You may have heard the term enrichment used relation to zoos or captive animals but how does it apply to your dog? Well the truth is, we all need and can benefit from enrichment and furthermore, it can help you reach your training goals.
How can it help my training goals?
Destructive chewing? Pulling on lead? Nipping? Barking? Low confidence? When a training concern is presented to a professional dog trainer one of the first considerations they make is whether or not the dogs needs (mental or physical) are being met. Many training concerns can be completely or partially corrected by giving our dogs the outlets they require. Reach out to Dog Geeks or your Professional Dog Trainer to assist you in isolating your dogs unique needs and start you on a path of conquering your training goals. Your dogs enrichment can easily be incorporated into your everyday activities and routines, no need for big changes or extra work!
What is enrichment?
Canine enrichment is defined as additions made to a dog's environment and lifestyle which the dog voluntarily interacts with and as a result of those experiences, improves physical and mental health.
Why do we need it?
If we think about enrichment in humans for a moment, we actively pursue it and it's our go to in times of need. Take for example a parent who feels burnt out, they may decide they need a weekend away with friends, to attend a yoga class or try a new restaurant. All of those experiences enrich and fulfill our needs and wants as humans whether it be for physical health or mental health.
Dogs can cycle through the same needs and if not given the proper outlets, they will enrich their own lives. This can be seen in negative ways such as:
Destructive behaviour
Barking/Whining
Escaping
Digging
Hyper focus on dogs, small animals (squirrels, cats)
Separation anxiety
Licking/grooming
Excessive chewing
Jumping/nipping/mouthing
If your dog is timid or unsure in any of the below areas, ask your Training Instructor or Veterinary Professional how you can create positive associations or alterations for your dog.
What can we do?
We've separated enrichment into 6 categories to make it easier for you to provide your dog with the areas in which would benefit them the most. A lot of games and activities will cross over into different categories, we call that two bones with one drool!
Social Enrichment
There's no doubt about it, dogs are social creatures and furthermore, they crave socialization with people as well as with dogs. You may not give it much thought but dogs and people actually evolved together which is why dogs are better than even our closest relatives (Bonobo monkeys) at reading and responding to certain human gestures! But let's shelf more on that for another day.
Here are a few ways you can socially enrich your dogs life:
Plan a meet up with a doggie friend
Cuddle and scratch your dog on their terms
Schedule a day of daycare or a dog walk
Sit on your porch or a walking path
Practice greeting manners with people
Attend a training class
Cognitive Enrichment
With the best intentions people have stripped dogs of their jobs and natural daily activities. Besides the jobs that we have given our dogs since domestication (herding, hunting, guarding etc), dogs no longer need to scavenge or hunt and all of their resources are provided for them-fresh water, family, toys, soft beds. Again we've done this with the best intentions but we have anthropomorphized dogs out of a job.
Cognitive enrichment is giving your dogs access to problem solving activities and challenging their brain. Certain breeds or characteristics may find certain games more or less desirable so follow your dogs lead.
IQ/Puzzle games
Give your dog an enrichment box
Scent detection
Scent tracking
Trick training and other training promoting new problem solving activities
Give your dog a mirror
Exposure to new smells (essential oils)
Play classical or noise phobia audio
Environmental Enrichment
Living and interacting with the same environment can increase boredom even when toys are available. Dogs with jobs are stimulated by their changing environments with new sights and smells. Here's how you can enrich your dogs environment:
Go for a walk and let your dogs nose lead the way
Visit a new trail or area of the city
Rotate your dogs toys
Create a digging pit
Attend a training class
Create an at home agility course
Play new audio such as street noises or birds
Play a game of shaping with a random object
Food Enrichment
Gone are the days of feeding your dog from a bowl that occupies only a few minutes- or if you're a Lab, a few seconds! By stimulating your dogs nose and brain, you can encourage them to use their natural foraging and hunting instincts. People participate in food enrichment at almost every single meal! We reinvent recipes with new tastes, combinations and presentations. Lets give our dogs the same benefits with:
Filling kongs with peanut butter, yogurt or fruit
Lick mats
Puzzle games such as the Muffin Tin Game
Hide food in a rolled up towel or toilet paper rolls
Snuffle mat
Scatter feeding-Scatter food in the grass
Hide small bowls of treats/food around a room
Play Enrichment
Play enrichment encompasses interacting with new fun things with their paws or mouth as well as receiving an appropriate amount of physical exercise. This type of enrichment boosts dogs physical health as well as mental health. Here are a few simple ideas to boost play:
Provide satisfying and safe chew toys
Join an agility class
Try out a fly ball class
Flirt pole
Bubble chasing
Engaging toys that move, wobble or launch
Allow access to off leash play in a fenced area
Playing fetch up a hill
Tug games such as Red Light Green Light
Participate in a fitness class
Providing your dog with enrichment has an almost endless list of benefits for you and them. With a few minor alterations you can take any old game and put a new fun spin to it.
Happy training!
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