Dog toys are pretty great! There are literally tonnes of them on the market, varying in different sizes, shapes and colours. Finding the right one for your dog, however, is not so easy. Especially with that one box you have that is overflowing with the best dog toys money can buy.
Then comes the dreaded situation. Boredom. It affects all of us, your dog included. Your pup can choose any they like but nope, they sit there looking bored and you’ve got to entertain them.
Whether you’re new to dog ownership or a long-time dog owner, tackling boredom situation is not easy. Firstly, however, we’re going to briefly discuss dog enrichment.
Photo by Robin Jonathan Deutsch
What is Dog Enrichment
Enrichment is the very essence of a dog’s quality of life. It’s what makes your dog tick and keeps them mentally stimulated. It’s as simple as that.
There are 5 categories for establishing good dog enrichment. Each being sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
We talk more about enrichment here.
The great thing about enrichment is it doesn’t need to cost any money. As long as you get the foundations right, you’re going to have one happy puppy. However, if you neglect the basics it can lead to behavioural issues which let’s face it, no one wants.
Right, we’ve collated a list of enrichment tips that we use on our dog, Pippi. This list is not exhaustive because you can do practically anything to improve a dog’s enrichment needs.
Dog Enrichment Ideas
1. Toilet roll Treat Parcels –
Toilet rolls and kitchen rolls don’t need to be thrown away once they’re done. Oh no. They create the perfect material for creating fun parcels for your dog to destroy. You could even create a hide-and-seek type game.
Take the used roll, take your dog’s favourite treat, and seal the ends by folding them over. It takes 30 seconds to create and about the same time to destroy.
Another great boon, the cardboard tube is recyclable. So you get two uses out of one. Win-Win.
Categories – Taste, Smell, and Touch.
Photo by Chewy
2. Shoebox treat boxes
Shoebox treat boxes are another cool way to use old boxes to your advantage.
Here’s the way to do it – Taking an old shoebox or cardboard box, and some natural dog treats in varying sizes. Place inside the box, seal or wrap using old off-cuts of wrapping paper and hide for your dog. Don’t forget to poke holes throughout so your dog can sniff what’s inside their parcel. This is fantastic for larger breeds or dogs who need a more challenging task.
Categories – Touch, Smell, Taste
3. Bringing the outside in
There are many reasons why you might need to keep your dog indoors. Either it’s raining outside, or they’ve had a vet trip and need a rest. It happens.
The beauty of this tip is it’s super easy and cheap as chips. The method – go outside, collect some leaves or sticks and scatter in safe areas in your home. Doing this allows your homebound pup explore the great outdoors without having to go anywhere. Pretty simple, huh?
Categories – Smell, Sight, Touch
Photo by Jamie Street
4. Let’s Play Hide and seek
This is our dog, Pippi’s, favourite! Having dogs use their noggings to find things can be hilarious for us and engaging for them.
Hiding treats in areas around your home for your dog to discover is great way for them to follow their nose. If you don’t want to use treats, make them find you! Having them do this helps with training and can promote bonding with you. Just make sure to praise them loads once they find you!
Categories – Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste
Photo by Karsten Winegeart
5. Dogs love Socks!
Another Pippi fave, old socks get holey and a bit manky, they lose their elasticity and become basically useless. But not for a dog!
Take either a full pair or just one (you’ve probably got a few odd socks around the house) and tie a knot around the middle and watch your dog go nuts. Done, you’ve basically made a homemade dog toy.
What makes this an ideal boredom buster is your dog can either play by themselves or play tug of war with you, building a loving bond for you both!
Categories – Sight, Smell, Touch
Other ways for mentally stimulating your dog without DIY.
These methods are great for creating low-cost, cheap mentally stimulating play sessions with your dog but sometimes time is not a luxury. I get that, life is hectic.
There are many products out there in the pet world that is solely made for keeping your dog entertained while you’re out and about, or when it’s not feasible to go outside.
- Snufflemats – A very recent trend for dog owners. Snuffle mats are made using felt off-cuts, designed for dogs to sniff or “snuffle” through pockets, flaps, and pokey-up bits to find their favourite treats.
- Puzzle Toys – Puzzle toys are everyone’s favourite. They’ve been around for years with varying difficulty levels. Dogs are naturally curious and highly intelligent. Puzzle Toys lean into these traits allowing your dog to solve the puzzles for a tasty reward. The ultimate in dog enrichment.
- Lickimats – Lickimats have exploded in the pet world. Little silicone “trays” that can have all kinds of treats added, like peanut butter. Designed to stimulate a dog’s natural grooming instincts. Lickimats relieve stress and can be a useful for training or distraction during vet visits, car rides, thunderstorms or any other stressful situations.
Conclusion
As I’ve said these tips are not exhaustive, there are so many ways to enrich your dog’s life.
These are some cool ways to mentally stimulate your dog, and things we’ve done with our dog, so we know they work. Ofcourse taking your dog for walks, updating their treats and actively playing are fantastic at stimulating your dog’s life. I hope you found this interesting and helpful. If you have some other tips to try leave a comment!