Easy Ways to Add Enrichment to Your Dog’s Life!
by Claire Anderson
Find it!
The game of “Find It” is great for any dog, but especially those scent hounds like beagles, dachshunds, terriers, and coon hounds—to name a few. Basically, you're hiding an item and then asking your dog to “find it.” This is not something your dog automatically knows, it needs to be taught. But once your dog knows it, you’ll have hours of fun in the future!
"Find it" is a great game for your dog because you can play it anywhere, anytime!
HOW TO PLAY 'FIND IT':
Beginner Finders:
Easy “find it”: Simply toss a treato on the ground, cueing “find it!” Your dog can go find it! Toss it further away as they start to understand the game.
Advanced Finders:
1. Ask the dog to sit or lay down, and then ask them to stay.
2. Take the treat or toy and place it somewhere slightly hidden.
3. Release him from his stay as you say “Find it!”
4. Allow your pooch to search for the treat or toy until he finds it.
Note: If your dog gives up and sits next to you for longer than 30-45 seconds, you can help him by standing closer to the treat or toy, but do not point towards it to help him. The purpose of the game is to get him to use his nose and brain to search for something, which provides mental and physical stimulation and strengthens his independence.
The nice thing about combining it with his stay is that it is also a practice in impulse control and gets him to use his stay in a new context.
Hide and Seek
I love this game and it is perfect for those of you with children!* You can also use your dog's meal time to play this game, which will tire both your dog and your kids.
HOW TO PLAY:
Load up your treat pouch with your dog's meal or favorite treats. One person will hold the dog while the other person hides. Make it very easy for your dog at first by not going far. When you're ready, the hidden person will excitedly call the dog and the handler will release him. When he finds you, praise enthusiastically and give him his rewards! Keep repeating until your food rewards are gone.
*Always supervise play with children.
Agility or Parkour Games
Agility and parkour are some of the games that are the most effective at building communication and attention. And guess what? You don’t need a full agility course to play agility or parkour games! You can use items from your garage, or obstacles that already exist on your normal walking path for example. Agility and parkour can do wonders for fearful or reactive dogs as well.
For beginners, I recommend using a simple step stool, agility jump, or a hula hoop and tossing treats around them to start. When they are comfortable with the object, begin luring your pup through, on, around, or over with his favorite treat or toy. If you want to take your agility training to the next level, I can help!
What’s in the Box?
This one is super fun and can be great for fearful, nervous pups. Simply fill a cardboard box with noise makers like noisy paper, cans, empty plastic bottles, or balled up newspaper*. Sprinkle treats inside the box and allow your pup to explore! She may be nervous at first and that's okay! She can take her time. If she won't go near it, then start with an empty box and add treats. When she's comfortable, you can gradually add the other items. Vary the box and its contents so it stays novel and exciting for her. Always supervise this game to prevent your dog from swallowing something she shouldn't. This game is a great confidence-booster, especially for dogs who have noise sensitivity or fear of new things. Progress gradually and keep it fun!
*Only use safe items and supervise carefully!
Sniffaris
Many people spend most of their walks just trying to get their dog to go in specific directions, which ends in frustration on both sides of the leash. Let’s have some fun instead! Take your dog to a green space or hiking trail and let them be the leader! I encourage you to use a longer line for this, like a 15 foot dog leash. Your dog will follow his nose and you should follow (within reason, of course—safety should always come first.) It is important every now and then to stop and engage with your pup in a positive, fun way. Simply call your dog to you and reward with play and treats!
Toys
There are so many toys that can add enrichment to a dog’s life:
Puzzle Toys (Nina Ottoson toys are great!)
Snuffle Mat
Lickimat
Slowfeeder bowls
Treat balls or wobblers
Rubber freezable, fillable toys like Kongs or Westpaw toys
I love giving my dogs puzzle-style toys like the options listed above, in fact, they get at least one every day! Working on a toy allows for both decompression and enrichment.
Tricks
A wonderful way to add enrichment is to incorporate a bit of training into your day! Even a silly trick like a spin or a roll-over can help to build your relationship and add mental enrichment. Always use positive reinforcement—there is no place for punishment or frustration in training.
HOW TO TRAIN:
Grab a bowl or pouch of yummy treats! Sit down on the floor with your dog. Begin to engage by simply tossing a treat for them two to three times. Ask for a simple behavior they know and reward it! This will help to get them in the mood and will give them an opportunity to consent to the training game. Then, you can begin! Usually, the simplest way to teach a behavior is by luring and shaping. For example, to train a spin, you might hold a yummy treat in front of their nose and guide them in an arc. Reward as soon as their head turns. Repeat, keeping it light and fun! When they are comfortable moving their head to the side, lure them a bit further into an arc, rewarding them as their shoulders turn. Build gradually from there! Keep it short and sweet, encouraging breaks by tossing a treat away here and there. You are working towards the complete behavior of your dog moving their body 360 degrees but there is NO RUSH! The point is building connection, adding enrichment, and having fun!
Bottom line: Enrichment is a need. The reality is that most dog breeds were created to do intense jobs. If we do not provide proper mental enrichment for them, we will see maladaptive or undesirable behaviors. There are many ways we can increase our dog’s enrichment and this list is just the tip of the iceberg! If you need help adding enrichment, please reach out!
This post was previously published by the author on tullystraining.com on January 15, 2018. It has been updated.
