Enrichment

21 April 2023

Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or you've only just picked up your puppy, learning about enrichment could be the best thing you do.

Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or you've only just picked up your puppy, learning about enrichment could be the best thing you do.


In this blog post I will break down the different types of enrichment, why they are important and some activities to try at home yourself! I've been utilising enrichment since our Cocker Spaniel Marty first came home. My love of enrichment has grown and my knowledge on the benefits of it have also flourished. As a spaniel owner with a chronic illness I often get asked how I cope with the crazy energy that this breed commonly has, my answer is always the same....ENRICHMENT.


What Is Enrichment?


Put simply enrichment is anything that engages your dog. The human equivalent may be reading a book or gardening as an example. Similar to human hobbies, enrichment for dogs comes in many shapes and sizes. Whilst most people believe enrichment is purely interactive toys filled with high calorie treats, that statement could not be further from the truth.


I like to break enrichment down into 5 categories -


*Visual/Hearing

*Taste

*Touch

*Smell

*Brain

 

Benefits

Using those categories you can implement regular and varied enrichment that provides many benefits to your dog. Below I have listed my top 5 that I have noticed since including enrichment in our daily lives -

* Reduces stress

*Provides a distraction from disruptive ways

*Support crate training

*Tires out your dog and promotes calmness

*Provides mental and physical stimulation



Let's get to the practical!

When you are first starting out with enrichment it's important to try out a range of activities, this means you can truly find what your dog loves. For example, our spaniel loves scent work, so I incorporate this in to a lot of activities. Below are some suggestions that you can try which cover the 5 senses we spoke about earlier!

 

Visual/Hearing -

Dog Tv - On YouTube search Dog Tv and pop it on for your dog to watch. Perfect if you need some time to work and don't have lots of time to interact.

 

Watching the outside world - Have you ever noticed your dog trying to look out of the window? Maybe climbing on the sofa or trying to tiptoe to reach to view out? Try giving them a space where they can easily see out. Maybe bird feeders to encourage wildlife (At a height to ensure you aren't putting them at risk).

 

Radio - If there are loud noises outside and your dog is being reactive. Try blocking some of it out with the radio. Classical music has been proven to calm our canine friends down.

 

A 2002 study conducted by animal behaviourist Dr. Deborah Wells confirmed the relaxing effect on dogs of classical music. In this study, the dogs spent more time resting and being quiet, and less time standing when exposed to classical music compared to heavy metal music, pop music, or conversation.

 

Taste

This is probably the most common type of enrichment that people know about. Think KONG®, West Paw®, SodaPup® etc.

 

Use a Stuffable toy and pop your dogs daily food allowance in it. For an extra challenge you can freeze it. For extra interest pop a tasty topper on it! Think dog treats, dog safe peanut butter, dog safe baby food etc.

 

We stock a range of toys on our website and often suggest recipes on our social media channels!



 

Touch

This one can often be confused with Taste, but there is one main difference. Touch is all about the sensation. Some of my favourite activities are:

 

Lick Mats - These textured mats or bowls are perfect for feeding your dogs meal or as a treat.

Varied Eating Station - Where does your dog have their dinner? Always on the same hard flooring in the kitchen? Why not mix it up and feed them outside on the grass?

 

Walking - Varying your dogs walks can provide huge benefits. How many different terrains can you think of? Beach, Fields, Pavement etc.

 

 

 

Scent

"A dog's sense of smell is estimated to be 10,000 to 100,000 times better than that of a human."

Scent is the most powerful sense for our canine friends. Therefore it has a big impact on the enrichment in our dogs lives. Some activities to try are:

Sniffari walks - allow your dog to sniff and explore their surroundings whilst on a walk. Let them lead the walk.

Chief post checker - an easy activity is to allow your pup to sniff any parcels or letters that you receive.

Snuffle Mats - These are a great tool that you can hide treats in and allow your dog to sniff them out.

Natures snuffle Mat - Scatter some treats outside in grass and get your dog to search for them.

