Mental Stimulation for Working Dog Breeds

I often meet people who don’t want to work their dogs but do want them to be well trained. They can see that the conventional walk in the park is not enough. The dog needs mental stimulation as well as physical exercise. When I see this in a working dog, I say that they are ‘self-employed’. They make their own entertainment and this results in a badly behaved dog.

Moose is a beautiful eight month old Cocker Spaniel was has been spoilt by some family members. The owner wants to walk and go camping with him and needs Moose to be well behaved to be able to enjoy these activities with his dog. I’ve worked with him since February to tick the boxes – heel, sit wait and recall. We haven’t cut any corners and the owner has worked hard with his dog.

In our latest lesson, I introduced some retrieves. Prior to this, I had recommended that Moose’s toys were taken away at home so he understands that objects are to retrieve, not for play. He did so well in his lesson with fantastic deliveries to hand. This was really rewarding for me and the client and shows what can be achieved over a relatively short period of time.

Posted: May 17, 2019