By Kris Hale (Best in Dog, LLC)
I’m sure you have heard the term enrichment before, and like most people, you understand the general concept. But how does enrichment relate to your dog?
Enrichment allows your dog to be a dog. It allows them to engage in innate behaviors like sniffing, foraging, shredding, tasting, chewing, playing, and socializing. Enrichment should encourage your dog to explore, think, and have fun. It should be interesting, engaging, and challenging. Enrichment plays the same role in your dog’s life as it does in your own: it enhances it, and brings us joy and a smile to our face.
Tap into their senses. Smelling is particularly important for dogs. Try a scent walk (a.k.a. a sniffari), a snuffle mat, a puzzle toy, a game of “find it”, or try a nosework class with your dog. Experiment with different chews, dog-friendly foods, and flavors. Try blowing bubbles, playing music, or reading to you dog.
Games are a great way to engage with your dog. Try a game of fetch, tug, hide and seek, or the “green light, red light” game. Playing games with your dog helps to build your relationship, gives your dog experiences with different movements, and teaches life skills.
Teaching your dog something new challenges your dog to think and allows them to practice listening and impulse control. Try teaching your dog a new skill like “down”, a trick such as “spin”, or take a dog parkour class and learn urban agility.
Remember to supervise your dog—not only for safety reasons, but because watching your dog engage in enrichment allows you to learn more about your dog: what they enjoy, and what they find rewarding (or not). Getting to know your dog builds your relationship, and can provide useful information for training purposes. If your dog isn’t enjoying the activity, try something new. It’s not enriching if it’s not fun.
What are you waiting for? What are you going to do next with your dog?
