Enrichment has, over the last few years, been something that pet owners have understood the importance of in a greater fashion than ever before. What really is enrichment though? Is it just a kong on the weekend, a bully stick for special occasions? Or should we be thinking more critically about what truly qualifies as enrichment for the dogs in our lives. Enrichment is defined as “the action of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something”.
If our goal is to improve the quality of our dog’s lives, we have to become keen observers of what activities they truly enjoy. Does your hound dog absolutely love smelling every inch of grass as you walk through the neighborhood? Does your terrier mix live for the moments where they get to burst out of the house into the back yard and chase an unaware squirrel up a tree? Does your lab or golden truly light up when they have the chance to parade around with a new and exciting toy? Once we identify what our dogs truly desire, we can more thoughtfully design opportunities to enrich their lives.
Some of our dogs absolutely love to play- for those dogs, regular play dates with chosen dog friends, or the opportunity to participate in a day care program can absolutely enrich their lives. For other dogs, food scattered in the grass that they can sniff out and eat will be their favorite game in the world. For some, running off-leash in a safe, secure space where they can expend every bit of their energy is one of the most emotionally healthy outlets we can offer. Most dogs absolutely love to chew on long-term items or navigate a puzzle toy, whose ingredients are specifically chosen based on their preferences. Others might be delighted by you buying animal scents and leaving a few drops here and there in the yard for them to engage with. Dogs who have a desire to chew and shred may be overjoyed by an offering of a cardboard box to destroy. The options are practically limitless.
Now that we’ve identified our dog’s favorite activities, we can even offer multiple enrichment options within the same session. Try taking out every puzzle toy that you own, scatter a few treats in each, and spread them across the back yard. Take a brand new plush toy and place it out in the grass amongst the toys. Maybe you get really adventurous and place a bully stick or comparable chew out there. What about a novel scent, purchased from your local hunting supply chain, a few drops left on a bush or low branch? Let your dog into the space, stand back, and observe what happens! Does your dog prefer certain toys or types of toys? Do they prefer certain activities more than others? You might find that they gravitate towards certain enrichment activities when they have a variety to choose from. Not only is observing the way they choose endlessly fascinating to us, but what a wonderful opportunity to offer our dogs! In a world where they are allowed limited choice, about what they eat, when they eat, where they go and what they do, what a lovely gift to curate moments where they truly get to CHOOSE.
Identifying our dog’s preferences allows us to fully embrace that true enrichment is less about what WE want to offer them, and more about what our dogs truly desire. Once we make that mental shift, we can begin to explore what outlets we can give them that are safe and functional within the framework of our lives. The best part is that most dogs enjoy many activities! Once we have identified a number of preferred activities, we can rotate through them, offering our dogs a life full of brain stimulating novelty that will keep them emotionally and physically healthy for years to come.
