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Everyone knows that to have a happy, healthy dog, exercise is a vital piece of the puzzle. Regular workouts allow dogs to burn off energy that might otherwise be used to dig, chew, bark or otherwise engage in behaviors most pet owners don't find acceptable.

Equally important to having a happy, healthy dog is mental exercise. A number of pet owners get frustrated that even with a large backyard, their dog continues to bark, dig or chew. That's because the size of the yard isn't a substitute for regular mental engagement. Think about it: if you had a large home where there was no television, no radio, no computer, books or music, it wouldn't take long for you to get bored, then frustrated with your situation. Dogs aren't much different.

Fortunately, a remedy for this is easily at hand. Spend a little time every day playing mental games with your pooch. While there are folks who think that teaching their dog tricks is something we do for our enjoyment, the truth is that it is also very beneficial for your dog. If Fido already knows the basics (sit, down, stay), then it's time to expand his universe.

Start by teaching your dog the names of his toys. Assign each toy a different name, such as “ball”, “squirrel”, “rope”, etc. Use the name whenever the dog picks up the toy. It will take very little time for him to associate the name of the toy with the toy itself. You can then work with your dog by asking him to bring you the specific toy you want, and reward him for correct responses. As your dog progresses you can move to the next level, where you hide his toys in spots around the house and ask him to “find the rope”. Dogs love this level of engagement because it combines all of the elements that keep dogs happy - movement, mental stimulation, interaction with their family, and positive rewards. Everyone wins.

Another fun game to play, especially for inside dogs, is to hide treats in areas in the house, then watch as they dash around, sniffing them out. Since getting to eat the treat is its own reward, this is a game that most dogs quickly catch on to.

One additional option is teaching your dog some new tricks by naming behavior he naturally exhibits. For instance, all dogs engage in large, exaggerated stretches, where they begin with their front paws very far forward, rump in the air, then move through it until their back paws are pointed far behind them. All you have to do is give a name to the motion while your dog is doing it (at our home it's called the “biiiiiiiiig stretch”) and soon you'll be able to have your dog duplicate the behavior.

How is this useful? Well, you know that great rolling motion dogs make on grass, where they scootch around blissfully, picking up all kinds of stuff in their fur that you'll later have to brush out? In our house we call that move “dry off”. We then taught him “towel” as we placed a beach towel on the patio. Now, when he's busy romping through the rain, or playing in the sprinklers in the summer time, all we have to do is say “dry off on the towel” and he happily runs to the towel and rubs all over it, removing much of the water in his coat. How useful is that?

Having a happy, well-behaved dog really isn't that difficult. You just need to spend a little time thinking outside the box.

Bow-wow for now,

Darby