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 when you have a hundred sitting in a box waiting to be played with.
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 the dreaded boredom situation is not easy. Firstly, however, we’re going to briefly discuss dog enrichment.
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.
Taking care of Dog Enrichment
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.
Shoebox treat boxes
Shoebox treat boxes are another cool way to use old boxes to your advantage. Here’s the way to do it – Grab an old shoebox, grab some natural treats in varying sizes, then seal the box or wrap it in old wrapping paper. Don’t forget to poke holes throughout so your dog can sniff what’s in their parcel. This is fantastic for larger breeds or dogs who need a more challenging task.
Categories – Touch, Smell, Taste
*I know the shoe box and inner tube parcel images are very similar, that’s because they are. It was a little difficult to differentiate them both.
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 and grab some leaves, sticks or leaves and place them somewhere your dog can sniff around in. Doing this lets your homebound pup explore the great outdoors without having to go anywhere. Pretty simple, huh?
Categories – Smell, Sight, Touch
Hide and seek
This is Pippi, our dog’s, favourite! Having dogs use their noggings to find things can be hilarious for us and engaging for them. Hiding treats in areas for your dog to discover is great and makes them have to think and follow their nose. If you don’t want to use treats, make them find you! Having them do this helps with training and helps them learn your name. Just make sure to praise them loads once they find you!
Categories – Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste
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 and tie a knot around the middle then watch your dog go nuts. 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
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. Obviously, taking your dog for walks, changing their treats and playing with your dog are all fantastic ways to stimulate and enrich your dog’s life but sometimes you need a helping hand. I hope you found this interesting and helpful. If you have some other tips to try leave a comment!