How to Boost Your Dog's Intelligence

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 21 December, 2022

Dogs are sensitive, intelligent creatures. They can learn a ton of different tasks, tricks, and activities. But just like humans, they need to be well taught and stimulated to develop their full cognitive, emotional, and social potential. Today, we’re going to tell you about a few ways you can boost your dog’s intelligence.

Discovering the outside world

Just like humans, dogs also use their senses to perceive and understand the world around them. Any time you take your dog out on a walk, it “discovers” an entire universe of stimuli and sensations. It also interacts with other dogs and people, which is a good way to socially stimulate your dog.

That’s why going on walks is essential for stimulating your dog’s sensory, cognitive, and social skills. This will also help it stay healthy and prevent common diseases.

Training is the best way to boost your dog’s intelligence

Training is the most complete form of learning a dog can ever get. When you teach him commands of basic obedience, you’re teaching his mind to learn, memorize, and perform tasks. The knowledge your dog acquires from training will also play an important role in respecting the household rules and in turn have a positive living environment.

Toys that boost your dog’s intelligence without leaving the house

As mentioned earlier, physical activity is a major part of your dog’s mental and physical health. However, you can also stimulate your dog’s intelligence without leaving the house and keep him entertained while you’re gone.

There are a lot of interactive toys that stimulate your dog’s cognitive and sensory muscles. On top of helping you train your dog, these toys also fight off symptoms of stress, boredom, and separation anxiety.

There are a lot of ideas about toys that are great allies for keeping your pet mentally stimulated, such as the ones below:

1. The Tic Tac Board

This is a classic game, and there are several versions with different names. It’s basically a small board with spinning doors on top of it. When your dog spins them with its nose or paw, the board pushes out a treat.

The objective is to get your dog to understand, memorize, and perform the movements necessary to get the treat. This might seem simplistic, but it can be extremely beneficial for your dog.

• For one thing, it helps keep your dog active and entertained while you’re gone.
• Secondly, it helps stop your dog from eating too fast and having digestive problems.
• Lastly, it also stimulates his sense of smell, which is especially good at a young age.

2. The KONG

This simple toy is extremely useful for boosting your dog’s intelligence and preventing separation anxiety. It also helps teach your dog good food habits by stopping it from eating too fast and coughing up.

Before you give the KONG to your dog, you have to put food or treats inside it. The objective is to reward your dog by having it figure out how to get the treat out. 

It’s also completely safe, so you can leave it laying around while you’re gone. It’s a toy that has been customized for any dog that has to spend a lot of time alone and needs to stay mentally active.

3. Bionic Toys for Energetic Dogs

Bionic toys use mechanics and engineering to simulate the movements of a living thing. They’re great “company” for any dogs without a furry friend to play with. They’re usually made out of flexible, tooth-resistant material.

There are a lot of formats and concepts when it comes to bionic dogs toys, so pick out the one that best suits your dog’s size and age. 

4. The “Cube Ball”

The idea with this toy is basically the same as the KONG. Your dog has to figure out how to get the ball from outside the cube. It’s highly challenging and entertaining for the canine mind.

These games and activities might seem simple, but they can be very challenging for dogs. Using them can also help you boost your dog’s intelligence.