Providing mental stimulation is important for pets at all life stages. As your pup ages, they might not have the physical capabilities they once had, but you can still incorporate activities into their day that allow for light exercise and mental enrichment.
Sniff walks – Rather than focusing on going a certain distance, make sniffing your primary goal on your next walk. Allow your pup to leisurely stroll, stopping to sniff anything that interests them (as long as it’s safe). A dog uses their nose to process information, and sniffing is actually a great form of exercise! If you want to learn more, here’s an article on sniff walks by the American Kennel Club (AKC). The AKC recommends using a 10-to-15-foot leash, but I use our regular 6-foot leash. Long leashes are appropriate in some environments, but are not necessary for sniff walks and can sometimes cause safety challenges.
Treasure Hunting
Nosework Mat - One of Chops’ favorite activities is finding “buried treasure” hidden in her nosework mat, a small fabric blanket that has lots of pouches where I can hide treats. Chops has to use her nose to find the treats and then figure out how to get the treats out. This play time is great work for her brain and is also good for balance. I have a Puppia brand, but you can find tons of mat options (sometimes called snuffle mats) on Etsy or other stores. I recommend getting one that has various pouches (rather than just fleece fringe) so you can vary the level of difficulty. If you have basic sewing skills, you could make one yourself. We take this mat to every vet visit; it helps keep Chops occupied while she’s getting her acupuncture. Out of all the toys out there than entertain a dog and work their brains through their noses, this is the thing I’d recommend the most. The only caveat is that more rambunctious dogs might be tempted to chew or tear the fabric mat. And some dogs will be smart enough to pick up and shake the mat for all the treats to fly out! For my ancient Chops, it’s the perfect way to exercise without too much physical activity. If you want to see her in action, check out this video.
Treat Puzzles – There are tons of puzzle toys on the market today that your dog has to solve in order to earn the hidden treats. We have used and liked a couple of the Nina Ottosson puzzles – Dog Cassino and Dog Smart. The puzzles range in difficulty, and you can modify each to make them slightly easier or harder. These are a bit of a pain to wash but they’re very durable. I also recommend the Kong Wobbler, which you unscrew to put treats into and the dog has to bat around to get the treats to fall out. Shiloh used to love these puzzles but Chops never got into them. Although Chops loved when Shiloh played with her Wobbler because Shiloh was so excited that she often left treats behind after they fell out, so Chops could sneak behind her and eat all the leftovers! Every dog is different, so take your time to figure out what yours loves. Here's a video of Shiloh with the Dog Cassino.
Around-the-house Free Options – You don’t have to buy an expensive mat or toy to play a treasure hunting game with your pup. You can use basically anything in your home that allows you to hide a treat. Place a bunch of cardboard boxes around a room (stacking some for greater difficulty) and place treats inside. Or literally just place treats in random nooks and crannies. I find it helpful to contain the treasure hunting to one defined area. Before I had the nosework mat, I would close the bedroom door and place treats all around – inside a shoe, on top of the bed, under a blanket. Varying the treat location by height can make the game more challenging, and it’s a real brain-worker under blankets and other fabrics where the dog can smell it but the scent is less powerful and the treat is not visible. Two major things to consider when doing this type of game: 1) You want to use smelly treats so you can entice your pup, but treats are often messy and perhaps not what you want buried in your shoe or under your bedspread. 2) Don’t forget where you hid the treats, lest you find an old, gross one when you slide on your shoe! Check out this video by Paws4ever of Treasure Boxes for your Dog to see nosework in action.
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