Scott Linden Outdoors

At a recent speaking engagement, I came to the point in my presentation when I talked about the problems we face with a young dog when he hasn’t had enough exercise. Then it hit me: there are two kinds of exercise, physical and mental. The first is easy to get, the second a bit more of a challenge.

With a lack of either, a pup gets bored. A bored puppy is a disaster in the making. Chewing, barking, whining, digging … the list goes on and on. But there are more subtle manifestations: disobedience, inattention come to mind. So what do we do?

Long runs off lead solve problem #1. Endorphins kick in, pup is physically fulfilled, so to speak. But the mental muscle needs a workout too. And stretching. I’m wondering if much of the cerebral problem is lack of challenge. We set the bar too low and leave it there too long.

Example: We’re working on steadiness around birds. For weeks Flick has excelled at standing to a bird shown him at a distance. Eventually he lost intensity, even trying to sit sometimes. The novelty had worn off.

Luckily I figured it out and upped the ante. Pigeons in launchers, Flick into scent cone, birds in the air … each took the challenge to another level and the interest and intensity were back. Same for retrieves (add distance, obstacles), even walking at heel (add distractions). Whatever you’re training, you might try picking up your pace.

If only everything was this simple.