The Importance of Dog Enrichment

Why do dogs need enrichment?

Dogs need enrichment to reduce their stress, to give them control over their own environment, and to keep them occupied in ways that help them avoid destructive behavior. Enrichment activities can also strengthen the bond between dog and the owner. When you encourage positive behaviors in dogs, it satisfies their need for stimulation both mental and physical. A dog that is enriched both mentally and physically has a good chance of having good health and wellbeing. In our blog this week we will be talking about the importance of dog enrichment.

The Importance of Dog Enrichment

How do I enrich my dog mentally and physically?

Enrichment activities for dogs fall into five categories. Nutritional, sensory, social, physical, and occupational.

Nutritional Enrichment

You can use toys such as Kongs which can be stuffed with your dog’s food. This encourages enrichment while the dog tries to figure out a way to remove food. Alternatively, you can split up your dog’s food allotment and hide the pieces around the house. This encourages them to actively forage for food. It can also help with a dog that consumes their food too fast.

Sensory Enrichment

Certain breeds enjoy using their senses more than others. Hunting dogs like beagles and hounds may enjoy scent stimulation games. They may enjoy a game called find the kibble which also covers your dog’s nutritional enrichment. Sighthounds like Whippets may enjoy more competitive stimulation such as games of frisbee. Just remember that not all dogs will enjoy normal breed activities. Older dogs may want to simply sit in the window and watch the cars go by.

Social Enrichment

This is the trickiest form of enrichment. Not all dogs enjoy the company of other dogs and they may feel more comfortable with their human family. If your dog doesn’t display reactive behavior, a long walk where they can interact with other humans and dogs is a great way to exercise the body and mind of dog and human. We have two types of day camp and daycare which can provide lots of safe social enrichment.

Physical Enrichment

Some dogs need more exercise than others to keep them in a good place mentally. The need for physical activity isn’t particularly breed specific but certain breeds may require more physical activity than others. There are several ways for dogs to engage in physical activity. You can enroll them in agility courses, dock diving, or engage them in longer fetch sessions. Just remember to make sure your dog doesn’t have any medical issues that may affect them while engaging in physical activity.

Occupational Stimulation

Certain dog breeds such as border collies and shepherds are much happier if they are actively employed doing work. If you can’t let your border collie herd sheep you can always teach him to respond to whistles and other cues. If you have a hunting dog such as a Jack Russell, they might have some fun playing scenting games in your house. You can hide scented items in containers around your house and have your dog search for them to recreate the experience.