Meeting lots of people at shows and markets over the summer has been really enlightening in understanding the barriers people face when thinking about enrichment. A common query I hear when discussing canine enrichment with dog guardians is about options other than food for enrichment. For many, they are concerned food enrichment will make their dog overweight. For others, they say their dog is a “picky eater” or not “food motivated”, or will just pick up and throw the enrichment toy or rip it to get to the food quickly. Of course, we want to make sure our canine companions eat a healthy, balanced diet and do not become overweight, increasing the risk of heart disease, stress on joints and a whole host of other health issues. We also want to ensure that we have a varied toolkit to meet all the different needs of our dogs, and that we are not over-reliant on food as our enrichment. We’d also like our enrichment toys to last as long as possible, and for our dogs to enjoy the activity!
While these concerns have merit and honourable intentions, I’d like to address some common misconceptions and make some counterpoints - or at least give some pause for thought as to why these may not be the issues we think they are, as well as give some solutions to common challenges.
It’s not about giving more food…
A key point here is that food enrichment doesn’t need to mean extra food. You can use the dogs’ own regular diet and just deliver it in an enriching way. If you feed kibble, try hiding it in treat dispensers for your dog to bat about, or scatter it in Amazon boxes with some scrunched up paper for them to find. If you feed wet food or raw, you can use licking mats and Toppls, or hide food in mini plastic tubs for them to find around the house (just keep track of numbers!). You can reserve some of their food from their meals to use as treats as well – for Honey who is on a hydrolysed kibble, I set aside about 15% of her daily food allowance to feed her in treat toys or other ways. I’ve lots of videos on my YouTube channel on this - https://www.youtube.com/@AllAboutEnrichment
You can also try low-calorie food options should you wish, such as dog-safe fruits and veggies. The American Kennel Club has some good information - https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/fruits-vegetables-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/ My dogs love some plain, air-popped popcorn as a special treat. See further below an exercise you can do to work out your dog’s preferences for different foods as well.
A lot of people think that food enrichment means a large volume of food. The truth is that you don’t need to use a lot of food – a small portion of kibble in a snuffle mat or other toy, or a small amount of wet food on licking mats is just as enriching for the dog as a large amount of food, if not better – the dog has to work that bit harder to find the food. You can also use food that would otherwise get thrown away, like the crumbs from the bottom of the bag of kibble!
…. But food is a great way to give enrichment
Having said it’s not all about food, I do believe food is a fantastic motivator and lends itself to so many enrichment activities. Dogs are scavengers, and food enrichment engages the dog’s natural foraging skills. It’s instinctual for dogs and we should ensure we are offering food-based enrichment activities for our dogs on a regular basis. If you are finding your dog doesn’t seem motivated by food, or you would describe your dog as a “picky eater”, there are some points to consider below.
But what if my dog is a picky eater?
For “picky eaters”, there are a lot of reasons why the dog may not be interested in food-based enrichment. A starting point is to look at safety - do they feel safe enough to take food? Are they over-aroused and won’t take food? Consider their emotional state and the environment in which the item is being offered. Making some changes such as changing to a location they feel comfortable and making sure any potential triggers for your dog are removed will go a long way to helping them relax and be able to enjoy the activity. One of my dogs, Honey, finds outdoor food-based enrichment activities too challenging unless the environment is carefully controlled, so we do the majority of activities indoors.
But what if lots of foods don’t agree with my dog?
Digestive discomfort or food intolerances should always be considered – if the dog is having gastric issues, they may not want the food that’s offered – or any food, for that matter. If you have any concerns, speak to your vet.
Food preferences are important too – is the food item being used motivating enough for them? Some dogs may not be interested in searching for kibble (rare but does happen!). There’s a great exercise you can do to determine your dog’s food preferences and their reward hierarchy involving a muffin tin. Put a variety of different food items in the wells of a muffin tin and offer to your dog. Watch to see which one they go to first, and which ones they leave or otherwise don’t seem as interested in!
Setting our dogs up for success
One last thought is about whether your dog has been set up for success. Has the enrichment toy been presented in a way that dog is overwhelmed or can’t get the food out? Giving them an opportunity to assess the enrichment item before any food is added goes a long way to allowing the dog to feel comfortable with it. The first time they try a new activity, we should make it as simple as possible for them so that they are able to easily access the food and to avoid frustration. For example, with a snuffle mat, first introduce it with no food and allow your dog to explore it. Then, you can scatter some treats around the mat and allow them to enjoy those, before refilling and placing treats loosely on top of the mat.
If you have a dog who is hyper fixated on the food (like my boy Kingsley), I’d recommend always making the food easily accessible within the activity to avoid frustration setting in and items being damaged. I just watch him enjoy himself and then refill the toy a few times. I also identify activities he seems to particularly enjoy and focus on giving those, rather than trying to get him to do an activity I think he should enjoy.
All dogs have preferences and we should pay close attention to those. For example, for some dogs, a single snuffle mat is boring and they will pick it up and give it a good shake to dislodge the treats. However, the same dog may really enjoy something like a snuffle pile, where multiple snuffle items are set up in something like a bucket or basin for them to have a good rummage through.
So, what other options do we have to using food in our enrichment activities?
The answer is – lots!
— Try different kinds of mental stimulation, like trick training, life skills training, scent work. We play “find it” at home a lot and both my dogs love it – and you can use toys as a reward;
— physical activities like a game of tug or conditioning exercises, or a dog sport if you’re interested (e.g. I do mantrailing with Kingsley and we both absolutely love it!);
— enrichment that meets instinctual behaviours like dig pits and non-food chews like coffee wood or Benebones;
— environmentally enriching activities like a new place to walk or a car ride if your dog enjoys this. Letting your dog sniff and take in their environment is crucial! Letting them “inspect” items brought into the home such as your groceries as well is also a really nice activity for them to do.— Social companionship - don’t underestimate the benefit of just spending time together, whether together on the sofa with gentle hand contact, or sitting outside together quietly watching the world go by. Providing companionship is so important and so often overlooked! If they have a dog friend, spending time with their dog friend can be so valuable as well.
For more ideas, have a look at the Canine Enrichment group on Facebook set up by the amazing Shay Kelly with more than 500,000 members - https://www.facebook.com/share/g/tAitkhpBo2QQLHF2/ - he also has an excellent book on the subject, available from Amazon - https://amzn.eu/d/25zo2iK
I’d love to hear all the different non-food enrichment activities you do with your dog, so drop me a DM on socials or an email through my website! Equally, if you’ve got a burning topic for discussion, let me know and I’ll see if I can write a blog on it!