What is enrichment? Enrichment is a way of providing your dog with mental stimulation and fun activities that suit their natural instincts and preferences.
Many dogs like to dig, chew, chase, lick and shred things, but they may not have appropriate outlets for these behaviors in their home environment. If you want to prevent your dog from digging up your garden or tearing apart your furniture, you can offer them alternative ways to express these behaviors in a positive and acceptable way.
Enrichment can benefit dogs of all ages and breeds by keeping them happy and challenged. You can experiment with different types of games and puzzles to find what your dog enjoys the most.
Here are some easy and inexpensive enrichment ideas you can try at home:
Kibble Knots: wrap some kibble in a towel, twist the towel, and tie in several loose knots. This is a quiet toy that is sure to keep them busy for 10-15 minutes. You can make it harder for your dog by tying the knots tighter.
Paper Tube Toys: reuse your paper towel and toilet paper tubes! Fold one end of the tube, put some kibble inside, and fold the other end shut. Your dog will have to shred the tube to get to the kibble. For more difficulty, stuff the bigger tube with smaller tubes that have kibble inside. This may look messy, but itโs easy to clean up if done on a hard floor.
Foraging: scatter kibble in different places around the house or outside for your dog to find. Start with easy spots, like in the middle of the room, and move on to harder ones, like in their toy box or under their bed.
Enrichment should be fun and rewarding for your dog. If your dog doesnโt seem interested in the game or itโs too hard for them to solve, make it easier or show them how to do it.
My pup Pilot loves to shred his tube toys!
Kibble Knots
Want a cheap and enriching puzzle game for your pup? Check out my instructions for the much loved Kibble Knot!
This little cutie is brushing up on his leave it command. Good boy, Rusty! ๐๐
What happens when you are a dog trainerโs dog. Garage chores!
Take a look at our buddy Max. He's an 8 month old German Shephard learning to follow my commands and ignore distraction. It's important that your dog learns to check in with you to keep everyone safe in a more challenging environment. #PuppyTraining LangCanineObedience.com
Happy Monday! If you're on my page you probably have a 4-legged family member that you love. Maybe you have a puppy needing to learn the basics or an older dog that has separation anxiety. Whatever the case may be I'll discover your dog's unique motivation and work with the whole family to effectively reinforce what is taught. Call me at (512) 829-1454 to learn more about what I can offer you and your family today! #PuppyTraining #ObedienceTraining #Behavior Modification LangCanineObedience.com