What is Canine Enrichment?
Canine enrichment is activities your dog can do that add interest to his or her life. Look back 40 years or so to what kind of life dogs had back then. In the morning they’d be let outside. Because there were way fewer fences than we have today, those dogs could wander the neighborhood playing with children or other neighborhood dogs. They could smell the trails the nocturnal critters took during the night. They might even visit a neighbor and get a treat or a bit of petting. So they had very active and interesting lives.
Compare that to today’s dogs. Sure, there are those whose owners take them places and do things with their dogs, but not every dog owner is able to do that. So, many of today’s dogs stay at home all day, either inside (except going outside for potty breaks) or they may go out in the yard, but their roaming is limited by a tall fence. Their world has become pretty small. Pretty boring compared to the dogs of 40 years ago, right? And what happens when dogs get bored? They find their own entertainment and what they choose isn’t always what we would choose for them. These dogs can become annoying, by barking at normal sounds, or even destructive, by chewing on furniture, digging in the carpet, etc.
Examples of Enrichment Activities
These activities can include organized activities, like training your dog or providing your dog with food puzzles. They can also include less formal activities like simply going for a walk and letting your dog sniff along the way or maybe letting him or her choose where the path will take you.
- Have a training session with your dog. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy-you can even teach a new trick. Training is particularly effective when you use positive reinforcement training because you cause the dog to THINK!
- Use food puzzles to serve your dog’s meals. Not only will this slow down fast eaters, but it will also provide an activity your dog will be interested in for many minutes. The first time I offered my dog a snuffle mat, it took her over 7 minutes to eat her food when it normally takes her less than 30 seconds when fed out of a bowl. Remember, there is no ONE way to solve a food puzzle. The objective is for the dog to figure out how to get the food, by whatever means possible.
- Take a walk somewhere new. A new park is great, but even better if you can find a safe place that’s less developed. Maybe a country road where your dog can smell new animal smells. Or a trail where there are fallen logs to climb over or streams to splash through. Does your dog love the water, try a walk along the shore. Imagine the sights, sounds and smells your dog will get to experience.
These are just a few examples. If you need more ideas please check out the Canine Enrichment group on Facebook.
Why is Canine Enrichment Important?
As I said earlier, today’s dogs’ worlds have become pretty small, while our lives have become more and more busy. With work, kids, and social commitments, we often run from one activity to another with little time to spend with our dogs. Sure, we may snuggle with them or toss a ball a couple of times, but are we really meeting all our dogs’ needs?
When we become bored, there is a myriad of things we can do to amuse ourselves: watch TV, go to a movie, bake a cake, call a friend, play a game, go to a ballgame.
When our dogs become bored they don’t have the options we do, so they find their own entertainment: chewing on a table or chair leg or window sill; gnawing or scratching on the edge of the rug, or cabinet; barking at anything and everything (that’s a tough one because barking is self-reinforcing!). In addition to all that, puppies may bite or nip at our hands or feet, put their feet up on the counter or table or island, or run around totally out of control (I call that the “zoomies”).
When we add enrichment to our dog’s lives we see an improvement in their behavior, a reduction of their destructive behavior and an evening out of their energy levels. We can delight in watching them figure out the puzzles or simply have fun. Who doesn’t love to watch their dog having fun?
This is a short video I made of a puppy’s first-time experience with this easy to make food puzzle. He’s not very interested in eating from his food bowl, but at 10 minutes he was still actively engaged with this puzzle.