March 2, 2023

Enrichment

What is enrichment? If you’re in any way connected to the animal industry either through owning a pet or working in a pet care industry, I’m sure you’ve heard the term enrichment before and how important it is to animal welfare. There are dozens of toys and gadgets on the market to provide enrichment to our furry friends but you can also DIY many different activities at home to enrich your pet’s life. But what is enrichment and why is it so important?

Enrichment is an activity that allows an animal the opportunity to exercise not only their bodies but also their minds in a creative way that typically mimics natural behaviors in the wild. If you’ve ever been to the zoo, I’m sure you’ve seen the keepers provide pumpkins or ice blocks stuffed with food treats for animals like bears, lions, and tigers. Or maybe you’ve seen cardboard boxes in the big cat enclosures, or maybe even some familiar looking toys in the wolf enclosure. Those types of items are enrichment items.

The environment can also be enriching for animals; consider how each habitat for captive wild animals is uniquely designed to provide various different surfaces, scents, and visual stimuli for the animals. Though it may not be as obvious, introducing a new scent into an animal enclosure such as essential oil on a stick or in a scent container can also be enriching. In the summertime, cooling pools are also provided to water loving creatures. Switching up the environment every once in a while can provide important enrichment for animals in captivity that see the same enclosure every day, or even for your dog who sees the same house and yard every day.

So why exactly is it so important to provide enrichment? Well, think of it this way: imagine you had only your cubicle at work and that was it for your entire environment. There is never anything new, you see the same things every day and do the same work, and there is no going home to watch tv or read a book. You’d be bored out of your mind! Believe it or not, but animals can become bored too. Extended periods of this boredom is bad for their mental and physical health, and overall welfare. Being in an enclosed space with no outlet to practice natural behaviors such as foraging, digging, hunting or play is extremely stressful on the animal. Animals in captivity or as pets have no natural outlet for this boredom unless provided and can become destructive just to relieve themselves.

So what does this have to do with my pets at home? They’re not zoo animals in captivity… are they? While a home with outdoor access seems like a much better option than zoo enclosure, your dog sees the same thing every single day. Without enrichment, they can become just as bored and destructive to relieve that boredom, and their mental and physical health can suffer. Dogs and cats need enrichment just as much as any zoo animal! Luckily there are tons and tons of different ways you can provide enrichment for your pet at home and you may be surprised at the difference in your pet’s behavior after implementing enrichment in their lives.

One of the easiest ways to provide enrichment is to switch up how you deliver your pet’s daily meals. Instead of feeding from a food bowl, you can use their food as a reward for a training session. Or maybe try a slow feeder bowl, hollow rubber chew toy like a kong, or even tossing your dog’s kibble outside in the grass for them to forage for. One of my favorite ways to use my dog’s food is to stuff an empty cardboard box with balled up newspaper and dump their kibble into it to create a foraging box they can tear apart! It does make a little mess, but it’s so worth it to see the spark in my dog’s eyes as they tear apart the box. Other options include toys like the snuffle mat, a puzzle toy, or even rolling the kibble up in a towel or blanket for them to unravel.

Another easy way to provide enrichment for your dog is to take them on walks to different places each day. Walking in general is great exercise for both you and your dog, but dogs get a lot out of exploring new environments both visually and through sniffing. Even if you typically do structured walks or runs, take a break every now and then to allow your dog time to sniff and explore! Taking new routes is doubly enriching, and can be exciting for you as well. New areas offer entirely new scents for your dog to smell and new things to look at, which stimulate different parts of their mind. Even just an empty field or lot can provide a ton of enrichment for a dog!

Don’t forget to think outside the box when creating enrichment opportunities for your dog–what kind of activities does your dog like to do? For a dog that loves to use their nose, try something as simple as creating a sniffari for them in the backyard by hiding treats and toys for them to discover, along with scent containers with essential oils. Or, if you have a dog that likes to dig, create a sandbox just for them with treats and toys buried there to encourage them to dig. Once they find their first treasure, digging elsewhere will be reduced because hey, this corner of the yard has some great stuff buried here! If you have a dog that likes to chase things, try playing fetch with different types of toys or even an at home lure coursing kit. My dogs adore chasing the soccer ball and ‘herding’ it back to me.

If you’re looking for something even more hands on, there are dozens of training classes available both online and in person for everything from basic obedience, to tricks, to even training for canine sports! There’s something for everyone out there, and I can say from experience that training with your dog is one of the most enriching activities you can do. It not only builds the bond between you and your dog, but you both learn new things from each other every session, and exercises both the mind and body. Doing canine sports with my dogs such as dock diving and frisbee are some of my favorite ways to provide enrichment!

Overall, there are so many different ways to provide enrichment for your dog–there’s no reason to only choose one! Try something new each day with your dog to see what they enjoy most, and have fun with it. Remember, enrichment is something that should ideally stimulate at least one of the senses and provide a creative way for your dog to exercise their mind and body. Enrichment is so vital to the health and well being of all creatures, so I hope that you do try something with your dog soon!

Below is a list of our favorite enrichment toys:

Kong Company