Dog enrichment ideas for a rainy day
It’s raining, it’s pouring… sitting on the sofa all day is boring!
Dogs love playtime, puzzles, games and toys - because just like us, when they problem-solve for a reward, it boosts their confidence and brain power. We know that Sniffy-time on walks is a great form of enrichment but how do you provide enrichment when it's utterly miserable outside? Read on for 8 of my favourite enrichment games!
What is dog enrichment?
Dog enrichment is about enhancing the quality of a dog's life and overall well-being. Enrichment for dogs comes in many forms and typically involves stimulating a dog's natural instincts, like digging or foraging, engaging their cognitive abilities through puzzles or training, or simply having fun by playing games and interacting with toys.
Enriching a dog's life is of paramount importance and should be a significant focus for any dog owner. It's possible that you may not fully recognise your dog's talents and abilities until you offer them opportunities to challenge themselves. I never thought my greyhounds would be good at sniffing out treats in cardboard boxes (they belong to the sighthound group after all!) How wrong I was! Rebel loves a snuffle and is very adept at it!
Enrichment activities can also enhance a dog's confidence, alleviate their anxieties, and strengthen the bond of trust between the dog and its owner.
By encouraging scent work and licking (using lick mats or Kongs), you can benefit dogs’ mental health and happiness, letting their noses lead the way and getting their brains ticking.
Hunting for treats
Set up a scavenger hunt in the house or garden (the latter if you and your dog don't mind getting a bit soggy), with treats hidden in easy to reach places so they’ll follow their nose to seek the rewards.
Snuffle mats can be purchased from many places. You can hide kibble and treats in it for your pooch to snuffle for.
You could also put food in a Kong and freeze it, which your dog will love getting stuck into and should keep them occupied for ages! A frozen kong in my household lasts hours.
Cardboard box games
Place cardboard boxes in cardboard boxes and hide treats inside. Imagine the boxes are like Russian dolls. You start with a small box and put some treats in it, then put that box inside a slightly bigger one with a loose treat, and then continue like this so you end up with one box with steadily smaller boxes inside it. Let your dog find and eat the treats.
Rolled up towel
Lay out a rolled up towel and sprinkle dry food or treats over it. Roll it up and let your dogs find the treats!
Muffin Tin Treat Game
To start, take a muffin/cupcake tray and apply your dog's favourite food inside each of the individual muffin cups or insert dry treats into a few of them. After your dog becomes accustomed to this, position tennis balls on top of each muffin cup, so your dog needs to remove each ball to access the treat hidden beneath. To add a level of difficulty, place treats beneath only a few of the tennis balls, encouraging your dog to use their sense of smell to locate their treats.
Ball Pit
This is a great game for puppies and busy dogs (here's looking at you, terriers and spaniels!). Fill up a play pool with balls or plastic bottles and throw your dogs favourite treats or toys into the mix and watch them scurry around to find the treasures! This is a game that features in my puppy sessions as it's such a great way to build their confidence.
Interactive feeders
Another way for your dog to work for their treat is to use interactive feeders or puzzle toys. These gadgets usually require your pooch to spend some time using hatches and levers to release the treat hidden inside. It’s a smart way of encouraging slow feeding and it keeps them occupied. Double yay!
Washing basket game
The quickest and easiest way to create a quick game for your dog. Put treats or a toy under an upturned washing basket and let your dog figure out how to get to it.
Cardboard Treat Dispenser
Simply put some treats into an empty toilet roll tube or an empty cereal box to turn into an instant treat dispenser. This will motivate your dog to either roll the cardboard tube or use their paws to reach inside the cereal box and retrieve their tasty natural dog treats.
If you have enjoyed reading this and gaining some ideas for enrichment, subscribe to my mailing list where I often post enrichment ideas.
Top tips:
For interactive games (like the cardboard game or interactive puzzles) Start easy and then gradually increase the level of difficulty once your dog has succeeded at an ‘easier’ level.
Be patient and give your dog lots of encouragement in order to build their confidence!
It helps if the dog treats are strongly scented
Finally - and without wanting to sound like a bore - ensure all of these activities are supervised to keep your pup safe and that the food you give them is dog-safe
Enjoy!
Sarah-Jane x