Canine

Licking and Chewing

• Bully sticks, yak cheese, collagen chews, beef cheek, Hoest Chews by Woof, Gnü bone broth chews (small dogs only), Kelpi Bone by MarineKind - Bully sticks have to be taken away when they get small enough to become a choking hazard, but yak cheese can be popped into the microwave for an extra special treat when it gets too small. Yak cheese is only for dogs with all of their adult teeth who gnaw. If your dog is trying to bite down on the chew, take it away as they can break their teeth. 

• A stuffed Kong, Toppl or Rumble by West Paw, or any other stuffable toy —to stuff these toys, soak your dog’s kibble until it’s mushy, mash it up, add some extra special goodies, and stuff it all into the toy. For the Kong, it helps to put some dry kibble in first to fill the smallest rung. For a longer-lasting activity, you can freeze these and give them to your dog frozen, but start with non-frozen first to see if your dog enjoys the activity. Check on social media for recipes!

• Licky mats - spread anything spreadable on them and let your dog lick. These can also be frozen. My favorites are ones that look like a cross between a lick mat and a snuffle mat. They’ll make mealtime for your dog last so much longer.

Scavenging and Foraging

• Snuffle mats - sprinkle treats or kible into these.

• The muffin tin game: Take a muffin tin, place treats or food in each cup, then cover each cup with a ball or other toy. Place on the floor for them to figure out. Resist the urge to “help” them unless they really need it! Bonus points if you send me a video of the first time your dog does this activity.

• The “find it” game: Say “find it,” then toss a treat a little way away from you. Make this easy at first so your dog can see the treat. You may have to “bowl” the treat initially so your dog sees it leave your hand as well. Gradually increase the difficulty by tossing it further away, into the grass, or on the other side of an object.

• Scatter feeding: Scatter food across the floor. Make it a little more challenging by scattering it across the patio and even more challenging by scattering the food in the grass. 

• Scavenger hunts: Put your dog in a room where they cannot see you, or have someone else set this up while you’re outside with your dog. Place treats all around the room, then let your dog in to find them. Make it easy at first, with all the food visible, until they get the hang of the game, then increase the difficulty by placing the treats in less obvious places. 

• Partially hidden toys: Stuff toys for your dog to find randomly between couch cushions, under rugs, and behind doors, so only a little bit of the toy is visible. 

• Sandboxes and ball pits. Place items partially in the sand for your dog to dig up. Increase the difficulty by burying the item. Toss treats into the ball pit for your dog to find.

• Commercial puzzles and food dispensing toys.

• Sniffari (letting your dog sniff to their heart’s content on their walk)

More Enrichment Activities

• Training

• Trick training

• Playing tug, fetch, chase, or keep away

• Kiddie pool - this can be filled with water for a little wading and swimming, sand for digging, or balls for rummaging through to find food/treats.

• Flirt pole: A pole with a long string and a toy attached to the string. It’s a great way to play tug without getting too close. You can buy these commercially or make your own with PVC piping. 

• Walks - going for walks in different areas instead of your normal route, allowing your dog to sniff as much as they want on the walk, and doing treat scatters and “find it” on your walks are great ways to make a normally boring walk more interesting for your dog.