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Pugs need stimulation. They love to play, run, romp, walk and act like clowns. They are very intelligent and need mental stimulation just like we do. Your pug will be a lot happier if you add some mental stimulation to their daily exercise.
I’ve heard some people say that dogs are not smart. This is very untrue. Dogs are smarter than we know and pugs are no exceptions. Pugs are extremely smart so when you are thinking of ways to stimulate your pug, think of toys that give him a chance to use his natural problem-solving abilities.
Here are 5 ideas you can do to give your pug some mental stimulation:
**Get your pug a puzzle or a treat toy. Molly (my pug) has a dog puzzle (pet interactive seek-a-treat shuffle bone toy puzzle) and also a couple of balls that she rolls around that dispense treats. She loves all of these and she is excited when I put treats in them for her to find/get out. These types of toys provide mental stimulation for your dog. With the puzzle toy, she has to slide the circles to the side to find the treats that are hidden underneath. She has gotten so good at this toy that it only takes her about twenty seconds to finish the whole puzzle. I clap and tell her “good job” when she has found all the treats and she is so proud of herself. Sometimes, she wants to do it again. When I have company, Molly wants me to get her puzzle out so she can show our company how quickly she can do it. It’s so much fun to watch her showoff in this manner and she always really enjoys it. The balls are fun for her too. I put a few treats in it and she rolls it around until she has gotten all of the treats out of it. It keeps her busy longer than the puzzle and entertains her for quite a while. I know it stimulates her brain because when she has gotten all the treats out, she’s usually ready for a nap.
** Teach your pug how to fetch his toys by name. I just recently heard of this game from a trainer. I can honestly say I have only been working on this with my pug for a couple of weeks. She knows the names of a couple of her toys so far. She has a small pug and a Mickey Mouse doll. We have been working on the names of these two toys. The trainer told me to show my pug the toy, say the name of it and then repeat it several times while holding it. Also, throughout the day, ask your pug where the toy is and say its name. Then, pick up the toy so your pug relates the name of the toy with the action. Molly loves this game and we will continue to learn the names of her toys. The trainer told me eventually, I should be able to say the name of the toy and Molly should be able to go fetch it.
** Teach your dog a new trick. One way to stimulate your dog mentally is to teach him a new trick. How many tricks does your dog know? Can he sit? What about roll over? Or shake? How about a high five? Molly’s favorite trick is the high five. Don’t know any new tricks?? Here’s a few to get you started:
Respond to a clicker
Ring a Bell
Jump through a hoop
Spin
Sit pretty
Speak
Hush
Open/close a door
Back up
Bring your slippers
Put his toys away
Count
Bow
Turn on a light
Play dead
A pug may not be able to do all of these tricks because they are not very tall, but they are definitely smart enough to learn all of these tricks.
https://doggiebuddy.com/topics/Trainingtopics/traintopic3.html
** Obstacle courses are great mental stimulation for your pug and highly recommended by dog trainers. A simple obstacle course is not very expensive and it can be ordered online. I would recommend taking your obstacle course to a nearby park to set up because it does require some room for your pug to run through it. A trainer I talked to told me to walk my pug through it lots of times before trying to run through it. She said after walking through it several times, your pug will start to understand what you are wanting him to do. She said when he gets it figured out, he will enjoy it immensely and be very proud of himself when he finishes. Be sure to reward your pug when he finishes correctly. It’s a good idea to use a clicker when training with an obstacle course… that way your pug will know when he does it correctly.
** Play a game of Hide-n-Seek with your pug. Pugs love to play… any type of game, but they will especially love a game of hide-n-seek. You may have to hide several times for your pug to understand the game, but once he does, the challenge of finding the person who is hiding will delight him. Try this game with young kids. Pugs love kids and will be very excited when he hears the child laughing after he finds them. Hold your pug while your child hides, then have the child call out to the pug ONCE, and then keep quiet. Let your pug hunt for your child. This game is good for a lots of laughs and it will provide mental stimulation for your pug.
The main way to stimulate your pug is just to spend time with him. Talk to him, take him for a ride, take him to the store with you, let him meet new people, take him on vacation with you, etc… Pugs need to be close to us, so keep your pug close. Spoil them, love them, cherish them and appreciate them. They are the greatest companions…
Until next time,
Love and Pug Kisses,
Candy
