DIY Dog Enrichment Activities
Keeping your dog happy and healthy involves regular enrichment where you give them a chance to engage in their innate behaviour like playing, chasing, smelling and scavenging.
However, it can often be hard to give them enough opportunities to do these things. They quickly get used to their daily walks and their own garden, and so sometimes, our pups don’t get the stimulation they need. If they’re not getting the stimulation they need, this can result in unwanted behaviours, like chewing furniture and stealing belongings.
That’s where dog enrichment comes in. Dog enrichment activities help keep your dogs stimulated and engaged. In this article, we’re going to talk about 5 dog enrichment activities you can try at home.
1. Sensory Enrichment
It’s so important to ensure your dog is using their nose enough. A dog’s ability to interpret scent is exponentially greater than ours.
One way you can stimulate your dog’s sense of smell is through a scent hunt. You’ll need some treats for this. To start, you can throw the treats near your dog, telling them to ‘find it’.
Then, once they get used to the game and the command, you can start making it harder. Begin hiding treats in the garden, and then send them out to ‘find them’. It’s like an Easter egg hunt for your pup!
2. Physical Enrichment
Physical stimulation is just as important as sensory stimulation. Physical enrichment is all about getting your dog up and moving. It’s a great outlet for their energy, plus it also keeps them happy and healthy.
A great way to do this is through agility courses. It doesn’t have to be anything professional! Just a tunnel for them to run through and a ramp for them to run over will do. We’ve got plenty of things like this at our doggy day care facility, you can see some of our pups enjoying them here.
3. Social Enrichment
Like us, dogs are social creatures, so they must meet and interact with other dogs and people. Activities that facilitate these meetings are known as ‘social enrichment’. Social enrichment can bring joy to your dog, boosting their overall wellbeing.
Social enrichment ideas for your dog:
- Going to doggy meet ups at the park
- Signing up for training classes where your dog will get to meet other dogs
- Enrolling your dog at doggy day care
- Join in organised walks
4. Cognitive Enrichment
Last is mental/cognitive enrichment. This is when you encourage your dog to use their brain and memory. Cognitive enrichment activities include puzzles and problem-solving activities, they’re all about challenging your dog to think.
A great way to do this is to extend the sensory hunt, such they have to actively move things to access a treat (put them under blankets or similar). Another way is through food puzzles. Whilst you can improvise using plastic bottles with labels removed and some treats inside we recommend products specifically made for dogs (appropriate materials).
