If your dog enjoys and does well playing with other dogs, consider regular playdates or trips to the dog park (Learn more about What You Should Know Before Taking Your Puppy to the Dog Park here). Watch this video to see Sookie on her sniffari: This is a great passive enrichment activity for when your dog is home alone or you're trying to get some chores or work done and they need entertainment. Diced Strawberry (ensure they are small enough to fall out of the hole), Diced carrot & vegetable (ensure they are small enough to fall out of the hole), Diced Apple (ensure they are small enough to fall out of the hole), Diced Apple, Watermelon, Strawberry (ensure they are small enough to fall out of the hole), Dog Treats (make sure they are small enough to fall out of hole), Sardine (diced into small pieces or as whole placed through the big hole), Diced Carrot / Vegtable (make sure they are small enough to fall out of hole). You can alternate these flavors and have a Flavor of the Week to keep things fresh and interesting! When youre short on time or the weather is uninviting, enrichment activities are a great way to give your dog some mental stimulation when you cant give them physical activity. The harder you pack it, the greater the challenge. If your dog is a herding breed or mix, a sport like Treibball (Urban Herding) is a great way to work their skills. In fact, there are studies showing that toy play may help reduce behaviors that we humans label as unwanted (i.e. High-pile bathroom mat, or fleece strips tied to a rubber mat, Various pieces of furniture/household items. Text STOP to opt-out, HELP for more info. This introduces new tastes and textures for your dog. Job-related enrichment makes your pup use cognitive thinking and problem-solving skills in order to accomplish a task. If your dogs food is on the larger side, you can leave the bottle unsealed and then it becomes a treat dispensing toy. Snuffle Mats. Supervise your dog while they are playing with their toys and throw away toys that are damaged. This can be as simple as tossing some kibble and treats into a box with packing paper wadded up inside, or you can incorporate things like stuffed KONGS or one of your dog's favorite squeaky toys to find. (Image credit: Amazon) Perhaps the easiest way to stimulate your dog is to use a Kong, a near-indestructible rubber toy with a hollow cavity. Downloads There are several variations of this fun game, and its easy to make your own set-up at home. Enrichment for dogs | 9 Ideas - Bella & Duke Raw Food Engage a dogs brain in a task that needs concentration and youll have one contented and happy pup. Making mealtime fun, challenging and interactive is a great way to satisfy your dogs innate instincts and curiosities. (paper towel rolls work great, as well). "These mats are made from strips of fabric tied to a base, and food and treats are placed inside and on top of the mat. And there are a variety of sounds, from wildlife to soothing music played throughout. How many times have you heard an owner joke that they need to run their dog 10 miles every day in order to tire them out? Begin by getting a muffin tray and smearing your dogs delicious food on the inside of each individual muffin cup, or placing dry treats in some of them. You can do this outdoors in a securely fenced yard as well, just make sure you watch out for toxic mushrooms and remove them before setting up your dog's scavenger hunt. While youre hiding your dogs food, put them in place or have them lie down. At the office, we set up these FitPAWS hurdles for Portuguese Water Dog Clover, and she's a big fan: Make sure the obstacles you set up aren't overly challenging (or too high) for your dog and walk them through a few times, rewarding them for working through each obstacle. If your dog goes to inappropriate areas and starts to dig, simply redirect them back to their special area. If youre an ultrarunner, like I am, then thats what you want. What is dog enrichment? 5 things every dog owner should know Getting your dog involved in agility competitions is great for exercise, socialization, and mental enrichment, but not every pup has access to a full course. Recipes - SodaPup/True Dogs, LLC Explore the dig pit with your dog, get involved in helping them uncover their buried treasure, and get excited with them when they unbury things. To add more difficulty, only put treats under some of the tennis balls, requiring your dog to use their nose to sniff out their treats. Stop to sniff nature, where there will be the odd dog scent mark, as opposed to paths and walkways that are crowded with scent. I recommend mixing in regular sniffari walks with your regular more "regimented" daily walks. The Mega Ball, made originally for horses, has an anti-burst design which makes it a great choice for dogs that like to chase (but not if they like to really bite down on it). However, this only occurs when they eat it, and a little goes a LONG way. Enhance animals experiences at your shelter by providing a wide variety of treat-based enrichment ideas. Her specialties include dog aggression, resource guarding, separation anxiety, and puppy socialization. Enrichment for dogs comes in all shapes and sizes. Set up chairs, boxes, cones, or any other kind of stationary object and teach your dog to weave around them. You can learn how to make your own snuffle mat here. Your dog's brain will benefit greatly from enrichment and slow feeding regardless of how simple or complicated you make it! Thats because mental work is tiring work! Place your high-value food item in the bottom of your Toppl to encourage your dog to work its way through the entire Toppl. Mix together enough of your dog's food to fill the toy. See an example of a DIY Lick Mat in this video: I adore this enrichment puzzle because it's so simple to do but really works a dog's brain. 