New games, activities, and tricks challenge your dog’s brain keeping its brain flexible allowing it to learn new things late in life.
When you were a child, you were flexible, and your muscles could do things that they no longer can do.
The brain is the same way.
A puppy brain has hundreds of neuro-pathways similar to a network of wires. And in a puppy is flexible and pliable, allowing you to mold and shape your dog’s behavior more easily.
As your dog matures and has a history of getting rewards for behaviors and choices, many of those neural pathways get strengthened, while others (the unused ones) fade away.
It’s like spring cleaning; you gather up everything you are not using, and you either toss it, give it away or sell it.
Some of the strengthened behaviors are behaviors you like, and some are not. And some of the neuropathways that fade away are ones you don’t want to disappear. That might be things like calmness, self-control, or confidence.
When your dog reaches the later stages of life, the neuro-pathways are no longer soft and pliable. There are fewer strands, and the ones that are there are more brittle.
Keeping your dog mentally engaged and continually challenging its brain through learning new things will help keep your dog’s brain flexible, even as they move towards the later stages of life.
If you want to keep your dog’s brain active and flexible, consider joining one of our Dog Sports classes. Go ahead! Click the link to see what fun we have in store for you and your dog.
