As a loving pet owner, you already appreciate the importance of choosing nutritious and delicious natural treats fur your pup. However, dog enrichment is an equally crucial part of pet care that you will need to master ASAP. And not only will it enrich their life - it’ll have a pawsome impact on yours too.
If you’ve been barking up the wrong tree with ineffective ideas or your dog has been hounding you for greater stimulation, this quick guide to enrichment for dogs will show the way.
Oh and please furgive us for the puns.
Why is Enrichment for Dogs Important?
Dog enrichment, also known as canine enrichment, is vital for many reasons. Enrichment for dogs prevents dog boredom, reduces the likelihood of your pup developing aggressive behaviours due to suppressed anxiety, and is great for your dog’s general health. If your dog has had a ruff time, an added focus on enrichment could be the answer.
And let’s face it; in addition to supporting physical and mental growth, it will form a key ingredient in the recipe for a strong bond between owner and dog.
How to Provide Enrichment for Dogs
There’s no need to terrier yourself up over your dog’s current boredom. But you do need to consciously look for a solution.
Dog enrichment is commonly split into six categories; social enrichment, cognitive enrichment, nutritional enrichment, physical enrichment, toy enrichment, and sensory enrichment. Loving dog owners can subsequently promote it in a variety of ways. Here are some of the best options at your disposal;
- Make their walks more exciting. You can do this simply by enjoying new routes to prevent dog boredom, especially when you incorporate time for them to explore and sniff.
- Enjoy play dates with other dogs. Socialising with other dogs is a particularly important form of enrichment if you do not have any other pets.
- Provide human stimulation by visiting friends and family. Better still, your parents - for example - will be so busy with the pup that they’ll forget to ask you about your love life or comment on your appearance. It’s a win-win situation!
- Take a page out of Journey's book and “don’t stop retrieving”. Playing fetch is a great way to provide physical and social enrichment. Use different objects like frisbees and tennis balls.
- Fill one of our veggie frogs with pate, sprats, dried prawns, fish cubes for a truly ribbeting and long-lasting enrichment treat.
- Use toys specifically designed with dog enrichment in mind. They can provide sensory stimulation when your pup is alone or be used for playing games like tug of war with your pup.
- Provide an area in the garden where your dog can dig and enjoy the texture of sand or other substrates. If this is not possible, a trip to a dog-friendly beach is ideal.
- Make games that make your dog work and think about their food. This could include creating a scavenger hunt in the garden, using puzzle activities, hiding foods inside boxes, or filling a buffalo horn with pup treats.
- Invest in a snuffle mat that gives your pup another chance to work for their food in an engaging and rewarding fashion, our small training treats work really well with these mats
- Use our dog-friendly bubbles that can be enjoyed either indoors or outside in the garden.
Dog enrichment will keep your dog stimulated and encourage confidence to help their personality shine. When combined with the benefits of slowed cognitive decline in later life, it is truly one of the best gifts you could ever give your dog.