5 Free (Or Darn Close) Feline Enrichment Ideas | ASPCApro *Reference to product names or websites in this article is for informational purposes only. Enrichment for dogs is a great way to get a fussy dog to eat again too, discover our enrichment method in our dog not eating guide. Again, only a small amount is needed. The possibilities are endless! For example, if your dog weighs 30 pounds (13.61 kgs), divide 13.61 by 8 = 1.7 teaspoons for the low range of catnip. Our community of pet lovers get together in our Facebook group, "The pack" to talk all things dog, cat and overall pet wellbeing. Skip to the content Search Entertain My Dog: Saving your pup from boredom Mila told iHeartdogs, My older dog has shown an increased interest in food and gained confidence while my young pup has shown better problem solving over time and much more patience with food rewards., https://www.facebook.com/mila.vujovic/videos/1379529202151256/. How to Make a Simple, Scented Dog Enrichment Toy | ASPCApro Hang up a wind chime every so often, or introduce the sounds of different birds or animals they don't usually hear. Once frozen, serve up to your patiently waiting pooch! Watch this video to see how easy it is to make: You can create a lick mat for your dog from a variety of items you might have already. affiliate links. When she's not geeking out about dogs, you can find her reading, hiking with her two Cardigan Welsh Corgis, or paddleboarding. We hope that the recipes below give you inspiration but no perspiration! It doubles as an impulse control training exercise and puts their nose to work. Even a short drive in the snow will leave you mentally drained by the time you reach your destination. Digging is a natural dog behavior and providing some digging enrichment will satisfy your dog's urge to get their paws dirty. Dogs today are largely under-employed," says trainer Sara Paulik. Mental stimulation for dogs is just as important as physical activity. Always supervise your dog with any ingestible items, like plastic and cardboard. Roll it up and let your dogs find the treats! Step Two: I previously boiled a peeled purple sweet potato and allowed it to cool. Here's 10 of my favorite canine enrichment games & activities. Boiled and shredded chicken, duck, turkey. 42 Dog Entertainment Activities Not Involving Food or Treat Dispensers I havea lot of different dog enrichment toys, puzzles, and games. Scatter a handful or two of your dogs food over the towel. Step 2:Place a few pieces of dry dog food into a hollow chew toy, covering any openings on the bottom. These IQ treat mats come in different textures, have four different "zones" to spread different treats, and are dishwasher-safe! Sniffing can be stimulating and calming and allows your dog to gather information on their environment. Enhance animals experiences at your shelter by providing a wide variety of treat-based enrichment ideas. This snuffle mat provides a variety of hiding spots for dry food or treats, encouraging your dog to use their nose to find their meal and helping to slow down eating. If youre not ready to start your dog in full-on agility competitions, try setting up your own DIY obstacle course. Step 2: Place a few pieces of dry dog food into a hollow chew toy, covering any openings on the bottom. Reduce stress for your dogs and make it easy for staff and volunteers to create fun and healthy food enrichment itemsthat's a win for the pups and the people! Learn and be respectful, understanding and patient. He even got the added socialization benefits of experiencing the feel of metal, the noise from the environment around him, and practicing problem-solving. Text STOP to opt-out, HELP for more info. It works a lot like long grass in that the strips of fabric at least partially obscure anything small you drop onto it. "My very favorite beginner enrichment activity is the Snuffle Mat," says Paulik. I also sealed the hole on the side of the Toppl with the mashed sweet potato. Even if you live in an area without nearby dog sports clubs or training classes, there are online options to get you started, such as the Fenzi Dog Sport Academy. All of the above benefits of enrichment mean that your dog will be better behaved and an overall happier dog. 3 Easy-to-Make DIY Enrichment Toys for Dogs - Hill's Pet Nutrition Feeding dogs from snuffle mats is one of the easiest and more "hands-off" enrichment activities you can do. The team at the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center has provided a few of the expert recipes they use for enrichment treats when working with fearful and under-socialized dogs.

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