Sometimes we need to mix things up to keep our dogs (and ourselves!) interested and entertained.
That doesn't mean you have to go out and buy a lot of new enrichment items (although if you're in the market for some, you've come to the right place...)
There are so many things we can do with our dogs that don't cost us anything, and many can be made with common household items.
I've prepared a list below of some of my favourites!
Sniffari. Mix up your walk and let your dog determine the route and pace! Let them sniff and take in the environment, you may find you really enjoy it too!
Sit and watch the world go by. This can be done from your front door or taking a pit stop on your walk. Bring your dog's favourite chew for them to enjoy.
Scatter feeding. Grass is nature's snuffle mat! Scatter some of your dog's food or treats in your lawn for your dog to forage.
Play "find it". Hide your dog's favourite toy, a scent item if your dog is trained on a particular scent (like clove, gun oil or Kong), or food for them to find, indoors or outdoors.
Use up household recycling for food puzzles. I could write a whole blog on things you can do with your recycling! Toilet roll tubes filled with treats and folded closed for your dog to shred, or loo rolls stacked upright in a box with some food scattered, or a milk carton (rinsed clean) with some holes cut into it and treats inside for your dog to roll around. An Amazon box filled with packing paper and food or toys scattered for them to find us also great.
Teatowels 3 ways. Teatowels or hand towels are also super versatile. You can scatter with food and roll up for your dog to unroll, or layer them on top of each other with food scattered on top, or scatter food on one, pinch it in the middle and turn it to make a "rose" shape.
Conditioning exercises. Exercise doesn't have to mean always doing a big walk or a dog sport like agility or canicross. There are lots of videos on YouTube showing you how to do simple conditioning exercises, like cavalettis, movements like bow, side steps and pivots. You can use household items like steps, brooms / mops without having to invest in equipment.
Toybox forage. Drop some treats or food into your dog's toybox for them to root through and find.
These are just some ideas to get started, we can get really creative with what we have already!
Remember that enrichment should always be supervised for our dogs' safety, and so that we can make adjustments as needed to help our dogs have a positive and rewarding experience.
