Brainteaser Alert: How Long Will It Take You To Spot The Dog In This Sea Of Polar Bears?

“Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun, it is to try, to solve a brainteaser in this cold, Oh!”

If the average person takes two minutes and 49 seconds to find the dog in this picture, that means I’m not average because I searched for over ten minutes and found nothing. Is the dog supposed to be some sort of mind-boggling pattern or an overlay? 

In the spirit of the season, Canine Cottages came up with this picture to give everyone a dose of brain-teasing fun. The company is a UK-based service that provides dog-friendly accommodations for people who travel with their dogs.  With over 2,000 cottages across the United Kingdom, they offer full pet guides for their customers and other canine-related services.

Apparently, there’s supposed to be a dog somewhere in this endless sea of cute polar bears waiting eagerly for Santa’s return to the North Pole [1]. I tried focusing on the ones wearing the cute red Christmas hats, but no such luck.

So take your go and try to find the dog somewhere in there. You might have better luck than I did.

Still nothing? 

Well, we are all on this ship together. 

Here’s a little secret. The dog is not standing, neither is it the same size as the polar bears. Focus on finding a little bulldog puppy.

Another tip, focus on the northeastern corner of the puzzle. Search “between the bears”. You can do this!

While you’re at it, let’s have a quick talk about the benefits of brainteasers.

They sharpen the mind: Brainteasers are a good workout for the brain. They increase our ability to think and process information quickly. The more you practice, the faster you’ll be able to solve real-life problems. Several studies have shown that people who enjoy solving these puzzles respond faster to questions and have higher scores on tests. Keeping the brain active with teasers also helps to slow down the progression and reduce the risk of dementia in elderly people. Medical research shows that when the brain is active, people are less likely to decline [2].

They boost memory power: The human memory relies largely upon the temporal and frontal lobes, the two parts of the brain working actively as you’re trying to solve the teaser above. They increase memory capability as well as reasoning skills.  The best kind of brainteasers to improve these functions are missing-word puzzles.

Improves concentration: For people with ADD and ADHD, brainteasers are very helpful tools in increasing attention spans and reducing hyperactivity. Solving brain teasers require a considerable amount of concentration and with time, they’ll learn to focus better and pay attention for longer periods.

They are a good way to pass time: Brainteasers are fun, interesting, and exciting. Even when you’re taking occasional peeks at the solutions, you’re still having a lot of fun and productively dealing with boredom.

So, that aside, if you couldn’t find the puppy, don’t feel bad. You’ve had a good brain workout.

Here’s the solution:

How many minutes did it take you to spot it without peeking at the answer?