28 Enrichment Ideas for a Happy and Healthy Dog |
Posted: March 22, 2023 |
“Enrichment” is an umbrella term that describes any activity that allows a participant to grow, shine and live their best life. For kids, enrichment activities include all those after school activities, from piano and clarinet class to soccer practice and Jiu-Jitsu. When it comes to dogs, enrichment is just as important, allowing a dog to have a sense of control over their environment, reducing stress and reinforcing socialisation practices. Enrichment for dogs comes down to five key components; physical, social, nutritional, occupational and sensory. Working separately and together on a regular basis, these different types of enrichment activities improve behavioural health and overall quality of life. The different types of enrichment activities for dogsPhysical enrichmentPhysical enrichment keeps your dog healthy and limber and can reduce problem behaviours such as barking, chewing, digging and licking. A walk everyday goes a long way to helping your dog maintain a healthy digestive and circulatory system, and regular exercise can help to lower blood pressure and build up muscle. Physical enrichment helps your pet have healthy bones and it can reduce the risk of constipation or a urinary tract infection. Physical enrichment activities include: - Providing your dog with a range of toys that encourages play - Playing fetch - Rotating the enclosures your dog is kept in - Adding variety to your dog’s environment with raised beds, platforms and ramps - Dog sports like flyball or agility training Note: When engaging in physical enrichment activities, always pay attention to temperature. Dogs can quickly overheat, so familiarise yourself with the causes, symptoms and treatment of heatstroke. Social enrichmentSocialisation isn’t just something you should do for a puppy. Social enrichment is important throughout your dog’s lifespan. Social enrichment includes contact with other dogs, but also other species such as humans (both adults and children) and cats. Having this contact encourages your dog to be less fearful, aggressive or overstimulated, allowing your dog to settle quickly to new environments. Social enrichment activities include: - Daily walks past other dogs and people - A visit to the dog beach or park - A trip to the pet shop - Attending a supervised playgroup - A visit to a dog-friendly cafe or brewery - Inviting another dog over to play - Household visitors Nutritional enrichmentDogs are natural forages and scavengers and it’s important to nurture these instincts. Dogs love to smell, touch, taste, chew, chase, stalk, dig and seek and they are not afraid to work for their food. Instead of always feeding them out of a bowl, give them the opportunity to forage and make meal time interesting. A puzzle food toy will not only activate their natural instincts, it will keep their brain healthy by providing mental stimulation. A puzzle food toy can also increase exercise and reduce barking. Nutritional enrichment activities include: - Scattering dog biscuits throughout the garden - Hiding treats throughout the house - Sprinkling kibble in a rolled up towel - Serving food out of a slow feeder - Using a snuffle mat Occupational enrichmentWhile any dog will benefit from occupational enrichment, this type of enrichment is especially important for working breeds that like to have a ‘job’ to do. Occupational enrichment keeps your dog mentally stimulated, releases excess energy and can combat boredom. Occupational enrichment encourages both physical exercise and mental stimulation and it can be a real confidence booster for dogs. Occupational enrichment activities include: - Obedience training - Agility training - Teaching tricks - Game of fetch - Service/therapy dog training - An outdoor dig pit Sensory enrichmentStimulating your dog’s sight, sound, touch, taste and smell can be particularly beneficial for reducing anxiety and stress in dogs. Much of a dog’s brain is dedicated to processing scents, with up to 300 million olfactory receptors compared to a human’s six million. That powerful sense needs plenty of stimulation. Vision is a secondary sense and serves as a backup to smell. Allowing them to explore both can help them to feel at ease. Sensory enrichment activities include: - Letting your dog sniff stuff on walks - Exposing your dog to different scents in their home environment (fragrant teas, candles and incense will do the trick) - Sprinkling extracts or spices from the kitchen - Adding a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to their meal - Giving your dog a space by the window or on the porch to watch the world go by - Mixing up colourful toys and feeders Keeping it regular and variedEach type of enrichment and each type of activity plays a part in a dog’s overall quality of life. The important thing to remember is to keep it fun and interesting and to stay consistent. Throwing the odd enrichment activity into your normal routine will not give your dog (or you) the results you want. Providing enrichment for your dog is one of the most important aspects of pet care and it's easy to incorporate into day-to-day life. Just like you, your dog needs a mixture of activities to spice up their life and the inclusion of daily enrichment activities will keep them happy and healthy. Enrichment helps to prevent boredom and can help with dog behaviour problems, so why wouldn’t you incorporate an enrichment routine? Enriching your dog’s life is simpler than you might think, you just need to get started. Which activity will you try first?
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