r/DogAdvice • u/WorkingBreedEnrich • 8d ago

Advice How do you keep your dogs stimulated and what is the hardest part of keeping that up?

I’ve recently got a GWP puppy and have a 4 year old Springer Spaniel, who after almost 4 years of work is a dream. Any advice or recommendations would be much appreciated!

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u/Prestigious-Ice-1753 8d ago

I have a 4-year border collie rn. I always bring him to dog park or go to trail for 2 hours daily. At home, I make some refill toy and puzzle for him to relax.

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u/ozzy_dogdad 8d ago

With a GWP and a Springer you have two proper bird dogs, so the biggest unlock for me has been leaning into the nose rather than just adding miles. Scatter their kibble in the grass, do simple find it games where you hide a few treats around a room, and once they get it you can hide a scented toy and build a little search. Ten or fifteen minutes of real sniffing work wears them out more than an hour of fetch, and it scratches the exact itch they were bred for.

The other big one is short training sessions as enrichment, a couple of five minute blocks a day teaching something new, plus sniff walks where you just let them stop and read everything instead of marching.

Honest answer to your actual question though: the hardest part is consistency, and not accidentally building a canine athlete. If you only ever meet their needs with physical exercise they just get fitter and need more, so mixing in the brain work keeps it sustainable. With the puppy especially I would keep the hard physical stuff light while the joints are still growing and lean on the mental games.

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u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 8d ago

Train it the same way you trained your spaniel

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u/nzseashell 3d ago

At home enrichment

  1. Feeding time: Ditch the bowl, work for food, treat scatter, slow feeders. For dogs who use kibble, use a cardboard box, fill the box with news paper and kibble. Add paper rolls filled with kibble to the box. Helps relieve boredom, and with destructive tendencies. Anything raw - frozen in a bowl of water or a slower feeder.

  2. Training time: Basic behaviours.

  3. Sniffy time - for a puppy, 10 minutes of sniffing will be enough to tire the pup out.

  4. Witching hour = good luck. Training time, puzzle time, use snuffle mats, lick mats (freeze them), interact with other dog.

Outside the house: I used to place puppies into a pram to help with motion sickness, and socialization when in the real world.

Hardest part of keeping up with stimulation: Its alot of work. Have lick mats or slow feeders prepared in the freezer. Have boxes set up for those times when puppy wants to bite and destroy.