June Activity Guide

JUNE Summers Calling

June 2024

As we reflect on the past month, it’s clear that the start of summer hasn’t been quite what we expected. Despite a disappointing beginning, we’re thrilled to see winter coats are finally coming off, heralding the promise of warmer days ahead. To celebrate the shift in seasons, we have included some super tasty recipes & activities that we’re sure your dog will adore!

We will be looking for a range of testers from younger pups to senior dogs as well as dogs living with conditions which impacts their health each month starting from June so if you would like to be involved I would love to hear from you just drop us a message at hello@cognitivecanineco.co.uk

As always if there are products, activities that you would like to see featured just drop us a message as

Fit for Fun

Start Slowly & build up

Enjoy Quality Time Together

As the summer has got off to a very slow start in most parts of the UK, many of us are eager to shed the winter lethargy and embrace outdoor activities with our furry bestie. However, it’s crucial to approach fitness for your dog with care to ensure they stay happy, healthy, and injury free throughout the summer months.

Just like humans, dog’s benefit from gradual conditioning to prevent injuries. Begin with shorter walks or gentle play sessions, gradually increasing duration and intensity as your dog’s fitness improves. This approach not only reduces the risk of strains and sprains but also allows your dog’s muscles and joints to adapt to increased activity levels.

Choose activities suited to your dogs breed & fitness level let’s get moving! What we have been doing to get fit:

Choose activities suited to your dog’s breed & fitness level

Different dog breeds have varying exercise needs and capabilities. Consider your dog’s age, breed, size, and overall health when planning activities. For instance, high energy breeds like border collies may thrive on activities such as sheep ball or agility training, whilst smaller breeds or senior dogs may prefer shorter, more leisurely walks, swimming or some breed specific activies like digging

Mix up your routine

Keep your dog mentally engaged and physically challenged bt varying your exercise routine. Incorporate activities that stimulate their natural instinct, such as scent work, hide-and-seek games or sniffi walks. Mixing in training sessions for tricks or teaching new cues also provides mental stimulation while reinforcing your bond with your dog.

Ensure adequate hydration & rest

Summer heat can pose risks of dehydration and overheating, especially for dogs. Always carry water and a collapsible bowl during outings and if you forget, simply open up a poo bag, lay on ground & fill with water. Avoid exercise during the hottest parts of the day, opting instead for early morning or evening walks when cooler or swapping for an at home enrichment activity.

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To add some delicious treats to your next box or ....add Have an idea?

We’re always thinking up new recipes and treats behind the scenes. So if you, or your pup, have an idea for a new recipe, we’re all ears! Drop us an email at hello@cognitivecanineco.co.uk,

Monitor Your Dog’s Body Condition

Regularly asses your dog’s body condition score to ensure they maintain a healthy weight. Adjust their diet as needed to support their activity level and metabolism, don’t forget that the feeding chart on your food is just a guide and you may need to increase/decrease based on the dog in front of you as each are individuals

Safety First

Invest in well-fitted collars or harnesses and sturdy lead appropriate for your activity, it’s a myth that harnesses cause pulling but they can definitely help distribute some of the force if you are still working on your loose lead skills.

Enjoy Quality Time Together

Above all, make fitness a fun and enjoyable experience for both you and your dog. Celebrate each milestone and cherish the moments spent exploring the great outdoors together, the key is to nurture your bond whilst promoting your dog’s overall health and wellbeing

One point to make is that sometimes increasing exercise isn't the answer. Like athletes, the more exercise you do the fitter they will become and the more they will need. Think about your goal, if it’s to have a calm dog focus on rewarding the behaviour you want to see and invest some time into training. This approach ensures your dog learns to relax and doesn't become so fit that they cant actually ever switch of. Balance physical and mental stimulation and training to achieve a well rounded, contented dog

So what is enrichment?

Enrichment is defined as ‘something you add to your dog’s environment that they choose to interact with and that has a positive impact on their psychological or physical well being.’

Although this sounds complicated, it's really easy to do and just involves adding some simple but fun activities to your dogs day - it can be as simple as just scattering some of their food on the floor!

Providing our dogs with adequate mental stimulation can be just as important as meeting their physical needs, and can help to prevent a wide range of problems that occur when our dogs become bored and understimulated such as excessive barking, destructive behaviour and hyperactivity

To provide the best possible activities for our dogs, we need to look at the natural behaviours and activities that they enjoy. These will vary from breed to breed and dog to dog, for example if you have a scent hound providing some activities that involve sniffing are going to be really popular, where as a Border Collie might enjoy the challenge of a puzzle type activity.

Enrichment Top Tips

The most important thing to remember with any enrichment activity is that the aim is to make your dogs life more interesting, not more difficult. We've broken down all the enrichment activities in this guide in to step by step actions to make sure that you're working at your dogs pace and not asking too much from them. If we ask them to do something too complicated such as a puzzle toy that they don't understand, they're likely to become frustrated or lose interest - it may even put them off trying other activities in the future, so starting off simple can really help.

