How to Mentally Stimulate Your Miniature Australian Shepherd

To understand why it matters to mentally stimulate your Miniature Australian Shepherd, and to know how to go about it with these little characters, you first need to know a bit about their behaviour and temperament.

Its character

The Miniature Australian Shepherd has a character strongly similar to the Australian Shepherd, of course. It is therefore very intelligent, obedient and, above all, very attentive to its owner. It loves to play and adapts perfectly to any kind of household, with or without children or other animals.

BE CAREFUL, though: it needs physical and/or mental exercise if it is not to become a destructive, frustrated dog.

It is important for a dog to live in a stimulating environment in order to have good mental balance. Dogs need to express themselves intellectually and physically, rather than doing nothing all day. There are exercises that are much appreciated for stimulating your Miniature Australian Shepherd, and they can:

• Reduce its stress

• Improve the dog–owner relationship

• Improve its intellectual abilities and its senses

Here are the different types of mental stimulation to keep your Miniature Australian Shepherd properly occupied:

Tricks to stimulate your Miniature Australian Shepherd

Learning tricks is the best way to stimulate your Miniature Australian Shepherd mentally. These are dogs that love to learn and that learn relatively easily, unlike some far more stubborn groups such as the terriers.

Beyond the basic sit, down and paw, there are plenty of fun tricks to teach them.

Here are a few examples of tricks to teach your dog:

• “Roll over”

Teaching your dog, on command, to roll onto its back.

• “Bang”

Teaching your dog to “play dead”, staying still on its side on the ground after you have mimed shooting it with your hand.

• “Weave”

Teaching your dog to weave between your legs as you walk.

• “Take a bow”

Teaching your dog to hold the play-bow position.

• “Speak”

Teaching your dog to bark on command.

• “Leapfrog”

Same principle as the human game, except this time it is your dog jumping over you.

You will find more tricks, and how to teach them, on various websites. You can also teach your dog the names of its toys, of family members, of objects, and so on.

Activities and games to stimulate your Miniature Australian Shepherd

• Dog dancing, or heelwork to music

An activity that involves teaching your Miniature Australian Shepherd to “dance”. In practice these are sequences of steps and positions that the dog and its owner perform in time to a piece of music.

• Playing hide and seek

The principle is the same as for us, except you should wait until your dog is distracted before you hide, so that it does not notice where you go. Then you just call, and it comes running to find you.

• Strategy boards

These are various puzzle boards with places to hide treats; the dog has to work out a solution to get the kibble. Sometimes lids have to be pushed, slid or turned.

Here are a few examples of boards you can buy (these are only examples — you are free to choose whichever puzzle boards you like).

• Walks

We often take the same route when walking our dogs. Simply taking a different path, or walking the usual one in reverse, can stimulate your Miniature Australian Shepherd. So do change your route from day to day and get your dog out of its walking routine.

• More sporting activities

For the athletic, there is also canicross, bikejoring, agility, skijoring, and swimming with your dog wherever it is allowed.

Now you know how to stimulate your Miniature Australian Shepherd

You now know the secret to a Miniature Australian Shepherd that is comfortable in its own paws, and all the tips for improving its intellectual abilities and its senses while strengthening your relationship.

Miniature Australian Shepherds are dogs that love to burn energy and play alongside their owners; the more time it spends by your side, the happier your dog will be.

Want to know more about the Miniature Australian Shepherd? Do have a look at our section devoted exclusively to the breed.

Toy Australian Shepherd

Thank you for reading, and see you soon.