Enrichment is simply providing activities or environments that enable your dog to explore and use their natural instincts. This means licking and sniffing or foraging
Enrichment activities promote physical, mental and emotional well being for your dog. It can prevent boredom, build confidence, teach skills such as problem solving, searching and more
It’s an ideal way to manage their energy, help them to learn good habits and encourages calm behaviour
STRESS - enrichment has been proven to release endorphins in your dog and help them feel less stressed
DISTRACTION - if your dog likes to get up to mischief, enrichment is a great way to distract or redirect the behaviour and encourage something positive
PUPPIES - enrichment activities are great for creating positive associations with their crate, helps tire them when they can't go out, keeps them calm and more importantly distracts them from chewing your furniture
TIRING - it's fun and tiring. Just 10 minutes can make a huge difference and feel like a 30 minute walk
STIMULATION - its the perfect way to engage your dogs brain and provide them with both mental and physical stimulation
Enrichment activities should provide stimulation for your dogs senses. For example something that stimulates their sight / hearing, taste, touch or smell
Enrichment activities include:
A sniffy walk not walking for exercise - the pace is led by your dog
Walking in new environments
Watching the world go by at a window
Listening to classical radio
Lickmats
Snuffle mats / balls
Interactive toys that can be 'stuffed', rotate or introduce new toys
Brain puzzles that are food based
Training exercises, new tricks or agility
DIY puzzles, the list goes on
It's important to choose activities suitable to your dogs needs, puppies and senior dogs will need different enrichment to adult, active dogs
When first starting out on your enrichment journey, try a selection of different types of enrichment and find the type which your dog finds the most fun & stimulating & then rotate these to keep their interest