# What are some favorite indoors puppy mental stimulation games?



## Bentley's Momma (Oct 15, 2013)

After meeting with a trainer she mentioned being sure to incorporate one fun mind/mental stimulation game each day going forward for our now 11 week old pup. We’re starting puppy kindergarten next weekend, and we have started some basic command training (and lots of sniffing walks) but I’m looking to find what mental stimulation games have worked well for others with puppies under 6 months that are really fun (while stimulating) for them?

Right now Bentley LOVES if we take an empty box, stuff a treat inside, close it up and give it to him. Keeps him frantically occupied for 10 minutes (or more) depending on the box until he gets the treat inside. 

We have kongs and such (and have tried freezing some kibble inside to make for a working lunch/snack) but he isn’t as interested in them it seems. 

Any favorites?


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

Hide and seek is always fun.
We bought a child's 10' long tunnel that our dog loves. Its good for rainy days. Many GSD's like agility type games.

Our never took to Kongs.


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## dylano (Jul 6, 2012)

Hide and seek with Treats is always good and ive used it with my pup from 12 weeks till now (18 months)

Put the pup out of sight and place treats all over the 'living room' (?). Hide them in places but not to hard, maybe put treats under toys ect then allow him to use his nose and sniff out the treats. 

Keeps them busy and stimulates them


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## Bear GSD (Apr 12, 2012)

I agree with Gretchen, hide and seek is a good fun game. For younger puppies we played using 2 people . One person would hold the puppy back and the other person would go hide with a toy or treat and yell "come" or "here". It's a good game to start learning recall.
I also liked playing "which hand"? I would hide a treat in one hand and have them try and guess which hand.
When Bear was a little older we would play focus games. I would hold a treat in my open hand in front of him and he would have to look at me and focus before he could have the treat. Happy training!


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## Mr. D (Oct 4, 2013)

I used to do the hide and seek game with our adult female. Except, we did it outside. I placed all over property. At the time, we had less than stellar neighbors. She came out and started sniffing around the vehicles. I put a treat on the tire. They were arriving home and assumed she was training for drug sniffing. They moved a week later.


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## VTGirlT (May 23, 2013)

*"Find 'em"* is using mini treats and you throw them on the ground and say, "find 'em!" and then they use their nose to search for each individual treat and get really good at it! Its more fun in grass, as it is more challenging, but indoors works as well! 
This game is more challenging and im still working on it with my kiddo but, *"Thats it!" is a really fun and good mental stimulation game!* For example: Take a cup, when they touch it (nose or paw), mark the behavior with a yes and treat them eventually saying cup, if they touch it with their nose you say "Yes!" and treat them, and keeping doing that till they get it. Than bring in another item that isnt super exciting, and do the same thing as cup until they get "spoon" and than take the two together and say "cup" and if they touch cup you say "Yes!" and treat them, if they touch the spoon say, "Keep looking!" And when they touch the correct item, you say "yes!" and treat them and praise! You can bring more into it, and make things more challenging with time. 
Those are two i can think of at the top of my head!


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## Bentley's Momma (Oct 15, 2013)

Mr. D said:


> I used to do the hide and seek game with our adult female. Except, we did it outside. I placed all over property. At the time, we had less than stellar neighbors. She came out and started sniffing around the vehicles. I put a treat on the tire. They were arriving home and assumed she was training for drug sniffing. They moved a week later.


Haha, this is hilarious!


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