Brain Training for Dogs: Cognitive Games and Activities to Unlock Your Pet's Full Potential
With fun exercises and invaluable advice from leading dog trainer Claire Arrowsmith, learn how to improve your dog’s mental agility as well as strengthen your bond with the

An essential book for any dog owner who wants to understand a bit more about how their dog’s brain works, Brain Training for Dogs shows us how to get the best out of our beloved pets by improving their mental agility, confidence, and bond with us. Translating cognitive research and findings into owner-friendly games, and packed with essential advice and helpful step-by-step illustrations, Claire helps readers easily understand what the experts know and demonstrates how to introduce tried-and-tested activities into our day-to-day routines with our dogs.

Since the pandemic, many of our pets are displaying concerning behavior, including separation-related distress and anxiety, so it's more important now than ever that we're attuned to our pups. Including top tips on how to get the most out of time spent with your pet, this is a must-read for new and experienced dog owners alike.
1146913192
Brain Training for Dogs: Cognitive Games and Activities to Unlock Your Pet's Full Potential
With fun exercises and invaluable advice from leading dog trainer Claire Arrowsmith, learn how to improve your dog’s mental agility as well as strengthen your bond with the

An essential book for any dog owner who wants to understand a bit more about how their dog’s brain works, Brain Training for Dogs shows us how to get the best out of our beloved pets by improving their mental agility, confidence, and bond with us. Translating cognitive research and findings into owner-friendly games, and packed with essential advice and helpful step-by-step illustrations, Claire helps readers easily understand what the experts know and demonstrates how to introduce tried-and-tested activities into our day-to-day routines with our dogs.

Since the pandemic, many of our pets are displaying concerning behavior, including separation-related distress and anxiety, so it's more important now than ever that we're attuned to our pups. Including top tips on how to get the most out of time spent with your pet, this is a must-read for new and experienced dog owners alike.
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Brain Training for Dogs: Cognitive Games and Activities to Unlock Your Pet's Full Potential

Brain Training for Dogs: Cognitive Games and Activities to Unlock Your Pet's Full Potential

by Claire Arrowsmith
Brain Training for Dogs: Cognitive Games and Activities to Unlock Your Pet's Full Potential

Brain Training for Dogs: Cognitive Games and Activities to Unlock Your Pet's Full Potential

by Claire Arrowsmith

Paperback

$22.99 
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Overview

With fun exercises and invaluable advice from leading dog trainer Claire Arrowsmith, learn how to improve your dog’s mental agility as well as strengthen your bond with the

An essential book for any dog owner who wants to understand a bit more about how their dog’s brain works, Brain Training for Dogs shows us how to get the best out of our beloved pets by improving their mental agility, confidence, and bond with us. Translating cognitive research and findings into owner-friendly games, and packed with essential advice and helpful step-by-step illustrations, Claire helps readers easily understand what the experts know and demonstrates how to introduce tried-and-tested activities into our day-to-day routines with our dogs.

Since the pandemic, many of our pets are displaying concerning behavior, including separation-related distress and anxiety, so it's more important now than ever that we're attuned to our pups. Including top tips on how to get the most out of time spent with your pet, this is a must-read for new and experienced dog owners alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781789297935
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books
Publication date: 01/13/2026
Pages: 256
Product dimensions: 5.31(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Claire Arrowsmith (BSc (Hons) MSc CCAB) is a Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Principal Practitioner for the Pet Behaviour Centre, where she helps dogs and cats with behavioral problems. She is a Full Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors and Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians. She has worked with problem behaviour cases since graduating with a Masters in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare from Edinburgh Universityin 2000. She divides her time between running the Pet Behaviour Centre, acting as a Visiting Lecturer on the Clinical Animal Behaviour degree course at Harper Adams Universityand supporting a local police force with canine behavioral guidance. She is the author of Brain Games for DogsCorrecting Bad Habits in Dogs, and Instant Dog Training.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 9 

What makes a successful canine companion? 11 

What is canine cognition? 14 

Should I train my dog? 15 

Can my dog do this? 16 

How your dog experiences the world 18 

Internal chemistry 23 

What can my dog remember? 26 

All dogs are not the same: knowing your dog 28 

Games at different ages 30 

Setting the foundations for games and training 31 

How does my dog learn? 32 

What is the best way to teach my dog? 35 

Rewarding your dog: not always as easy as it sounds 36 

What is clicker training and do I need to do it? 41 

Does a clicker suit my training? 43 

How much training should I do? 45 

Time budgets 46 

Why doesn’t my dog seem easy to train? 47 

Is my dog enjoying the game? 48 

Body language to be aware of 50 

Pandemic puppies 55 

Are you ready to get started? 58 

EQUIPMENT 59 

START WITH THE BASICS 65 

Sit 66 

Lie down 69 

Take it and drop 72 

Hitting the mark 75 

LET’S BE HAPPY 81 

Exploratory free play 82 

I can resist! 86 

Food forage fun 92 

Home agility 99 

Go around 106 

Ball skills 109 

Clean up! 114 

Get your lead 120 

LET’S BE SOCIABLE 125 

Wave hello and goodbye 126 

Can I go out? 130 

Choosing a game 134 

Close the door 138 

Open the door 142 

Back up! 145 

Wipe your paws 149 

Door manners 153 

Stop and go! 158

LET’S PROBLEM SOLVE 163 

Hidden treat game 164 

Toy-box challenge 169 

Out of sight but not out of mind 173 

More or less 177 

Copy me 182 

Rover reads 188 

Pupicure 191 

String pull 196 

LET’S PERFORM 201 

Roll over, roll over 202 

Fainting Fido 205 

Tell me a secret 209 

Look left and look right 211 

Cross-over 214 

Aw, shucks! 217 

Make a wish 220 

Belly time! 223 

LET’S STAY YOUNG AT HEART 227 

Scatter feeding fun 228 

Chin rest 230 

Sniffy walks 235 

Muffin tray challenge 238 

Step up 240 

Move to the middle 243 

Yoga dog 246 

Tumbling towers 250 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 255 

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