The activities we can do with our dogs fall into two categories:

Engagement/ Bonding Activities - these involve you being interactive and present with your dog and will increase the bond between you. This means your dog will be more attentive to you in general, not just when your training.

Independent Activities - These are activities you can leave your dog to do while you're busy or stuck for time, and can help to calm and tire your dog. Both are important and a healthy mix of both is the best way forward

A tired dog is a happy dog....

"A tired dog is a happy dog" is a phrase that's used a lot. Tired can mean a lot of different things, for example you could feel tired and relaxed after a chilled out day. Alternatively you could feel absolutely exhausted and just not being able to stay awake after something that's physical or mentally strenuous, which is definitely not a happy experience! Providing the right balance of mental stimulation, physical exercise and rest ensures our dogs can feel a relaxed and happy tired, rather than just exhausted from too much running around.

Poker Box Vario Product Guide

Level 2 strategy game

Consists of a rotating drum and an element with three seesaws, keeps your dog busy. You can fill these elements with treats of your choice, which your dog is supposed to get out with their paw or nose.

With the help of the rotating inner cylinder, you can adjust the hole size of the drum so that the treats fall out at different speeds. This keeps the game varied and adapts it to your dog's individual abilities.

After the fun, the dog game can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher.

If your dog is a real foodie, easily frustrated or just a bit over enthusiastic, it can help to start with one part of the puzzle at a time rather than putting food in all the components at once, and gradually build it up as they get the hang of each part.

Sometimes putting the food inside the puzzle when they are not sure how to get it out can be frustrating, and they end up trying to destroy the puzzle to get to the food. If this sounds like your dog, it can help to keep the food in your hand and use “shaping” instead, where you reward the dog initially for any interaction with the puzzle, then gradually start to reward the correct movements for example pushing the drum with their nose. Once they’ve mastered what they need to do, then pop the food/treats inside for them to try.

Freeze Dried Single Protein Treats Product Guide

When it comes to dog treats, the options can seem endless. There are so many treats out there, it can make even the most seasoned dog shopper get overwhelmed! We love these freeze dried treats as they are :

Easily digestible

Single protein

perfect for dogs with allergies

Low fat (4%)

Perfect even for dogs with conditions such as pancreatitis

Perfect for training and shaping behaviours

Grain Free

No fillers or preservatives

Rabbit Cubes Product Guide

These irresistible natural treats are low fat, well tolerated novel protein, single source protein and best of all super tasty.

No Hide Strips

Strips offer a healthy and tasty chew experience of the original No-Hides as a fun short-term chew. It’s perfect for dogs of all shapes and sizes. Great as a reward, impromptu treat, or every day chew for dogs!

Please note that if you have a dog with dietary intolerances or allergies, alternative suitable products will be provided depending on your dog’s dietary requirements

Recipe Idea

Quick & Easy Summer Treat

Ingredients

Watermelon - 3 pieces

Fresh Mint - small handful of leaves

80mls water

Method

Blend & pour into a treat mould

Freeze for 3-5hrs

Tasty treat to refresh breath and help your dog cool

Sensory Enrichment

While there are lots of activities we can create for our dogs using their food, there are some great activities that can keep them mentally stimulated by making use of their other senses.

If you have a garden or outdoor space that your dog can use, then creating a small sensory area cab be a great way to enriching your dog’s day. It’s a great way to encourage your dog to explore, giving their body and brain a work out

There are so many things you can incorporate : A sand pit for dogs that love to dig - childrens sand pits with a cover are perfect for this

Textured surfaces to explore - you can create a pathway of textures under their paws using different surfaces such as grass, gravel, paving, wood and sand

Tree stumps and logs are great fun for your dog to climb and explore

Leave a small patch of grass long for scatter feeding

Wind chimes are great for adding sound to stimulate more of their senses

Dog friendly plants

Dog Friendly Plants

Like many animals, dog’s have an amazing ability to self-medicateyou might have seen this when your dog has a digestive upset and they eat some grass. There are lots of plants that our dogs can selfmedicate with, so letting them explore can be really beneficial. We’ve put together a list of some dog friendly plants, along with their benefits for your dog. If you don’t have a garden or outside space, you might be able to seek out some of these in a park or public garden or even let your dog explore next time you go to the garden centre. Here are some common plants you could let your dog explore:

Valerian (calming)

Marigold (calming)

Rosemary (Calming)

Lavendar (calming)

Peppermint (soothes irritated skin) Catnip (Encourages playfulness)

Wheatgrass (calming)

We absolutely love seeing your pups with our amazing products so don't forget to share and tag us on social media with your vids and pics or email them to us at hello@cognitivecanineco.co.uk, and we'll get straight back to you! Don't forget to use #caninebrainbox