Sources for Brain Games

The sources behind Brain Games: Mental Enrichment for High-Energy Dogs. Each was opened and read in November 2026. The numbers match the source list at the back of the guide.

Source list

1. American Kennel Club, “How to Teach Your Dog Scent Work at Home”
   Used for: The two-hand intro and switching hands.
2. American Kennel Club, “Indoor Scent Games For Dogs”
   Used for: Starting with food, the muffin tin, the cup trick, box search, and helper hides.
3. American Kennel Club, “DIY Cognitive Dog Toys For When You're Stuck At Home”
   Used for: DIY puzzles from tubes, boxes, muffin tins, and a kiddie-pool ball pit, and supervising them.
4. American Kennel Club, “AKC Scent Work 101”
   Used for: Background on the scent-work sport.
5. American Kennel Club, “Heatstroke in Dogs”
   Used for: Higher-risk dogs and heatstroke first aid.
6. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, “People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets” and “Animal Poison Control”
   Used for: Foods that never go in a puzzle, and the Animal Poison Control line. Also: People Foods to Avoid.
7. ASPCA, “Behavioral Help for Your Pet”
   Used for: What behavior credentials (CPDT, CAAB, DACVB) mean, and ruling out physical problems first.
8. American Veterinary Medical Association, “Warm weather pet safety”
   Used for: Water, shade, heat-stress signs, and asking your vet before an exercise program.
9. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, Selecting a Behavior Consultant; How to Choose a Trainer; Position Statement on Humane Dog Training (2021)
   Used for: Choosing a qualified behavior professional, and reward-based training. Also: How to Choose a Trainer and Humane Dog Training.
10. American College of Veterinary Surgeons, “Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus”
    Used for: Bloat (GDV) risk factors and warning signs.
11. Duranton, C., & Horowitz, A. (2019). Let me sniff! Nosework induces positive judgment bias in pet dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 211, 61–66
    Used for: The small study on nosework and dogs' outlook.
12. U.S. FDA, “Paws Off Xylitol; It's Dangerous for Dogs”
    Used for: Xylitol in some nut butters, and the label check.
13. U.S. FDA, “Potentially Dangerous Items for Your Pet” and “Take the ‘Oh No!’ Out of Your and Your Pets' Holiday ‘Ho-Ho-Ho!’”
    Used for: Bones, choking, and blockage signs. Also: holiday safety page.
14. Merck Veterinary Manual, “Toxicoses From Essential Oils in Animals”
    Used for: Why concentrated essential oils are dangerous for pets.
15. dvm360, “Veterinary toxicology alert: Oils used in ‘scent training’ can harm dogs” (March 17, 2014)
    Used for: Michigan State University toxicology findings on birch oil.
16. The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, Behavioral Medicine: Enrichment for Dogs (2012); Toys and Puzzles for Your Pet (2024); Indoor Pet Initiative, “Environmental Enrichment”
    Used for: What enrichment is, puzzle toy types, introducing food toys, and cautions. Also: Toys and Puzzles and Enrichment for Dogs.
17. Garvey, M., Stella, J., & Croney, C. Implementing Environmental Enrichment for Dogs (VA-13-W). Purdue University, 2016
    Used for: Types of enrichment, food puzzles, rotating toys, and food hiding.
18. UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, “Treat Guidelines for Dogs” (2019)
    Used for: Keeping treats to 10% of daily calories.

Where sources disagree

When sources disagree, the guide gives both views and takes the safer path:

• Essential oils in scent work. AKC's scent-work articles introduce birch and other oils. Michigan State's toxicology lab (via dvm360) and the Merck Veterinary Manual warn that concentrated oils, including birch, can harm pets. The guide uses food and toys only for home games, and suggests a class with an instructor for oil work.
• Peanut butter and cream cheese. Ohio State and AKC list them as fillers. FDA says to check nut butter labels for xylitol, and ASPCA says dairy can upset some dogs' stomachs. The guide keeps them with a label check and a thin smear.
• Puzzle feeders and bloat. Ohio State says puzzles slow fast eaters, and ACVS links bloat to eating large meals quickly. No source says puzzle feeders prevent bloat, and the guide says exactly that.
• The “Which Hand?” game. AKC's version uses a scent tin and a treat. The guide's version uses a treat and an empty hand, and cites AKC only for the tip to switch hands.

Questions about a source? Email vgemail@zohomail.com.