Our dogs need to be activated and stimulated – some more than others – depending on their breed background and the tasks they were originally bred for.
If we look at wolves, they spend about 90% of their time on nose work, sniffing around for prey, etc., and only about 10% on the actual hunt - over the course of a day. Our family dogs often have the opposite distribution, and can therefore be understimulated, or overstimulated with inappropriate activities.
When we are good at activating our dogs, be it with different types of board games, search exercises, exciting training and exercises, we also get a good role in the relationship. There is a much greater chance that our dogs will look up to us, and thus also be more responsive to our other wishes – which can be recall and other upbringing.
When we activate our dogs, we strengthen cooperation and cohesion, and the better it is, the better the relationship between dog and human.
Last but not least, we better avoid dogs that come up with their own activities – we don't always agree on what are good activities – so the more we initiate ourselves, the more control we have over it.
Balance between walks (quantity) and stress-relieving/mental activities
Again, we have to look at the breed, but a good middle ground is walks of about an hour daily. Preferably in different places, so there is something new to smell. A good handful of different walks for everyday life will be fine. Then it can be expanded with completely new initiatives a few times a month.
The mental activities, i.e. board games, search exercises and other activation – as well as NEW skills in training (when the dog already knows the signals and it is only maintenance, it does not count in the same way in the accounts), but as a rule of thumb they say 45-60 minutes daily.
Rest is also important, and here it is difficult to set a time, as it also depends on whether the dog is alone at home every day - and thus gets its rest time, or there is someone at home, so you have to make sure the rest time is there. It is important that you take breaks, it can be between walks and activation, or some longer stretches during the day - depending on how it fits in. But remember that most dogs have time off and rest at night...
How to incorporate activation into everyday life?
If the dog is home alone on a daily basis, it is optimal to take a walk after a night's rest. It does not have to be a whole hour, but should be more than just a few hundred meters. The opportunity to sniff and clean, and at a pace that suits the dog, and with time and opportunity to immerse yourself in the smells that the dog finds interesting.
It can be good to start some activation when you get home, and maybe you have to get ready for departure yourself. This requires an activation that the dog knows, and therefore can do on its own – once it has been started. Then some quiet time, without a lot happening, before the dog has to be home alone.
Then it's nice to do something again when you get home. Maybe there's also a longer walk there, and either on the trip or when you get home again, you can do some activity. I often find in families with children that when homework is done and there's maybe a little time before dinner, the dog can be usefully active. This gives the dog a different feeling of satiety before the family has to eat, and a greater calmness along the way.
If that doesn't fit into your plans, you can do something in the evening - preferably with the dog, or start different activities.
Enjoy your training.
Activation is important for all dogs
Our dogs need to be activated and stimulated – some more than others – depending on their breed background and the tasks they were originally bred for.
If we look at wolves, they spend about 90% of their time on nose work, sniffing around for prey, etc., and only about 10% on the actual hunt - over the course of a day. Our family dogs often have the opposite distribution, and can therefore be understimulated, or overstimulated with inappropriate activities.
When we are good at activating our dogs, be it with different types of board games, search exercises, exciting training and exercises, we also get a good role in the relationship. There is a much greater chance that our dogs will look up to us, and thus also be more responsive to our other wishes – which can be recall and other upbringing.
When we activate our dogs, we strengthen cooperation and cohesion, and the better it is, the better the relationship between dog and human.
Last but not least, we better avoid dogs that come up with their own activities – we don't always agree on what are good activities – so the more we initiate ourselves, the more control we have over it.
Balance between walks (quantity) and stress-relieving/mental activities
Again, we have to look at the breed, but a good middle ground is walks of about an hour daily. Preferably in different places, so there is something new to smell. A good handful of different walks for everyday life will be fine. Then it can be expanded with completely new initiatives a few times a month.
Rest is also important, and here it is difficult to set a time, as it also depends on whether the dog is alone at home every day - and thus gets its rest time, or there is someone at home, so you have to make sure the rest time is there. It is important that you take breaks, it can be between walks and activation, or some longer stretches during the day - depending on how it fits in. But remember that most dogs have time off and rest at night...
How to incorporate activation into everyday life?
If the dog is home alone on a daily basis, it is optimal to take a walk after a night's rest. It does not have to be a whole hour, but should be more than just a few hundred meters. The opportunity to sniff and clean, and at a pace that suits the dog, and with time and opportunity to immerse yourself in the smells that the dog finds interesting.
Then it's nice to do something again when you get home. Maybe there's also a longer walk there, and either on the trip or when you get home again, you can do some activity. I often find in families with children that when homework is done and there's maybe a little time before dinner, the dog can be usefully active. This gives the dog a different feeling of satiety before the family has to eat, and a greater calmness along the way.
If that doesn't fit into your plans, you can do something in the evening - preferably with the dog, or start different activities.
Enjoy your training.