26/11/2025
đPro Tip! How to EASILY burn off some of your dogâs energy.
âł2 minutes of prep = 45 minutes of hands-off enrichment for your dog.
If you want to turn mealtime into real behavior-building, brain-boosting work⊠welcome to Willowâs Forage Fest.
đFor this âForage Festâ, I loaded 4 different food puzzles with kibble and crunchy treats, dropped them into a bucket, and had Willow wait until I released her with âfree.â She grabbed each puzzle one by one, tossed them around, rotated through them, and worked until every last one was emptyâŠ
âŠ45 minutes later!!!đ±
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This routine has also helped her build incredibly useful skills:
âą Wait
âą Free (release cue)
âą Find it
âą Drop it (when needed)
đ€Quick science tidbit: dogs naturally prefer to work for their food. Itâs called contra-freeloading â the instinct to forage, problem-solve, and âearnâ their meals. So enrichment like this isnât just fun⊠itâs biologically satisfying.
âAnd the best part? You donât have to feel guilty about having a busy day now and then, when you have simple solutions to combat boredom. This is a fast, effective way to give your dog what they need even when you donât have tons of time.
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Ditching the bowl taps into natural instincts, boosts confidence, provides real mental work, and buys you breathing room on hectic nights.
Want help building your dogâs own Forage Fest routine?
Want to know how these simple but vital life hacks can help improve your dogs behavior?
DM me and Iâll get you started.