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There is hardly any creature in the world that you’ve come to adore more quickly than your dog. While you’re getting to know them better and getting accustomed to their habits and temper, you’ve realized that your canine friend is more than just an ordinary dog – it seems like they are keenly aware of their surroundings, almost as if they could even speak if they had a suitable speech apparatus. If this is the case, be sure to stimulate the cognitive and creative capacities of your dog because it’s a shame to let it go to waste. Have a look at our suggestions and, of course, feel free to adapt them to your dogs needs.
The absolutely best way to employ your dog’s outstanding capacity to be creative is to shape and discipline it, especially if you have a puppy. You know what they say – talent is just 10%, and everything else boils down to hard work and training. The great thing about trick training is the fact that while you’re improving your dog’s skills, you are also improving yourself. How, you wonder? Well, as unappealing as it may sound at first, you too have to oil up your creativity mechanisms in order to make this activity more than just an endless ‘Paw! Paw!’ screaming into the abyss. Don’t worry, because this activities are not as abstract as they may sound. Just follow these steps and invest into a few clever toys, and your training procedure will surely be not only successful, but also immensely amusing.
Ring stacking can be a fun activity for multiple reasons, especially if you happen to be a carpenter - then you’re able to design and build a little custom-made wooden ring-stacking course. If not, you could always buy one of these, but with keeping in mind the size of the toy and the size of your dog. This activity is great for training your dogs eye-paw coordination, and overall agility of both mind and body. Also, this activity is the perfect opportunity to introduce and practice a training technique that is called clicker training. This technique is indispensable because it uses sound cues (clicking) to condition the dog when they do a good job. By only giving out treats, the handing out can be too slow and your dog may not even figure out that it is connected with the training. Try out this technique through these steps.
There’s an amazing painting called "Sunset over the Adriatic", painted in 1910 by J.R. Boronali. It was praised for its bold strokes and vivid imagery at an exhibition in Paris, but what you may not know is that in actuality, this was a work of art done by a monkey named Lolo. This is a famous experiment thought up by an art critic who wanted to test the social contexts that influence the art world, but if you look at it from another perspective, the great thing about art is that good and valuable art is a completely relative concept to begin with, and with that in mind, anybody has the capacity to be an artist. Sure, that may sound far-fetched, but when you think about it, it is pretty narrow-minded to think animals cannot create true art. So put your hands and paws into some paint (made from natural ingredients) and put your and your dog’s creativity to the test. Who knows, you might have a Pawcasso in the making.
You hide the treat in a cup, and shuffle it with other cups that are empty. The dog has to guess where the treat is, but from a distance. This game is perfect for sharpening your dog’s cognitive abilities and attention span, which will, in turn, boost creativity.
Parkour is like street ballet. Take your dog into the concrete jungle and put their agility and strength to use. This could be a perfect activity both for you and for your doggo – no need to take them to a long walk after all the jumping and climbing.
It’s a common mistake to think that dogs do not have a vivid imagination and that they are thoughtless. They dream, love, and grieve just like we do. So, explore their creative and cognitive capacities to the fullest, nurture and discipline their talent. The best part of such commitment on your side is the fact that, with your dog’s development, you will surely make progress as well.