Shih Tzu Training of the Mind – Interactive Dog Toys
Interactive dog toys are a fantastic addition to any dog’s home. They are also a good way to take a break from Shih Tzu training and allow your dog to entertain himself all on his own, whilst still using that Bright Shih Tzu mind.
There are so many brand new toys that have caught on to the interactive side of play that the choices are immense. The first and best used names that we think of on this topic are Nina Ottoson and Kong.
Shih Tzu Training with Nina Ottoson
Nina Ottoson was the first to develop puzzles and toys where the dog really has to think in order to release a toy. Puzzles included spinning discs, pulling levers and removing areas of a toy to release a treat and they are great fun.
The toys come in varying shapes, from a weighted pyramid with a treat hole in the top to a flat puzzle with levers and switches to really train that Shih Tzu mind. The best thing about this type of puzzle is that it uses the problem solving area of the Shih Tzu brain.
Kong and Treat
The Kong is slightly different for it was created for stuffing and is designed to keep your Shih Tzu busy trying to either lick paste from it or releasing treats. It can also be filled with paste or soft food and frozen for the summer months then your Shih Tzu can spend some time on the lawn trying to release his dinner from the Kong.
Other Manufacturers
Because the original interactive toys have been so popular many other manufacturers have joined in with the creation and sale of this toy type. This is wonderful news for us dog owners because we get to choose from a wide range of toys, with many, many different required skills.
If you are interested in providing your Shih Tzu with some puzzles then you will have plenty of choice and certainly some will suit your budget.
Shih Tzu Training – How Interactive Toys Help
These kind of toys benefit the Shih Tzu in many ways. By giving your clever little dog something to do and play with whilst also using his mind in a channeled way you will be helping him more than you think. Take a look:
- By providing your Shih Tzu with a way to use up that mental energy you will be inadvertently helping to improve his behavior. A bored Shih Tzu gets into trouble. Yet a Shih Tzu that has just spent twenty minutes trying to “rescue” six treats from a complex puzzle will usually be glad of the rest.
- The second way that this type of Shih Tzu play will help is that it will turn you into a team. It has been proven that the domestic dog is a great co-operator and so the two of you playing together to help the Shih Tzu find or release a treat will enhance your relationship perfectly.
Just like any other type of Shih Tzu training it’s important when you introduce interactive toy play, that your dog has the idea of what he is supposed to do, otherwise he will lose confidence in himself and just wander away.
So don’t delay get toy shopping and your Shih Tzu training, along with your dog’s behavior, will be better than it has ever been before.
