Why enrichment promotes a happy and healthy dog

We all know that dogs need daily physical exercise in order to be happy and healthy, but do you find that your dog is still unsettled? It is equally important to provide dogs with mental and sensory stimulation. This is what enrichment activities are all about!

Lickimats are a good way to stimulate your dog’s senses and calm the nervous system through licking.

What are enrichment activities?

Enrichment activities provide essential mental stimulation and physical activity through toys, puzzles, training, and sensory experiences that encourage a dog’s natural behaviour of sniffing, chewing and foraging. Enrichment activities can be split into nutritional/food puzzles, sensory enrichment, physical activity, cognitive tasks and foraging/shredding.

Some good examples of activities include:

• Toys filled with treats such as Kong

• Snuffle mats

• Hidden treats or toys around the house to find as a game

• Allow extended sniffing on walks

• Introduce new scents (different treats, herbs)

• Games of tug of war, DIY agility course

• Teach new tricks, practice obedience training, and use puzzle toys to challenge their brain

• Create safe destruction toys such as a cardboard tube with treats in

• Use a cupcake tin with tennis balls in and kibble or treats hidden under each ball

• Throw or scatter their food to search for

• Practise tricks in the park

• Rotate dog toys

Why enrichment matters…

When dogs don’t engage in enough enrichment activities, they often find ways to enrich themselves which can result in unwanted behaviours at home. Dogs who spend around 20% of their day doing enrichment activities are:

• Less bored

• More confident

• Calm and happy

• Less likely to chew your slippers or other things they shouldn’t

• More settled

• More closely bonded with owners

A quick enrichment activity you can do at home