I am a huge advocate for mental enrichment for dogs. Mental enrichment is very beneficial to dogs of all ages. It helps drain energy, can help calm an overly excited dog, and reduces anxiety to name a few.
There are tons of different types of mental enrichment games you can do with your dog. Most local pet stores sell food puzzles of different difficulty levels from beginner to advanced. There is also a lot you can do with things you may already have at home.
For example the muffin tin game. Put treats in a muffin tin and add a little bit of water and freeze the whole thing. When it’s frozen give it to your dog and they have to lick the ice to get the treats out. Licking is a self soothing behaviour for dogs
so it will help calm down a dog when they are feeling super excited or over tired. The ice is also great for puppies who have sore gums and teeth due to teething. You can also put a treat in each muffin spot and put a tennis ball on top of it and your dog has to move the ball to get the treat.
You can check out my Instagram account for a videos for more mental enrichment ideas.