5 Easy Dog Enrichment Ideas
Welcome to the Fetch Quest Dog Training Blog! Today let’s talk about one of my very favorite subjects: Dog Enrichment. I could nerd out about different enrichment activities and how they impact our dog’s wellness for ages! But let’s start small. What is enrichment and why do our dogs need it? “They already loaf around my house all day, they have a thousand toys everywhere, and they have a bone if they want it, why do I need to do anything else? They’re living the life!” you might say.
Just loafin around
While that may be the case, dogs like to be mentally stimulated throughout the day. Imagine if I put you up in my house with all the toys and food you wanted but nothing else to do. You’d get bored pretty quickly!
So we’ve established that our dogs need puzzles to solve. But what is the science behind this? Well, dogs experience something called contrafreeloading. This fancy word means that if they are given food in a puzzle ball and also given the exact same food freely in a bowl, dogs will choose the challenge of the puzzle over the easy meal. In addition to that, natural dog behaviors like licking, chewing, and sniffing are emotional regulators for our pups and can help decrease unwanted behaviors in the home!
With that we’ve established that dogs need to be mentally stimulated throughout the day, but how do we do that? Below are some of my very favorite enrichment activities. And most of the things you’ll need can be found around the house.
Contrafreeloading can help dogs eat slower and use their minds more!
Toilet Paper/Paper Towel Tubes
We all have them! Fold the ends in towards the center on one end of the tube, stuff with treats, and fold the other end. Bam! Instant treat puzzle! Let your pup sniff, lick, chew, and shred to get the treats out.
Reuse those discarded tubes
2. Towel/Blanket Puzzle
This one is a great way to reuse old towels and blankets! Take an old towel or blanket of choice and lay it out on the floor. Sprinkle treats on the flat surface and roll it up long ways and let your dog sniff and search for the treats. For an added challenge, tie the towel loosely in an overhand knot and let them tear at it! Check out our tiktok for a tutorial on this one.
3. Puzzle Box
You have a million amazon boxes at home. No shame. We all do. Put them to use! Stuff a discarded box with newspaper and sprinkle in some treats. For an added challenge, fold the flaps in and let them go nuts.
Sprinkle the treats in the box and let your pup explore
4. Frozen Kong
You’re probably familiar with the classic Kong toy. Stuff it full of fun treats and cap only the large hole with peanut butter or wet dog/cat food. Freeze it for a pupsicle that’ll last a while.
Frozen Kong toys can last quite a while
5. Lick Mat
Lick mats are small silicone mats that have various textures on them. You can spread any wet food item on them and freeze them to keep your pup focused and engaged as long as the food lasts.