Our Toolbox 🧰

Ever tried to reason with a bored Belgian Malinois at -14°F?

I've lost enough shoes to know that silence usually means trouble.

When winter locks you inside, here's how to satisfy that relentless Malinois mind.

Weekly Bite

When I checked the forecast and saw a low of -14°F, I knew satisfying Aki's physical exercise needs would be tough.

But not impossible…

That's because mental exercise tires them out 3x as much as physical exercise.

Here are 5 mental exercises that you can do inside. 👇️ 

1️⃣ Teach Them To Find Lost Items

Otherwise known as indiscriminate human scent tracking.

This is the fundamental skill search and rescue dogs use to find lost people.

Start with items you carry daily (credit cards, keys, etc.) so your scent is strong. Place it on the floor, let them indicate on it, and reward the find.

Let me know if you want a specific guide that breaks this down step by step!

2️⃣ Teach Rear End Awareness

Aki's rear end awareness was getting sloppy while heeling, and being indoors is the perfect time for micro refinements.

The beauty of teaching rear end awareness is that it improves their coordination and body control.

The foundation for clean obedience and longevity.

3️⃣ Perfect Obedience Positions

Teach new positions like the classic middle position all over Instagram or bulletproof the ones they already know under distraction, distance, and duration.

Winter is ideal for perfecting those positions they "kind of" know.

4️⃣ Try Box Feeding

Box feeding builds confidence, focus, and resilience while teaching indication ~ the first step in tracking and scent detection.

If you want to build your own, here are 2 DIY videos on how to make a small dopamine box and a regular size dopamine box.

5️⃣ Provide Independent Enrichment

Raw meaty bones, frozen chew toys, lick mats, and puzzle feeders satisfy their need to work for food.

These keep them occupied while encouraging calm behavior.

TL;DR: Mental exercise exhausts Belgian Malinois 3x faster than physical exercise. When winter locks you inside, use these 5 activities to satisfy that relentless mind.

Tail End

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Until next Thursday, ✌️

Sam