BC-Liz Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 I'm in the need for some mind games for my BC's. They seem rather bored of the same ol same ol. Does anyone have any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 I like to hide thier favorite toys or bones, ( while they are not in the same room) and encourage them to use thier air scenting abilities. After a few times, they know what "your getting warmer" means! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC-Liz Posted January 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 I like to hide thier favorite toys or bones, ( while they are not in the same room) and encourage them to use thier air scenting abilities. After a few times, they know what "your getting warmer" means! I've been wanting to try that. Did you name their toys first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 Naming toys - now THERE is a great game! Lucy just naturally figured them out - there was a news story a few years ago about a BC that knew something like 100 toys by name. Lucy might have done that - if she HAD 200 toys! I once got three toys, all about the same size, same colors, same texture (fleece). One was a flat square, one was a flat triangle, and one was a flat circle. I tried to teach her those - but somehow, I guess, we just never worked it enough! The triangle was always her favorite - go figure. diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Root Beer Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 If your dog likes to retrieve, this is a great game for keeping a dog occupied while vegging on the sofa. I put two laundry baskets out - each about 4 feet away on opposite sides of the room. I toss the ball into a basket every time the dog brings it to me. Speedy loves this because he tries to anticipate which way it will go to try to head it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1sheepdoggal Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 I've been wanting to try that. Did you name their toys first? Yes, but we are limited in the toys we have, as they really only have balls and pigs ears and cow hooves and tug ropes. I cant keep squeeky toys or fleece toys around, they get desrtoyed to easily, and Im afraid they'd ingest the pieces. But they do know what the names of the things that I do have avalible for them are. Though we have numerous balls, they never know which one Im asking for them to find. To them, a ball is a ball. I do put all other toys and bones away in a seperate room with the door closed, but when I hide them, I dont limit putting them down low. I put them up high, on a mantle, entertainment center, stuck in a lamp, between the cushions of the couch. But not to where they can see them. Only 2 of the bunch are really so toy motivated they they will play this game, but its fun to let them back in the room, ask them to find the toy, and watch thier heads go up and thier noses start working a room. Doesnt take them long to find it, and they will either stand on thier hind legs, to tell me where it is, or sit and stare at the place. One thing Ive found with the collies is, that you have to be a pretty good hider, cause they will remember places youve hidden them in the past, and start right to those places first without scenting for them, so ya cant put stuff in the same places, otherwise they dont really use the skills of smell to find them, more over their memory. But they have learned that Ive caught on to thier cheating, and dont do that so often anymore. Its hard not to use the same places, so I use different rooms each time to hide stuff in. Ive even put things in kitchen cabinets, top and bottom ones and they find them. When ya first start the game, ya have to make it relativly easy, so they dont give up. But once theyve caught on, its a pretty awesome process to watch. I will say one more thing, they will tell on you as to how good a house keeper you are, cause if ya dont find "all" the toys, ( under the sofa, under the chair, behind the trash can, ) to put away before ya start, they'll find them for you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kayleegator Posted January 7, 2008 Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 We like the game 'Find it!'. Take an old sheet, show your dog the toy, then loosely wrap it in the sheet. Keep saying 'Find it!' until she digs out the toy, or shakes the sheet until it falls out. Once she's got that down, you can load the sheet with lots of toys, wrapped and twisted tightly. If you are lucky, she'll stop to play with each toy as she frees it from the sheet. You can teach her the name of the toy using this game. It will keep her busy for about 5 minutes, and then you'll have to wrap everything up again. As I write this, Kaylee is stuffing her littlest ball under the file cabinet beside my desk, so she can demand that I 'rescue' it for her! Another spot to block, sigh. Time to go find the sheet! re: naming toys We have the Two-Ball Tug, the Sock Tug (actually there are several of these), the Rope Tug, the Bone (generic), the Chewie (a big rawhide chew), the Blue Ball (currently 'resting' in the closet, because it's really squeaky), the Squeaker, the Squirrel, the Kong, the Hoof, the Kong Ball and the Barbell, as well as assorted undifferentiated Balls. The Lion is very dead. That was a cute rope toy somebody gave her. Kaylee knows all these toys by name, and will go find them when asked, wherever she left them, in the toy box or wrapped in the sheet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC-Liz Posted January 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2008 These all sound like great games. We do play a game simlar to that. We play hide and seek with the dogs but hid ourselves and have the dogs find us. It's a blast but they're really good at it and find us really quick and there's only so many hiding places for a person. I'm definitely going to try teaching them the name of their toys. I think that in itself will be an exercise of their intelligence. Thanks everyone! keep the great ideas coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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