Before we get started on this roundup, let’s consult Canine Enrichment for the Real World (great book, have you heard of it!?) for some insight on foraging, shall we? 

Foraging is the act of searching for and working to obtain food. Dogs’ undomesticated ancestors foraged for their food, consuming just about anything that was edible. Feral dogs today are also expert foragers. Most pet dogs will forage if given the opportunity; almost every dog owner has experienced dogs who counter-surf, pre-wash dirty plates in an open dishwasher, and vacuum up the floor of any food items that fall. It turns out that the act of working for and seeking out food is not only satisfying to dogs, it is a fundamental need. As such, it should be used to help enrich their lives and to teach them useful behaviors.

There’s a reason foraging is its own category of enrichment in the book. Dogs are foragers and opportunistic scavengers. In case you’re curious about the difference, foraging is collecting food directly from the environment. 

Scavenging is eating food or carcasses that other animals have left behind or discarded (like that irresistible smelling Thanksgiving turkey carcass). 

Either way, sniffing around for food is part of who they are. It’s also important to remember that only 17–24% of dogs live as pets in more economically developed countries, and even smaller percentages in less economically developed countries.¹

When we provide opportunities to find and access food, we are  often increasing  agency, control over the environment, and choices that result in desirable outcomes. Foraging doesn’t look like any single activity. Think of the differences in catching and eating a small mammal in the woods vs. finding and eating a dead fish on a beach vs. sniffing out a hot dog in a bag of trash in an urban environment. 

Foraging activities look different in every household, and every team because 1) we’re not here to tell you how to live your lives 2) everyone in the household has their own bandwidth and set of needs, and 3) good enrichment increases welfare and well-being. Depending on the activity and the individual, foraging can provide physical exercise, mental stimulation, independence, calming enrichment, an outlet for instinctual behaviors, or even social interaction. Here are some examples of foraging activities: 

• Scatter feeding in the lawn or other outdoor space
• Tumbling a food dispensing toy around
• Searching the house for hidden toilet paper tubes stuffed with bits of food
• Extracting frozen food from inside of a toy
• Snuffling bits of food out of a box stuffed with shredded paper
• Digging around in an old blanket that’s been scattered with food and wound, rolled, or tied up

In this season of bounty, I’ve rounded up a whole mess of blogs and podcasts that provide different examples of using foraging as part of an enrichment plan. How, when, and where to do it, what to look for, and our hottest tips for the brilliant scavengers we share our homes and lives with.