Given the lively nature of Dalmatians, it’s not a shock that one of the most frequent inquiries I get is about how to keep Dalmatians mentally stimulated and “busy”.
This guide covers a total of 9 simple strategies to exhaust your Dalmatian to ensure they remain calm, content, obedient and happy.
I Include methods ideal for when you are there to supervise, and methods for when you’re not at home. All activities are appropriate for Dalmatians of all age!
Why Mental Stimulation Is Crucial For Dobermans
To exhaust your Dalmatian, owners must know that they require not only physical, but also mental exertion.
It’s only natural that many Dalmatian owners concentrate on physical activity as the primary means to “wear out” their spotted pet.
What they often overlook, however, is that these athletic dogs will be up and running again after just a quick power nap!
Physical activity is undeniably vital, but it’s mental activity that truly tires a Dalmatian. If mental engagement is not prioritized, your Dalmatian will never truly be spent…
This is why the activities below place a stronger emphasis on cognitive stimulation than they do on physical exertion. Let’s dive in!
6 Mental Stimulation Games For Your Doberman
Let’s go through some of the most successful methods we know of to keep your Dalmatian busy. These are methods that will involve you.
In the section we cover three more additional ways to keep your Dal busy, while you’re not at home!
⭐ These activities will:
● Deliver essential mental engagement
● Better your Dalmatian’s overall conduct
● Strengthen your connection with your Dalmatian
● Assist in calming and wearing out your Dalmatian
● Enhance smarts and compliance (over an extended period)
1. The cup game
One of the top games that I enjoy playing to offer my dogs mental engagement is the cup game. It’s easy, enjoyable, and it’s also a blast for us humans.
You need three cups, put them upside down, slip a treat under one, then shuffle the cups and let your Dalmatian pick the right one. A timeless game, which you probably already know.
When playing this game for the first time, keep it super simple, assist your Dalmatian by pointing, and always let them have the treats.
But as they get better, shuffle the cups quicker and for a longer time, and don’t provide any assistance.
Playing this game for 10 minutes will make your Dalmatian relaxed, content, and ready for a snooze. Plus, you’ve just become their favorite human 😉
2. Hide and seek
Hide and seek isn’t only for our little ones, definitely not. Much like the cup game, this can be loads of fun for everyone, not just your Dalmatian.
The best way to start this game is to hide somewhere in your home (often behind a door) when your Dalmatian is chilling in another room. Call their name a couple of times, and voila… the game is on.
If they don’t find you pretty quickly, don’t make it overly difficult. Fun should outweigh frustration!
Once they find you, bring them back to a central room or starting point and have someone else distract or hold them while you hide again, or take turns with other people in the house.
While this game might seem very basic, trust me, for your Dalmatian, it will be highly engaging as they’ll be using their hearing and sense of smell. This basic game will be entertaining, rewarding, and absolutely thrilling for your Dalmatian.
3. Sniff out the snack game
Scent tracking games like “sniff out the snack” are straightforward to arrange and turn out to be highly gratifying for your Dalmatian.
To kick off, get your Dalmatian to sit and stay, while you stash a treat behind a pillow (make sure they’re watching you!) Return to your spot, and give the command “search”. They should dart right over to the pillow and locate the treat.
That was the warm-up, now you can repeat it while your Dalmatian is in a different room, and you hide the treat somewhere else. Keep saying “search” until your Dalmatian locates it.
Naturally, at first, don’t make it too tricky or they won’t catch on to the game, but after 2 or 3 rounds, they’ll grasp the game, and you can increase the difficulty.
A dog’s sense of smell is between 10,000 – 100,000 times stronger than ours, making it the main way a dog navigates their world. That’s why they’re always sniffing around!
Any game or activity that involves the sense of smell gets the brain really engaged and burns a lot of energy. Your Dalmatian will genuinely love this game, so it’s worth giving it a shot.
4. Flirt poles
Flirst poles are fantastic if you’ve got a roomy indoor space or better yet, a backyard.
Though you should always be mindful of your Dalmatian’s bones and joints, a 10-minute outdoor session of chasing and leaping for a flirt pole can provide both mental and physical activity.
You can use it to entice your Dalmatian to chase the toy on the end of the stick, jump for it, or engage in a game of tug of war.
Since this activity has both a mental and physical component, it will use up a lot of energy in a brief period.
You can grab a sturdy flirt pole from online platforms like Amazon, or even create a basic one at home.
