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smells the food, hunger gets them to dig for it and random luck will have it fall out when it is pushed around
there isn't much "logic" to these things, it's all push and wait, so not even much stimulation aside from exhaustion
Well, that wouldn't hurt either, since she isn't tiring herself on walks.........every now and then she has an energy burst and leaps around like a pony, but mostly she doesn't do anything. She doesn't want to fetch or anything like my other dog. In addition to walking a lot I used to throw her favorite toy down the hall and she'd do that for a long time.
This poor thing must have been admonished for normal things. She will gnaw on her chew thing and I will peek to make sure it's her chew thing, and she will look at me like 'Should I not chew?' She seems worried about making the squeak toys squeak.
Anyway, if Kong makes one of these, it might have a guarantee. Many of their products are said to be 'indestructible' and if the dog does destroy them, one can get a refund or replacement.
The first one I looked at, I did wonder how will she knew it's a puzzle?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MLSFan
smells the food, hunger gets them to dig for it and random luck will have it fall out when it is pushed around
there isn't much "logic" to these things, it's all push and wait, so not even much stimulation aside from exhaustion
Clarification- I am not talking about the kongs and treat balls that have been around forever, I am referring to the various newer plastic/wood puzzle board toys. Kongs/treat balls are fairly intuitive for dogs to use and are so common now that I barely consider them puzzles.
Not all dogs have the problem-solving skills needed to use these puzzle boards. Presented with something new that smells like food, a dog will lick, paw, chew. If the dog is lucky and something they do will cause a treat to fall out or be exposed, and the dog makes the connection between cause and effect, then they might solve the puzzle and learn how to get the treats out. Some of the puzzle toys like the balls or cubes are more intuitive for the dog because if they keep pawing at it they will likely eventually get a treat from it which will stimulate continued interest. These type of treat toys and kongs have been around forever now.
However the expensive treat boards at $25 +/- that require the dog to find, reveal, or move a hidden compartment aren't as intuitive for the dog. The dog certainly smells the treat, but if pawing or nuzzling the puzzle doesn't result pretty quickly in a treat then the dog will likely give up trying to solve the puzzle or will begin chewing it apart in efforts to get the treat.
So no- they don't know that the toy is a puzzle; all they know is that it is a block of something that smells like food. That is why I suggested the towel puzzle- it will come apart fairly easily to release the treats wrapped up in it and uses a dog's natural inclination to paw and "kill"/shake. Another concern with these boards, whether plastic or wood, is that they have lots of moving pieces that can be broken/chewed off and swallowed.
Numerous studies have shown that dogs won't continue working to solve a puzzle, but rather will work at it for a few minutes and then look at the human to help them. If the human works with the dog then the dog may learn how to work the puzzle via social learning, but left to their own devices, most dogs won't figure out how to work a puzzle board.
Wolves on the other hand absolutely will continue working on their own to solve a puzzle and will even work collaboratively to problem-solve.
YMMV- please note that I am speaking in generalities; if you have a dog that has good problem-solving skills and will work at the puzzle board until it solves it then awesome, but at least in my experience, this isn't common. And the same benefit can be had using the other ways I mentioned without the potential danger of the dog chewing up the board or losing interest because they can't solve the puzzle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jencam
I hear ya. My last dog wanted to walk and play and walk and walk and walk. That is considered 'work'. I didn't have to worry over how or when I fed her. She self-regulated too.
This dog has anxiety about walking very long. She gets scared home by too many dogs, people she doesn't know, sounds, etc. Obviously I am working on that but it is a long goal, not a short one.
He did say it as more of a generality. However I thought 'well, she is bored. She could use some mental stimulation'.
What you are describing has little to do with mental stimulation and everything to do with fear/anxiety.
If your dog has generalized anxiety about being out and about in the world (dogs, noises, people, generally over-threshold), then that needs to be worked on through a behavior modification program. Letting her experience the world at a safe distance while keeping her experiences short, positive, and under threshold will slowly help her understand that you will keep her safe.
Last edited by twelvepaw; 12-18-2017 at 06:13 AM..
The food bowls can be fairly complex. I had one for my first Catahoula who ate like a lunatic. I bought two "food puzzles" for winter when I didnt have time to exercise either dog enough or the weather wouldn't permit - they had little drawers and the dog had to paw them open. I put my foot on them to keep the dogs from tossing them across the room. It really did work to keep them entertained.
The food bowls can be fairly complex. I had one for my first Catahoula who ate like a lunatic. I bought two "food puzzles" for winter when I didnt have time to exercise either dog enough or the weather wouldn't permit - they had little drawers and the dog had to paw them open. I put my foot on them to keep the dogs from tossing them across the room. It really did work to keep them entertained.
My dog has 3 of these puzzles with drawers and chambers. She's very intelligent and enjoys them as much today as she did when I got them over a year ago.
Numerous studies have shown that dogs won't continue working to solve a puzzle, but rather will work at it for a few minutes and then look at the human to help them. If the human works with the dog then the dog may learn how to work the puzzle via social learning, but left to their own devices, most dogs won't figure out how to work a puzzle board.
Wolves on the other hand absolutely will continue working on their own to solve a puzzle and will even work collaboratively to problem-solve.
YMMV- please note that I am speaking in generalities; if you have a dog that has good problem-solving skills and will work at the puzzle board until it solves it then awesome, but at least in my experience, this isn't common. And the same benefit can be had using the other ways I mentioned without the potential danger of the dog chewing up the board or losing interest because they can't solve the puzzle.
Just to kinda continue on the above, I have read outside dogs have "better" problem solving skills.
In door dogs develop the skill of relying on us to solve problems. Which is pretty smart by itself.
(I think that was Inside a Dog)
"Hey you, with the opposable thumbs!... there is kibble in this torture device, and could you get it out? I mean I CAN, but you always get sooo upset when pieces of things are all over the house..... you are so weird. So bring that thumb over here so I can have my kibble"
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Just to kinda continue on the above, I have read outside dogs have "better" problem solving skills.
In door dogs develop the skill of relying on us to solve problems. Which is pretty smart by itself.
(I think that was Inside a Dog)
"Hey you, with the possible thumbs!... there is kibble in this torture device, and could you get it out? I mean I CAN, but you always get sooo upset when pieces of things are all over the house..... you are so weird. So bring that thumb over here so I can have my kibble"
I just remembered something regarding problem solving. I think she will be good at it. She used to steal my food. I think that was priority one to stop when I got her!
She'd knock over the milk to drink it off the floor. Then, she decided to learn to pick it up with her teeth and set it down to drink from.
I actually appreciated the new way, for the lack of mess, on the way to learning not to do it at all! She doesn't do that anymore, but I think it does show problem solving skills?
I DO like the idea of hiding bits of treats all over the house. Inexpensive, not prone to destruction and entertaining.
That wouldn't work for me because I have an ant problem despite have my pest control person out here three times since Thanksgiving. If there is even a crumb or speck of food, human or pet, it will be surrounded by ants within the hour. The little bastards even got inside a sealed bag of dog food that must have had just the tiniest opening. Now I have to put all dog & cat food including their treats into airtight containers.
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