Everyone likes to feel needed, wanted, and useful. It’s true for people. It’s also true for dogs. In order for your dog to be happiest, give your dog a job.
Little things count
It doesn’t have to be a big thing. For the vast majority of dogs, the job they were bred to do is obsolete. Most Yorkshire Terriers will never even see a rat, unlike their ancestors in the English woolen mills.
Don’t get us wrong – we believe that’s a good thing. But it’s also a good thing to do something to take advantage of your dog’s natural instincts. While we’re big fans of dog training, some dog jobs don’t require much, if any, at all.
To exercise your dog’s hunting instinct, you can set up a game of “hide and seek.” Put a smelly treat in a covered container. Introduce it to your dog by putting it on the floor in front of them. Give them a treat from the container when they go over to sniff it. Then hide it somewhere in the house and tell them to “Hunt!” or “Find it!”
Don’t worry about the dog not being able to sniff out the treat with the container closed. It won’t be a problem. Dog doing Nose Work find the scents even buried under sand.
When your dog finds the container – celebrate! And, of course, give them one of the treats. Then you can do it again whenever the two of you want to play.
Have them do something
Everybody who has a dog has one for the exact same reason – they’re fun friends to have around. If you have a dog bred as a “companion” dog, like a Pug or a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, that doesn’t mean they can’t do stuff. It means they’re all-arounders, capable of just about any “job” you wish to give them.
Many of the comments we’ve gotten on our training videos express surprise that French Bulldogs are capable of doing stuff. How do you know your dog can’t do something if you’ve never asked them to try?
Herding instinct
If you want to try your dog at something resembling “herding,” you can get a bunch of balls and have your dog corral them across a line. If you’ve seen your dog trying to herd the family into a single room, this would be a fun game to play and take advantage of something your dog already wants to do.
Playing a game that takes advantage of your dog’s natural abilities will make them happy. Even happier than sitting on the couch. Give it a try and give your dog a job.
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