Train your Brain

Today is October 13 - and it is National Train Your Brain Day.  And I found an EXCELLENT site that summarizes what happens in our brains when humans train us dogs.  Check it out:

http://visual.ly/effect-training-dog-brain

I'm not so sure, though, about the list of easiest and most difficult dogs to train.  I mean we PONs didn't appear at all.  In either list.  Really - we could go in both.  Depends on the treats.  And as for girls being easier to train - well I don't know about that.  We certainly find it a challenge to train our human.

All sources say that to keep our brains active, humans should play games with us.  This site has some excellent examples of games to play.  

http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/10-brain-games-to-play-with-your-dog
Frodo and I have certainly played the Treasure Hunt game - in our house it is known as Find the Bunny.   We have also done that game with treats.  We must try it with Elroy.

Hide and Seek is not really a favorite game in our house.  We don't have someone else to hold us while our human hides, and her experience has been that when she tries this outdoors, on the trail, she finds herself alone in the woods.  We don't bother looking for her.  OK, OK.  Frodo does.  But Elroy and I have other things to find.  Like bunnies.  And flying leaves.

I like the idea of the Hot and Cold game.  Seems like a simple way to get LOTS of treats.  As for 52 Pick up - that's my human's job to put away our toys.  I wouldn't want to take that from her.

The Red Light Green Light game is something my human has been trying with Elroy.  So far, his red light is kind of yellow.  They have more work to do.

As for Jumping Rope....good luck with that.  My HUMAN isn't coordinated enough to jump rope - so forget training us dogs to do it.  I envision someone being strangled by the rope...

 Anyway, these games ARE a good way to help us improve our brain health.  And when our brains are active, it can tire us out.  Which in OUR house spells a golden moment - three tired dogs equals pure bliss.  Too bad it happens so infrequently!

So time to get out there - and train your brain!