Top 8 Dog Enrichment Activities

Posted on by Allie Bender

We get asked all the time what our favorite dog enrichment activities are. We did write the book on it, after all! And, as always, the answer is actually, “It depends.” Enrichment is about meeting an individual’s needs to allow them to perform species-typical behaviors in healthy, safe, and appropriate ways. While individuals within a particular species have similar needs (like the 14 categories of canine enrichment that we outline here), it won’t be exactly the same for everyone! It’s like how we have introverts and extroverts in humans. Some people need to be alone to recharge their battery while some people need to be around others to do the same. What works for one dog isn’t necessarily what will work for another, even of the same age group, breed, or within the same household.

So, while I can’t tell you what dog enrichment activities you should try with your individual pup unless I know them, there are some activities that the Pet Harmony team recommends pretty frequently to our clients! Here are some of our favorite dog enrichment activities:

Top 8 Dog Enrichment Activities

1) Scent Work

Dogs’ primary sense is smell. That’s how they navigate a lot of their world! Now that they- as a species- live a cushy life in our homes instead of having to search for food to survive we typically need to provide them with more opportunities to use their nose. Not only does scent work allow them to perform this important species-typical behavior, it also has some pretty cool effects on their brain, including stress reduction. Snuffle mats, snuffle boxes, and good ol’ fashioned “find it” are some of our favorite scent work options.

 

 

2) Happy Vet Visits

Happy vet visits involve going to the vet for the sole purpose of building a positive emotional response to the clinic. Essentially, you coordinate with your clinic a time that you can stop by, have your dog get snuggles and treats from the staff if they like that sort of thing, have your dog safely explore the exam room, and then go home. This way your pup learns that fun stuff happens at the vet instead of just scary and painful things happening there. Happy vet visits are one way to help your dog have a better experience at the clinic. We discuss other ways to have better vet visits in this podcast episode.

 

 3) Set up a Safe Space

Everyone needs a place where they feel safe- regardless of species! We typically see that each individual has some particular preferences around their safe space. Some pups like a safe space where they are away from everyone while others like a spot out of the way but where they can still keep an eye on household activities and some would prefer a spot that allows them to climb into their human’s skin if possible. Whatever their preference, a safe space is a place that they can go to to relax, de-stress, and feel safe. Check out this blog post about setting up a safe space for your dog and this podcast episode for creating restful environments if you need some inspiration!

Oso’s thunderstorm safe space is under my desk

 

4) Food Puzzles

Food puzzles can also provide an opportunity for scent work, but not always. Sometimes they’re more about figuring out the puzzle by opening things and spinning parts or they may just be a way to get your dog to eat dinner a little slower. Regardless, food puzzles can be useful for a variety of reasons. Check out this blog post on some of our favorite dog food puzzle toys and this blog post about some of our favorite DIY dog puzzle ideas. And, if you need help teaching your dog to use their newest toy, check out this blog post (with video!) on how to teach your dog to use food puzzles.

 

 

5) Teach Start & Stop Button Behaviors

Start and stop button behaviors are a way for your dog to opt in and out of activities. Usually, we teach these types of behaviors in relation to cooperative care or care with consent (teaching your dog to participate and be comfortable with their medical care and grooming). A “start button” means that you can start doing the activity. For example, you can teach a dog that when they rest their head in your palm you are then going to give them eye drops (and yummy treats!) When they need a break they can use a “stop button” behavior. In that same example, this could be as simple as the dog lifting up their head. Chin or head rests are commonly used as start and stop button behaviors; we also like The Bucket Game and foot targeting for these! Learn more about pets opting in for care in this blog post.

 

6) Flight Training

This is our term for teaching a dog to move away from something that they find stressful. “Flight” is a much more desirable option than “fight” when your pup is uncomfortable! Even dogs who are comfortable with most things will encounter something scary in their life at some point. It’s great to have a cue already on board for when that happens so that you can help them safely navigate that situation! Check out this blog post on 5 reasons dogs need Flight Training and this podcast episode about Flight Training for more info.

 

7) Free Time

This is one of the easiest activities you can do- just let your dog have free time to do whatever they want! We don’t want to have their days so full of activities that they don’t have a chance to just hang out and do their own thing. For some kiddos that might mean a nap. For Oso, it usually means hanging out in the yard and just being a dog. For some, like the video of Laika below, it means finding your own fun!

 

 

8) Preference tests

At the beginning of this post I mentioned that enrichment is all about the individual. Each pup has their own preferences and so a great enrichment activity is to figure out what those preferences are! A couple of preference tests that we frequently recommend to our clients include food preference tests and sound preference tests.

 

 

What Now?

  • Pick one of the above enrichment activities to try out with your dog. Even if you already do a lot of these, there are plenty of variations!
  • Try the activity with your dog and explore what the effects are. Remember, you want to take a descriptive approach to enrichment so that it’s actually enriching.
  • Tag us with pics and videos of you trying different enrichment activities with your pup on Instagram @petharmonytraining We love seeing what you’re working on!
  • If you’re stuck on how to safely or effectively implement enrichment activities with your dog, work with one of our behavior consultants.

Happy Training!

Allie