The "Smart Cookie"

Having just realized that in an earlier post I would next leave tips and tricks for the dogs I like to affectionately call the "smart cookies," I apologize for not following in sequence. With that said, here is a post dedicated to those dogs, including breeds like Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, and German Shepherd, although we all know that within each fur baby lies a "smart cookie," so these tips are not breed specific.

The smart cookie trains you, rather than the other way around. These pups tend to get bored easily and express his ennui in a variety of destructive ways, such as chewing. This tends to happen especially with dogs that come from breeds who (at one time) would perform a job, such as herding livestock.

But fear not, dear readers, for these activities and games will help avert your smart cookie's attention to something a bit more positive than chewing up that new pair of shoes or your grandmother's antique trunk (I use these examples as one of my own fur babies had what my husband referred to as an "unnatural affection" towards any kind of furniture.)

 

Top activities:

• Agility games exercise his brain as well as body.
• Obedience training, whether it's in your living room or at a competition, is the canine brain workout he craves.
• Herding allows your dog to pit his wits against a flock of sheep. No, you don't need your own farm; trainers offer group classes and private lessons.

Other fun stuff:

• Read up on training and teach your dog to do a job, any job: retrieving the paper, putting away his toys, playing messenger in the house (he can carry notes in his collar)--anything that makes him feel useful.
• Paw Brigade Tip: Training your dog to put away his toys is easy! While I have tried many different methods, the one that seems to have the most lasting impact can be completed in a few simple steps. You will, of course, have to repeat this exercise several times. After all, practice makes perfect. Let me also stress here that both of my dogs are retrievers and adore the game of fetch. If your fur baby isn't so keen on this game, please leave a comment and I will do my best to find some information that is more specifically tailored to your fur baby's personality.
• Step 1: Play a game of fetch with one of your dogs favorite toys. Position the toy basket (or box or whatever you have designated for your dogs toys) beside you so that your hand rests above the basket when your dog retrieves the toy and brings it back to you.
• Step 2: Placing your hand beside the toy, command your dog to "drop it" and when your dog drops the toy in the basket (thinking it's in your hand), reward with verbal praise or a tasty treat. You will need to repeat these two steps for a week before moving on to step three.
• Step 3: After reinforcing this trick for one week, play another game of fetch with the same toy and basket placed beneath your right hand. Throw the toy and wait for your dog to bring it back to you. Say "drop it" and point down at the basket instead of placing your hand into the basket. Repeat until your dog drops the toy into the basket.
• * You can also use the words "clean up" after the first full week of training, but beware - changing the command like this can easily confuse your fur baby and this may result in longer time needed to properly train your pup.   
• Play hide and seek with treats, a favorite toy or you. Ask for a sit/stay and hide behind the couch or stash the goodies (start off by letting your dog see where), then release your dog. Make it more of a challenge by hiding the items when he's not there.
• Stock up on interactive toys that make your dog use his brain to find the treats inside. Some interactive puzzles that I have found useful can be purchased at your local pet store. These include Zanies Interactive Puzzle Pizza Dog Toy and Trixie's Chess Game.

I hope this helps you all, dear readers, and will post more as soon as I'm able. I currently have one of my fur babies barking for her weekly "bone" (I use Canyon Creek Ranch Chicken Tenders Dog Treats)