Besides physical stimulation, dogs need mental enrichment to stay happy and healthy. There are many products on the market to provide dogs with mental enrichment, like food puzzles and toys, but there are also enrichment activities you can do with materials you have lying around your home. If you wish to buy enrichment materials for your dog, have a look at our blog ‘Enrichment Ideas for Your Dog to Keep Him Happy‘, but if you want to work with materials around your home, then keep reading. All activities should always be done under supervision and if your dog tends to eat inedible materials, some of the activities might be unsuitable.
Pick a hand
This is a simple game you can play with your dog which invites them to think and sniff. Without letting your dog see, take a treat in one of your hands and close them. Present your closed fists to your dog and invite them to sniff and decide in which hand you are holding the treat. Start off easy and even reward your dog if they pick the wrong hand to prevent them from losing interest. Once your dog gets the hang of the game, you can only reward them with the treat if they pick the right hand.
Magic Cup
For this activity you will need 3 plastic or paper cups which you will place next to each other up-side-down. Have your dog look at the cups and place a treat under one of them. Shuffle the cups around and invite your dog to tell you under which cup the treat is hidden. They might tell you by looking at the cup, pawing at it, touching it with their nose etc, depending on the dog. Once they focus on one of the cups, turn it over. Depending on the dog, their attention span, and how advanced they are at the game, you can either turn over the cup with the treat to show them the right cup, or give them another chance at choosing. Like human puzzles, build the difficulty up slowly to prevent frustration. Once your dog is used to the game, you can only reward them when they choose the right cup.
Treasure hunt
This activity can be done outdoors and indoor and is a great way to engage the body and brain of your dog. Create a treasure hunt by hiding an item, or items, around the house or yard which they are motivated to find. For most dogs, treats will work well, but some dogs will also love to search for their favourite toy(s). Like with all the other activities, start easy, and with this particular game you can do this by hiding the treasures in easy spots and only around a small area, so the dog is successful at the game. Slowly up the difficulty level by expanding the area you hide the treasures in and pick more difficult hiding spots.
An advanced variation of the treasure hunt is to learn your dog names of certain toys, hide them, and tell them which specific toy to find.
Muffin tin/egg carton food puzzle
Depending on the size of your dog, you can either use a muffin tin or egg carton. In each of the holes you can put a treat and cover the hole with a ball. Always use balls that are appropriate to your dog’s size and large enough to not pose a choking risk. Let your dog figure out how to get the covered treats out.
Egg box
Another activity you can do with an egg box is to put some treats in them. Depending on how well your dog knows this game, you can either fully close the box, or leave it slightly open. For dogs that are advanced at this game, the egg box can be rolled into a towel to add extra difficulty to the activity.
Toilet paper tube dog puzzles
An easy dog puzzle you can create with a toilet paper roll is to put some treats into the paper tube and fold both ends. For the more advanced version you will need a small box and a good amount of toilet paper rolls. Take the small box and fill it with toilet paper rolls that are standing upright. In the upright paper toilet rolls treats can be hidden.
Rolled up and knotted towels
This activity will engage your dog to sniff and think and only requires a towel and treats. If your dog is unfamiliar with this activity, you can start off by putting some treats on the floor and putting a towel over them so they are covered. Invite your dog to uncover the treats. Once they get the idea of the activity, you can add more difficulty by putting the treats on the towel and rolling it up. For dogs that are advanced at this activity, you can put a knot into the towel.
Fun with boxes
Pick a cardboard box according to your dog’s size. Fill the box with materials you have available, like towels, their toys, (balls of) wrapping paper, ball pit balls etc. Within the box and between the materials, you can hide treats for them to find. Alternative to a cardboard box you can use a small laundry basket.
Hide-and-seek
As the name implies, with this activity you hide and your dog will have to seek you. If your dog doesn’t know the stay command, and you don’t have anyone available who can hold the dog, you will need to teach them the stay command first. Give your dog the stay command while you hide somewhere. Once hidden, call out for your dog to come and find you.
Plastic bottle
You can give a second life to your used plastic bottles by turning them into an enrichment activity. By putting some treats into a cleaned empty plastic bottle you can provide your dog in an easy way with an activity. Your dog will have to think and use their paws to move the bottle around to get the treats out. Another version of this activity is to put two holes in the middle of each side of the bottle, put a rope through it, and tie the rope between two points. This way, your dog will have to push the bottles until they move upside down and the treats will fall out. Use plastic bottles only.
Sniff walk
A sniff walk is also referred to as a dog-led walk, scent walk, free walk or decompression walk. During a ‘’sniff walk’’ your dog will decide the route of the walk without intervention of the person that is walking them. They get to sniff where they want, how long they want, and decide where to go. During a sniff walk, the focus of the walk will be on scents logged instead of distance covered. Sniffing will stimulate your dog mentally, and it releases dopamine, making them feel happy.
DIY enrichment
Enriching your dog’s life doesn’t have to be expensive and with some creativity you can come a long way. We hope to have given some ideas on how to enrich your dogs life without having to make a purchase, making it accessible to everyone.
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