understanding between the owner and the dog, establishing a foundation built on mutual respect and trust.
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Do dogs work together to solve problems? Cooperation between dogs and humans or between multiple dogs is studied to see if dogs give or receive help when needed. To assess a dog's cooperative nature, a clever test is utilized. First, one dog is presented with a string dangling from a table. When the dog tugs on the string, a treat falls to ...
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According to the experts, one of the ways you can train them like a pro is by agreeing on a command at home so that your puppy associates the term with going to the toilet. Money.co.uk add: "Adding newspapers they've already soiled to their toilet area can also help navigate them to their next toilet break adventure." Wavetop // Getty Images. 3.
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Problem-solving for nipping and biting - rest assured that biting will go away as the pup matures. The biting will peak and ebb as the pup develops. During teething (at about 4.5 months) and adolescence, there will be varying degrees of it. But it will go away, it is normal. Does your puppy need a nap?
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Introduction. Problem-solving behaviors involve a diverse set of cognitive processes, such as perception, learning, memory and decision making, among others (1, 2).Several studies have focused on dogs' problem-solving abilities using a wide variety of tasks (e.g., puzzle boxes in Frank and Frank and Marshall-Pescini et al. (); unsolvable task in Miklósi et al. (); string pulling in Osthaus et ...
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How to solve common puppy problems

Most common puppy behavioural issues

2. Frequently seeking attention

3. Unsure when being handled

4. Hide or move away when approached

5. Pulling on the lead

6. Mouthing, biting and chewing

How to stop your dog chewing a...

8. Jumping up

9. Ignoring you

10. Not coming when called

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How to stop your dog barking

How to stop your dog pulling on the lead

Finding behaviour and training...

Puppy behavior: Five tips from a vet for solving problems

1. Whining and barking while in their crate

2. Urinating and/or defecating in the crate

3. Inappropriate or destructive chewing behavior

4. Jumping up on people

5. Nipping and inappropriate play behavior

Patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement

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50+ Fun Puppy Training Games for Any Scenario

By Zigzag Puppy Expert, Petrina Firth

In this article:

Obedience/Recall Games

Chase Recall

Play Tennis with Your Puppy

The Name-Game

Hide and Seek puppy training game

‘Hand Target’ training games for dogs

Best Dog in the World Recall dog training game

Obedience/Lead walking Games

Join The Dots puppy training game

My Little Shadow game to play with puppies

Figure of 8 puppy training game

Drunk Walking Game

Brain Training Games

Digging Pit dog training game

Foraging Box game to play with puppies

The Muffin Tin Game

Which Hand?

The Cups Game

Hol-ee Ball Food Toy

Build a Puppy Adventure Box

Puppy Exploration Course

‘ What’s Under My Feet?’ puppy training game

Meet the Vacuum Cleaner puppy training game

The Box puppy training game

101 Things to Do with a Box

Feeding dog training games

Scatter Feeding

Toilet Roll Finds

Cardboard Box Treasure Hunt

Ice Cube Tray Enrichment puppy training game

Where’s my dinner?

Health and Fitness Dog Training Games

Home Agility Jumps

Quick Sits puppy training game

Dog/Puppy Parkour Two Feet On

Spin and Twist dog training game

Chasing Bubbles puppy training games

Vet/Health Dog Training Games

The Vet dog training game

Doggy Massage

Pretend Ear and Eye Drops puppy training game

Take your Dog’s Pulse

Self-Control Dog Training Games

It’s Yer Choice! Self-control dog training game Part 1

It’s Yer Choice! Self-control dog training game Part 2