Richardson Zago, trainer and partner of Patinhas Urbanas, shares valuable tips for the well-being, mental balance and energy expenditure of pets
Having an animal requires affection, care and time available. However, just like humans, Pets need physical exercise, but they also need mental stimulation. In this way it is possible to tire them, spending their energy in the correct way, as well as develop their brain, challenging them.
“Stimulating dogs’ intelligence has a significant impact on their behavior. This positive change in the brain exposes them to a variety of experiences, places and other interesting moments in the animal’s life. This not only helps them learn more easily and perform complex tasks, but also helps them be less emotional, fearful and even aggressive and destructive.“, points out Richardson Zagotrainer and partner of Urban Scrooge.
Beyond the stuffable toys and those that release snacks, Zago highlights two activities that can easily be done at home: a “food hunt” in the hay, excellent for stimulating your pet’s sense of smell; and the “maze”, which can also be made with cardboard boxes, challenging the animal to find the right path and being rewarded with snacks, fruit or food.
OR” food hunter” It’s simple: instead of pouring food into the bowl, Hide small parts around the house and make your dog “hunt for food”.. Start with easy places, and as your pet gets better at the game, hide food in more difficult places, such as in hay. Already the maze” It can be done with cardboard boxes, challenging the animal to rack its brains to find the right path, being rewarded with snacks, fruit or food. ” Another way to stimulate your dog’s mind is to turn mealtime into a scavenger hunt.. Divide the food ration into small portions and scatter them around the house, encouraging the dog to look for them. It is important to initially start with an easy game and, as the dog gets used to it, you can hide the food in the most challenging places”, underlines Zago.
“Incorporating mental stimulation into your dog’s daily routine is possible change the walking route, hire a trainer to teach him commands or even take him on a trip. Putting the animal in situations where it has to make decisions is a great idea to stimulate its intelligence, relieve stress and boredom, as well as improve its behavior and strengthen the bond between the animal and its owner,” he explains .
Zago also emphasizes that working on your dog’s sense of smell is as important as taking him for a walk. ” Activities that stimulate the sense of smell are a great way to mentally tire your pet.as well as activating the natural instinct of pets, who do it frequently in nature, which is what we call environmental enrichment.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