5. Enhance basic obedience training
It’s crucial to keep up with obedience training even after your Dalmatian has mastered commands like “sit” or “stay”. Regular daily training sessions will not only boost your bond and their compliance but also keep them mentally engaged and calm.
Progressing to tougher versions of each command, such as a sit-and-stay with a treat on the floor, can be more engaging.
Incorporating a 30-minute daily obedience training session will result in a more obedient, well-behaved Dalmatian that’s also mentally stimulated. Starting this is definitely worth it as the benefits will be evident in various aspects of your shared lives.
6. Invite over friends with their dogs
If you have friends or family members who have dogs, ask them to come over for a doggie hangout and a general meetup!
For dogs, socializing is perhaps the strongest type of mental stimulation. No game of fetch, tug of war, or scent tracking can compete with the excitement of getting to know other dogs. It sounds funny, but it’s true, socializing is crucial.
Naturally, only invite over dogs that are friendly and eager to interact.
An hour of interacting with another dog will leave your Dalmatian very content, exhausted, and feeling great.
Behavior experts also see a clear link between better behavior, friendliness, and obedience in dogs that are properly socialized.
3 Ways To Keep Your Dalmatian Busy While You’re at Work
While you’re away from home or at your job, it might seem a bit challenging to keep your Dalmatian entertained, but there are a few things you can try!
Since you won’t be around to create the fun, you’ll have to count on some alternative strategies (not necessarily games) that should keep your Dalmatian content.
1. Rotate their toys
Rotating toys is a simple “strategy” that every pet owner can apply. You can do it in several ways, you can change one toy at a time, or swap groups of toys together.
The whole concept of this is to keep their toys fresh and interesting to them.
If they have 3 different sets of toys, that you swap once a week, it will seem to them like they’re always getting new toys. It might sound silly, but it really does work.
How will this help while you’re away? Well, when a dog gets a new toy (or what they think is a new toy) they’re usually happy to play with it independently for a good amount of time. It’s only when the toy becomes old and repetitive, do they tend to ignore it.
By constantly rotating their toys, they’ll believe they’re getting new toys, and will thus keep their focus and attention on them even when you aren’t around. While this might not entirely cure their boredom, it will certainly help.
2. Interactive puzzle toys
Interactive puzzle toys are essential for anyone leaving their Dalmatian alone at home, no matter the duration.
Some interactive puzzle toys are more suitable for when you’re around to help, but others are perfect for when they’re alone.
One of my favorites is the Star Mark Bob a Lot. It’s like a mix between a kong classic and a slow feeder. You put the treats inside the toy, and your Dalmatian has to roll the toy in certain directions for the treats to fall out.
The key to making this toy more engaging is to avoid using their regular kibble as the treat. Kibble is easy to use, but let’s face it, it’s pretty dull. Get some exciting new treats to keep their attention.
And the last strategy is to use this toy only when you leave the house! When you return, put it away. This will maintain that “new toy feeling” for longer, especially when combined with new yummy treats. The Star Mark Bob a Lot could keep your Dalmatian entertained for up to an hour at a time.
3. Frozen kong toy with peanut butter
Last but not least, we’re talking about the good old Kong classic toy!
Get a medium or large Kong classic, fill it with peanut butter (xylitol-free) and freeze it for at least a few hours.
This will completely engage your Dalmatian and make them forget you’ve even left.
Most dogs absolutely adore peanut butter, which is safe for dogs to eat, as long as it’s low in salt and doesn’t contain xylitol. And do keep an eye on the calories!
The reason for freezing is to make the peanut butter last much longer. Your Dalmatian will keep tasting the peanut butter as it thaws, and will have the super satisfying rubbery chew to keep munching on.
This is such a straightforward strategy and is one of my all-time favorites to use.
Consider Your Boxer’s Alone Time
If you’ll be away from home for several hours, the suggestions above may not be enough.
They could work for the initial couple of hours, but beyond that, your boxer may start to feel incredibly bored and possibly anxious.
Boxers generally dislike being alone, and they are a breed that becomes very attached and dependent on their owners.
If you’re away for many hours, the best thing you could do is ask a friend or family member to visit your home and spend time with your boxer. If that’s not feasible, hiring a dog sitter would be the next best option.
Long periods of solitude and loneliness can lead to serious behavioral and emotional problems such as destructive behavior and separation anxiety. These problems can be challenging to manage and resolve, so everything possible should be done to avoid them from the start.
I hope this article has given you some helpful ideas. Thanks for reading