Mental Stimulation

Hi does anyone have any tips/ideas for mental stimulation games for my old boy please. We just lost his best friend this weekend and I want to make sure he is kept mentally stimulated. He is a 16 year old lab, although he has many ailments and I could not carry out any activities outside with him (i.e. tracking, fetch ect), he is still very active around the home, so I am looking for games I can play with him in the home. Any ideas ??

[Stuart]

Try him at finding things,,.., you would have to start with easy stuff,.. but if you were to get something like a glove, get him he smell it,.. go and hide it and see if he will find it,.. my Kee loves this game,..it keeps them occupied for as long as you have the energy to do it

[kalv]

i do that with charlie now... hide cuts of sausages in the garden (i make him smell it first and say "smell" and then shut him in the garage so he can't see where i put them).. then tell him to "find it"..

it's quite interesting watching how they track/find...

[Caryll]

Totally agree with both the above! Dogs love using their noses to find things, and it won't tax his strength too much either!

[LOVEGSD]

Have to agree with the above. I also let Diesel play with the Nina Ottosson toys, he loves them.

[lauraburns]

All our dogs love playing find, they find treats or toys, whichever they fancy at the time!

Thanks people, I tried the find game without treats but typical lab just looked at me with that look "are you crazy mum I'm going no where without bribary treats" so I will need to get to pet store and get him some senior light healthy treats. He's not interested in much at the mo understably but I'll keep trying.

[Caryll]

Most pet stores do the light snacks - James Wellbeloved to a good rice snack for elderly dogs (my two love em and they're both young!). Good luck in getting your boy's interest back.

[kelpiemad]

HI you could try doing some clicker training with him you can teach old dogs new tricks use part of his daily allowance of food for training so you are not getting him to fat there is a briliant dog trainer on utube kekopup she shows you lots of different things you can learn you can subcribe to her site its free from utube here is a link for her dog training
YouTube - chihuahua tricks agility freestyle... you could teach him the easer tricks like fetching different toys on comand or paw work stuff he could do with him being older dogs love working there brain if they can't do other things people have used clicker traning after ops and things when dogs are on crate rest
I think everyone will enjoy this something to think about on rainy winter days
Michelle

[kelpiemad]

to get on her site click on kikcopup
love Michelle