Introduction to Scent Games

If you know anything about us, then you know how much we stress the importance of mental stimulation in our dogs and the benefits of always teaching them new skills.  In the past we have done agility and tricks, now it’s time to use the nose!

We all know that dogs have an amazing sense of smell and a natural desire to hunt, here’s your chance to put those skills to the test!  Our K9 Scent Games classes focus on teaching you different games and scenarios  that can be used to encourage your dog’s natural scenting abilities.  The fun classes are based on authentic scent detection training and the drills and scenarios will range from basic confidence building set ups to complex scenarios that might even leave you scratching your head.

Your dog’s age or current training state do not matter for this class, everyone is welcome!  Check out our K9 Scent Games page for more information about the class, schedule, and sign up information.

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Food for Thought

Are you looking for a new way to mentally challenge your dog that fits in with your daily routine? Does your dog devour meals in seconds?  How about teaching them to learn to problem solve for their food during dinner time?  With the colder weather and the shorter days quickly approaching, playing games indoors with your dog and encouraging mental stimulation can come in handy.

Interactive food toys not only help to slow down a fast eater at dinner time, but they are also a great way to get them thinking and keep their minds occupied. Come join us for a fun filled hour on Saturday, October 23rd at our Leander Training Facility at 11:00 am and give you dog a turn at problem solving.  This is an interactive hour and a variety of interactive toys will be available for your dogs to try out, everyone gets an opportunity to play!

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5 of the Greatest Dog Inventions

Anyone who has been inside a pet store lately knows about the large selection of gadgets, toys, leashes, and other accessories that are available for dogs.  Over the years I have seen a lot of great dog products and I have also come across a lot of really bad products for dogs. I will cover the worst dog inventions in an upcoming post (which should be a lot of fun!), but take a look at what I consider to be some of the best inventions for dogs.

Frisbee – Although this wasn’t originally invented for dogs, it has crossed over into our world and is my personal favorite “dog toy” around.  Disc dog enthusiasts have taken this one simple invention and built an entire community around it, and for that reason it makes my list!

Dublin Dog Collars – After using these collars for a few years now, it’s very unlikely I will go back to a regular nylon type collar.  Dublin Dog Collars are made of a polymer blend that doesn’t fade, hold moisture, or harbor bacteria, and  best of all – they never stink!  This is a huge benefit if your dogs play as hard as ours do.

Chuck-It – I don’t know of any dog owner who hasn’t had at least one of these things.  Not only does the Chuck It give us all super human throwing abilities, but it keeps our hand free of slobber.  These things rock!

Kong – Although the Kong Company makes a ton of great products, I am referring to the original Kong.  The unpredictable bouncing makes for a great fetch toy, the rugged construction makes for a pretty decent chew toy, and the treat spot allows it to be mentally stimulating for your dog as well.

Manners Minder – The Manners Minder is one of the most versatile training tools that we have seen in a long time.  For those that don’t know, the Manners Minder is a remote controlled treat dispenser that can be used to help modify and shape a ton of different behaviors, take a look at a short video. While this product may not find it’s way into every dog owners’ toy box, it’s a very valuable tool to us as trainers.

Yes, you will notice that some of these products are available in our online store. These products are not on the list because we carry them in our store, but we carry them in our store because we feel they belong on this list.

I only listed a few of the many great dog inventions and accessories in this list.  In your opinion, what is missing from the list, what are your favorite dog inventions or items that you and your dog can’t live without?

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Kong Wobbler

I recently had a chance to play with one of the newest products from the Kong Company, The Wobbler.  The Kong Wobbler is an interactive dog toy that is a lot of fun, check out the video to see some dogs playing with The Wobbler.

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Food for Thought

We spend much of our time earning what is necessary for survival; food, shelter and clothing and if we’re lucky, the little extras. We go to work and perform our daily duties and in return earn a paycheck  to pay for the necessities. Thinking and problem solving  at work exercises our minds and by the end of the day, has proved to be tiring. Take for instance, being in a meeting for a day; while physical exertion does not play a part in the equation, by the end of the day we can be just as exhausted from thinking.

Why not have our dogs working and thinking for their food? There are several ways to have your dog earn their own paycheck; one of the ways are interactive, food dispensing toys, they are great ways to feed your dog as they have to think about what gets them the food and can entertain them for hours. A proven sturdy favorite in my household is the Tug-A-Jug. The bottom of the toy unscrews which allows you to easily load it with food at mealtime and then the game begins. The dogs quickly figure out which end the food comes from but the most challenging part is how to manipulate the rope toy to dispense the food. This has kept my dogs busy for hours, which is an added bonus after a long day of work.

There are also some good choices for the dog that looses interest easily; such as the Twist and Treat. What makes this toy unique is that you can control the level of difficulty by adjusting the size of the gap in which the food is dispensed. It can also accommodate dry food or treats and even peanut butter.

Many dogs need more mental stimulation than is being provided on a daily basis, and it is equally as important as physical exercise.  So whether you are having a short training session before mealtime, or using interactive toys, or doing something else, having your dog work at meal time may be your missing link!

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The Manners Minder

The Manners Minder is a remote controlled treat dispenser!  Not only does the Manners Minder have a ton of useful dog training applications, but it is also fun!  Check out the video below to learn more about it, and see the Manners Minder in action.

If you would like to get a Manners Minder for your dog, simply visit our online store!

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Make Your Dog Think

As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, you may find yourself spending more time indoors with your dog over the next few months. Despite the cold and dark, your dog still requires physical and mental stimulation.

Although a good game of fetch may be impossible inside, try running your dog on the treadmill instead.  An earlier post of ours explains how to intro your dog to a treadmill. In addition to this physical exercise, your dog still needs mental stimulation as well.

One of my favorite ways to mentally stimulate a dog is to play hide and seek.  This game is pretty self explanatory; keep your dog in a sit or down, and you hide something (usually a toy or a treat).  Upon release, your dog searches, finds, and retrieves (or eats) what has been hidden.

Once your dog understands the game and is doing well, you can increase the difficulty by changing a few variables to get an even better mental workout.

• When playing at night, turn off all of the lights and have your dog rely more on his nose then their eyes.
• Hide a toy or treat under a small welcome mat or blanket.  Once the dog locates the object, he still has to figure out how to get to it.
• Put the object above the dog’s direct line of sight and smell.
• Increase the amount of time between hiding an object and releasing the dog.
• Hide multiple objects and see how many the dog can find.
• Increase the difficulty on the hiding places.  Example – leave the dog downstairs, hide the object upstairs.

It is very easy to take a simple game and turn it into a great thinking experience for your dog.  Use your imagination and get creative; your dog will thank you!

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Nina Ottosson Dog Magic

Dog Magic is a relatively easy game for dogs to play, where they have to dislodge bones to access hidden treats.

You may choose to put treats under one, several or all of the bones, to vary the difficulty of the game.

By switching the location of the treat, you can encourage him to really focus and use his nose to seek out treasure!

Nina Ottosson dog puzzle toys are a very valuable resource for all pet owners to have, they’re used by dogs and other animals and their owners in many countries. These interactive dog toys are also recommended by dog psychologists, veterinaries, dog-trainers and other dog-owners.

Nina Ottosson Dog Finder

Dog Finder by Nina Ottosson has just arrived! Your dog is to look for treats by moving blocks in four different directions. The block can only be lifted at the end of each track. Under each block there is a depression where treats can be hidden.

Nina Ottosson dog puzzle toys are a very valuable resource for all pet owners to have, they’re used by dogs and other animals and their owners in many countries. These interactive dog toys are also recommended by dog psychologists, veterinaries, dog-trainers and other dog-owners.