 

Brain

This category is covered with a lot of the above activities, however there is something to be said for training and bond building activities. Some suggestions may be teaching your dog a new trick, or using the time it takes for the kettle to boil to practice a dance routine with your dog. Another example is puzzle toys, be sure to cycle your toys so that your dog doesn't get too used to one activity.

 

Summary

So there you have it! the above activities are just the start. There so many different types of enrichment that can help you and your dog lead a happier more fulfilled life. You can find out more on our website and social media channels below!

@pawsinearnest
www.pawsinearnest.co.uk
Melissa Smith

 

Are puppy pad's the magic cure when toilet training a puppy?

by Lisa Sinnott • 5 February 2025
Are puppy pads for toilet training the answer? When you’re toilet training your puppy it can be confusing to know what to do. You may have heard that puppy pad’s are the answer. Let’s discuss this. Remember that physically a pup’s bladder is very small.. they can’t hold it for too long! They don’t go to the bathroom indoors to spite you. Also remember that some dogs may not be going to the bathroom – they may be marking scent by doing very small pee’s.

Does the age you come to a training class matter – should you come to puppy class?

by Lisa Sinnott • 13 January 2025
I read a paper recently called An Investigation into the Impact of Pre-Adolescent Training on Canine Behavior by Dinwoodie and colleagues. The aim of the study was conducted to see whether training done prior to 3 months of age was more effective than doing training later. Here is what they found.

If you had a difficult Christmas

by Lisa Sinnott • 6 January 2025
Christmas can be a difficult time for many reasons: lack of routine, new visitors coming into the home, lack of sleep, more noise.

Steps you can take to help someone who has a dog shows reactive behaviour

by Lisa Sinnott • 23 December 2024
Many people have dogs because they enjoy the social side of having a dog.. chatting to people in the park and watching their dogs bound around and play with each other. However, for many people I work with this isn’t their reality. Their dog may have had a bad experience with a dog and is now scared, or they could be recovering from an operation, for example. This can make walks – especially in narrow locations very difficult. If you, your self have had a dog who shows signs of reactivity then you’ll appreciate how hard it is and you may be doing the below already.. but if not please read on. · If you see a dog who is reactive walking down the street (perhaps they have a jacket that is yellow), or perhaps their handler just looks uneasy.. then walk across the road.. this will give a dog some breathing space. · Feed your dog to distract them rather than letting them get fixated on the other dog. · Change direction or if you can, wait behind a parked car so that the dogs do not notice each other. The above steps can really help a dog and their handler. Walking a reactive dog can feel stressful and anxiety inducing and people’s behaviour can really help the dog and the person.

What to train your dog while you're waiting for puppy class to start

by Lisa Sinnott • 23 December 2024
Some things to teach/get started with, with your new puppy

Thinking about getting a puppy? Be in the know

by Lisa Sinnott • 6 November 2024
Devastatingly, thousands of dogs end up in rescue centres each year, sometimes because people have financial problems or divorces and sometimes because of behavioural and health problems (behaviour and health are interlinked – pain can make a dog more grumpy and less tolerant). The pandemic and cost of living crisis means that rescue centres have seen the perfect storm of dogs arriving into their care.

Avoiding stress-mas with your new puppy!

by Lisa Sinnott • 6 November 2024
If it’s going to be your puppy’s first Christmas this year here are some things to consider to make the day as safe for your pup and enjoyable for you and your family as possible. 

Considerations when hiring professional to work with your dog

by Lisa Sinnott • 2 November 2024
Considerations when hiring professional to work with your dog

4 essential cues to teach your puppy

by Lisa Sinnott • 17 October 2024
If you’ve joined a puppy training class or are thinking about joining one you may be thinking about what training tasks are the biggest priority.. you want to focus on those that will benefit yours and your dogs life the most (of course tricks are ace, but life skills are the most important!). There are some classes that are purely socialisation where training tasks are not taught but I will cover that in a different blog.

My dog is doing a runner when I take out their equipment.. why?

by Lisa Sinnott • 13 September 2024
My dog is doing a runner when I get their walking equipment out – why?
More posts
Share by: