HOW MUCH ENRICHMENT DOES YOUR DOG GET?

ENRICHMENT FOR DOGS CAN COME IN MANY FORMS. A SNIFF WALK OFTEN DOES THE TRICK AND IS PROBABLY THE MOST COMMON. BUT HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE UPPED YOUR ENRICHMENT GAME?

MANY DOG TRAINERS AND VETS OUT THERE ARE SHARING NEW AND EXCITING WAYS TO EXERCISE YOUR DOG’S BRAIN IN DIFFERENT AND CREATIVE WAYS.

DON’T GET ME WRONG, YOUR DOG STILL NEEDS PHYSICAL EXERCISE- HOWEVER MUCH IS RECOMMENDED FOR THE BREED. BUT NOTHING WILL TIRE YOUR DOG OUT MORE THAN DOING SOME BRAIN SIT UPS.

I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST TRAINING SESSION FOR DUKE AFTER WE RESCUED HIM 4 YEARS AGO, AND AFTER JUST ONE-HOUR LONG SESSION HE WAS EXHAUSTED THE REST OF THE DAY. IT WAS AMAZING! SINCE THEN, WE HAVE SLOWLY BEEN ADDING NEW THINGS (AND STILL ARE) TO OUR ENRICHMENT LIST.

BELOW ARE SOME OF OUR DOGS’ CURRENT FAVORITES.

KONG

ALMOST ALL KONG TOYS ARE LITERALLY THE BEST! THEY ARE DURABLE ENOUGH FOR SUPER CHEWERS AND THEY MAKE THE BEST STUFF OUT THERE TO STUFF ANY AND EVERYTHING IN TO KEEP YOUR DOGS BUSY. THE BEST PART ABOUT THEM IS YOU CAN STUFF ALL OF YOUR DOG’S FAVORITE TREATS INTO ONE TOY AND EVEN FREEZE THEM- PERFECT FOR SUMMERTIME.

SNUFFLE MATS

THESE FELT MATS ARE AN EASY DIY AT HOME IF YOU DON’T WANT TO PURCHASE YOUR OWN. STICK TREATS OR PIECES OF YOUR DOG’S KIBBLE INTO ALL THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES AND LET YOUR DOGS USE THEIR POWER NOSE TO FIND ALL THE GOODIES!

PUZZLES

DEPENDING ON YOUR DOG, THESE CAN BE TRICKY. WHICH IS GOOD! THEY COME IN DIFFERENT LEVELS SO YOUR DOG CAN GRADUATE AS IT GETS OLDER.  I LOVED THESE FOR WHEN DAISY WAS A PUPPY. DUKE CHEATS AND FLIPS IT OVER TO GET ALL THE TREAT OUT. DID HE OUTSMART US ALL?

SLOW BOWLS

WE USE SLOW FEEDER BOWLS ON THE DAILY. WE TOSS A COUPLE PIECES OF KIBBLE WITH A COUPLE EXCITING TREATS TO KEEP THE DOGS BUSY WHILE WE EAT DINNER. ALSO, IF YOU HAVE A DOG THAT EATS TOO QUICKLY, THESE ARE PERFECT TO USE TO FEED YOUR DOG.

THESE ARE JUST THE BEGINNING! I WILL SHARE MORE HERE, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, SHARE WITH US YOUR FAVORITE ENRICHMENT TOOLS! WE CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN MORE WAYS TO KEEP OUR DOG'S BRAIN ACTIVE.