If you are like me, there are times when you look into your dog’s eyes and wonder how you could be so lucky to be the recipient of this much love. Like many pet parents, I am pretty much convinced that I have the two cutest, most endearing, and loving animals on the planet.
Although I give my dogs the best life that I can, I often wonder how they must experience their day-to-day lives. We have all heard the phrase, “It’s a dog’s life” and there have been many times I have been envious of what I perceive to be my dog’s life of leisure as I run around like a mad woman getting ready for work.
But then another well-known phrase enters my head: what if “the grass is always greener on the other side?” What if your dog’s life is not as great as it could be? Anyone who has witnessed a dog’s expression as he races down a beach knows that dogs experience joy. Anyone who has lived through the loss of one of our pet’s companions observes how a dog experiences grief. And anyone who has a pet who suffers from separation anxiety, who sees their dog tremble at the mention of a bath, or has been around a dog during a thunderstorm or fireworks knows that dogs most certainly can feel stressed out and anxious.
I wanted to tell you the story behind My Doggy Genius so you know how much love and care went into its creation. It’s funny how sometimes the best things come out of situations that seemed less than ideal at the time!
This all began when my husband and I moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada a few years ago so that I could attend school there. Real estate was so expensive in Edmonton that we found ourselves living in a small condo close to downtown. If you’ve ever lived in a place like Edmonton, you know that the winters can be so bitterly cold that skin (and puppy noses and paws) freeze within 30 seconds of being outdoors. During the especially cold winter months, there were weeks when Tango and Sparky could barely make it outside to pee. I used to run outside quickly with them, anxious that their little paws would freeze if they stayed out there for too long.
Being indoors that much during those months, I noticed that Tango and Sparky started to get a touch of cabin fever. Then I realized that I would probably start to get a little grumpy,too, if I had to stay indoors for weeks at a time. I think I’d go stir-crazy! Tango and Sparky seemed to be getting on each other’s nerves, and were getting really snippy with each other. I would engage them in games of fetch in our living room in the evenings, but they soon tired of this game and would look at me as if to say, "OK that was fun, what else have you got?!”
So I started to experiment with creating food challenges for them to solve and games that we could play, using items I had from around the house. Once they tired of one challenge, I would come up with another, and another, until I realized that I had created dozens of simple problem-solving challenges for them. I think my years of experience as an elementary school teacher had helped to hone my creativity for coming up with fun ways to challenge the students in my classroom, and I realized that I was able to apply those same skills to designing problem-solving challenges for my dogs.
This is one of Sparky’s favorites. I took three clean, brightly colored socks and braided them, securing each end with a wide elasticized head band. Then, I hid some of my dog’s favorite treats throughout the braid. They then get to take the ‘toy’ apart while searching for their treasure – then simply re-braid and re-treat as many times as you like! Hours of fun and entertainment for everyone, without costing a dime!
As I continued to create these games and challenges for my dogs, what really pained me was that I hadn’t realized how bored my dogs had been. Tango and Sparky absolutely loved them, and upon solving one challenge, would beg for more. If you’ve ever seen a dog smile, you would laugh out loud if you saw their expressions – they were having a ball! It was so much fun to watch them think and learn – each time I would see them try out new strategies for solving each puzzle I gave them, and practice strategies that they remembered had worked for them the last time. It was absolutely hilarious!
I realized that if my dogs were enjoying these games and challenges this much, that other dogs would likely love them, too! My Doggy Genius was born out of necessity – it wasn’t something I had planned to design, but the difference these games and challenges have made in the quality of my dogs’ lives is undeniable. As you will read from the testimonials below, My Doggy Genius has given many other dogs hours of much-needed mental stimulation and exercise, and opportunities for developing trust with their owners. It offers loads of fun and entertainment for their owners, too, as they watch their dogs think, learn, and problem-solve before their very eyes!
- Live in an urban area where there isn’t much space for you to take your dog out for long walks
Tango, Sparky and I wish you and your dog many hours of fun and bonding by playing our games and problem- solving challenges.
Simple, fun ideas for how to combine and increase the level of challenge as your dog becomes a happy, furry little genius.
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