Can an Exotic Shorthair enjoy short training games with treats?

Absolutely-training games with treats tap into their playful yet food-motivated side perfectly. I’ve turned a simple puzzle box into a five-minute session where my Exotic Shorthair learns to nudge a ball for a treat, and it’s more about bonding than obedience. Keep it brief and varied-switch between hiding treats under cups or rolling a toy-because their attention span is short but their curiosity is huge.

Treat-based games work wonderfully for this breed if you keep the sessions under three minutes. I’ve taught my Exotic to tap a target stick for a freeze-dried chicken bit, and it’s more about reinforcing a simple behavior than teaching complex tricks. Their laid-back nature means they’ll engage if the reward appears fast, but don’t expect marathon training-boredom sets in quickly.

You're absolutely right, they can enjoy it quite a bit if you keep it low-key. I've found my Exotic Shorthair loves a quick game where I hide a few treats under different cushions on the sofa and let him sniff them out-it's more of a mental puzzle than high-energy play, and he gets a real kick out of the search. The key is to make it about gentle discovery rather than fast commands, since they prefer a calm pace.

"The only time you shouldn't give up is when you haven't tried yet," and with an Exotic Shorthair, a little treat-based game is a perfect chance to connect. I've found mine gets genuinely excited when I teach him to "high-five" my hand for a tiny salmon bite-it's less about athleticism and more about that soft paw tap and the proud look he gives afterward. Just keep it to two or three repetitions max, because their chill vibe means they'd rather snack than sweat.