7 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR DOG HAPPIER

#1 Pair words with reliable outcomes. There’s a good reason your dog knows “treat,” “walk,” and perhaps even “cheese”—they always result in the same outcome (i.e., being given a treat or taken for a walk). Expand your dog’s vocabulary by reliably pairing more words with outcomes. A few to try: “car,” “bedtime,” and even phrases like, “Do you want to come?”

#2 Keep training sessions fun—and short. The average adult dog can remain focused for up to 30 minutes at a time, says Stanley Coren, Psychology Professor, neuropsychological researcher, and writer on the intelligence, mental abilities, and history of dogs. For puppies, that drops to under a minute. “At around six months, a puppy can hold focus on something interesting for 30 to 45 seconds before focus wanders,” says Coren. “They may come back to focus on the same situation after respite of 20 to 30 seconds.”

#3 Teach names for toys. Repetition is the key here. Introduce one or two toys by name and reward for successfully retrieval. For most dogs this take regular practice, though “gifted” dogs learn new words after hearing them just four times, a recent study has found. “Such rapid learning is similar to the way children acquire vocabulary, around age two or three,” says the co-author of the study. The researchers noted that dogs able to learn the name of their new toy after hearing it just four times while playing with their owners were limited to a select few “genius” dogs. For everyone else, with practice and regular repetition most dogs can be trained to retrieve some toys by name.

#4Spend engaged time together. For both of your sake, don’t spend your walks on autopilot—or on your phone. A 2019 survey commissioned by Forthglade Natural Pet Food found that almost two thirds of U.K. dog owners were unable to switch off from screen time while on dog walks. The survey of 1,500 dog people found that 63 percent regularly use their phone while out on dog walks to send texts (50 percent), chat with friends (48 percent), check work emails (27 percent), post on social media (26 percent), shop online (14 percent), and even use online dating apps (7 percent). Instead, engage in a mindfulness practice, focusing on the sights and sounds on your walk. Time in nature has been shown to improve your mood—but only if you’re present enough to reap the benefits. A study reported in the Journal of Environmental Psychology found that time in nature only predicts well-being when individuals are also emotionally attuned to nature's beauty.

#5 Keep training sessions fun—and short. The average adult dog can remain focused for up to 30 minutes at a time, says Stanley Coren, Psychology Professor, neuropsychological researcher, and writer on the intelligence, mental abilities, and history of dogs. For puppies, that drops to under a minute. “At around six months, a puppy can hold focus on something interesting for 30 to 45 seconds before focus wanders,” says Coren. “They may come back to focus on the same situation after respite of 20 to 30 seconds.”

#6 Use hand signals. Dogs are visual learners. If you don’t already, start pairing commands, such as “sit” or “lie down,” with a distinct hand motion, such as an upward motion with your hand for “sit” or your arm held in the air for “lie down.” Be consistent with your cues—always use the same words/gestures.

#7 Engage your dog’s mind with interactive brain games. Nina Ottosson makes perhaps the coolest canine brain-twisters out there. With various degrees of difficulty, there’s a fit for every dog. Pair these toys with treats and let your dog puzzle out how to get the reward by pawing flaps and maneuvering puzzle pieces to get to the prize. Challenge levels range from beginner to expert.