Safer at home - enrichment time!

Many of us are at home with our dogs during our "safer at home" time. We may be having moments where we are happy to have this quality time home with our beloved furry pals, and we may also have moments of frustration, sadness, confusion... I can only imagine that I'm not the only one feeling a range of emotions. But then I glance down and see one of my dogs at my feet, one laying beside me, and two quietly sitting on the floor playing with toys. I really do have to soak in these moments of calm and quiet (before my kids wake up!). 

So as I'm sitting here with my dogs, I want to come up with things that will help keep them happy and occupied, because I think we are all most content when we are getting the things we need. Our dogs too! I'm not talking about the necessities, I'm taking about our mental and physical needs - Attention, mental stimulation, physical exercise.. ENRICHMENT. Good for the brain and soul! 

The more you think about what you can do for your dog and with your dog, the happier you both will be! It all trickles down also.. When you do more things with your dog, you feel great, your dog feels great. Your dog will look to you more for positive engagement. They won't be doing "naughty" things to get your attention (getting into the trash, taking off with the kitchen towel, barking at seemingly nothing out the front window). 
Here are some fun enrichment ideas that you can do with your dog. When you read this, I hope it also inspires you to be creative! If you think of more fun, positive ideas, please let me know! We can keep adding to our list!

Snuffle Mats/Balls
Have you seen these? They are GREAT for dogs! They are essentially woven mats or balls made from strips of fleece. You sprinkle dogs treats, or your dogs kibble, in the mat, and your dog needs to "snuffle" it out! Rather than just pouring their food in a bowl and letting them eat out of it (how boring is that!), they actually work for their food. they use their great sniffer and their snout to figure out where the treats are. Since they are also using their brains, they are a bit more tired at when they have found all of the treats! Here is a great Facebook link to some homemade Snuffle Mat = Facebook.com/SmartyPaws

Puzzles
There are about a gazillion puzzles that you can buy for your dogs at the pet stores or online. Cool ones where your dog has to move wooden or plastic pieces around to find the treat. Sometimes they'll nudge with their nose, sometimes paw and scratch. Really fun for them, and fun to watch!  You can also make homemade puzzles if you don't have a store-bought one handy. Muffin tins covered with tennis balls, so they have to move the tennis balls in order to get the treats. Cardboard boxes with treats hidden inside. Hiding a treat under a small rug... There are a ton of ways you can create puzzles at home! This is another great way to feed your dog his meal, or give him when he's bored and you're trying to get a little computer work done!

The 'ol Stuffed Kong Trick
This one has been around for a while. Most of us have a Kong (or seven) at home. They're great chew toys, but also fun because you can stuff them with yummy treats! One of my favorite things to do is to freeze the Kongs, especially on warm days! You can put almost anything in the Kong - (non sugared) applesauce, plain yogurt, a little cream cheese, peanut butter (be sure to read the ingredients when using "human" food to make sure it doesn't have anything that may be toxic to dogs). After I put in one of those, I'll add in a handful of treats, then cover the top and shake it! Stick it in a baggie and put it in the freezer for a few hours. The treats get frozen in the "sauce". This is also great to put in the freezer at night, so when you're ready to walk out the door in the morning you can pop it in your dogs crate. Keeps 'em busy for a while!

Get some fresh air!
Go out for a walk with your dog, the weather's great! Okay, even if it's not so great, I bet you'll feel really good once you've done it. Even if you get wet, or cold, think about how you feel when you get back from your walk - I bet you feel more energized, right? Glad you did it? I'm sure your dog is glad you did too! Of course when you go on your walk, you'll want your dog to walk nicely at your side (that's a whole different blog, haha!), but remember to let your dog be a dog too! When I walk my dogs in town, I have an "every other" rule for myself. I will ask them to walk nicely at my side for one block, and then the next block I will give them the whole leash and let them sniff around as much as they want to! They are getting so much information and joy from sniffing around! Make sure that you are very clear as to when they have to "heel" vs. "free". I usually do a SIT between the two. So, it would look like this: Sit, Heel. Then when you get to the next block: Sit, Free! This way they don't assume that they can decide when they are going to stop walking at your side, haha!

Cabin Fever?
Although you may not be able to take your dog into buildings, you can go for a fun car ride! If your dog loves to ride with you, this is a great way to get out of the house! Smelling all of the smells, spending some time with you - They'll love it! You might even come across a nice on-leash park that you can walk around. Or, a new neighborhood that has new smells and sights!

There are many places that allow well-mannered dogs. Home Depot is one, many coffee shops allow well-mannered dogs, some bookstores...  Once it's safer to go outside, take your dog for an outing! Bring your high-value treats and go on an adventure! It's great to be able to take your dog on errands with you, and you can use this a a little socialization/training time! Work on your "heeling", attention, distractions. Boy, there are a ton of different things you could do with your dog just on this one trip!!

Crate Games
Have you heard of Susan Garrett? She has a whole series on Crate Games! These games can help build self-confidence, control and motivation. I have fun with my dogs and crate games almost daily! Google "Susan Garrett Crate Games" and I bet you'll find a lot of fun information and videos.

DIY Obstacle Course
If you've seen or have done agility with your dog, you know what fun they have running and weaving and climbing!  Use what you have! You can make one outside, weaving through cones, around trees, through your legs. Teaching your dog to run past you onto a mat or blanket. My son has made many different obstacle courses in our front room. Some even complete with doggy "forts" to be used as tunnels!

Give your dog a place to dig!
Most dogs love to dig, but we don't really want our yards to be torn apart! Give them their own little sandbox to dig in! You can make it even more fun by hiding biscuits in the sand. Teach them to "find it" and watch them go to town! I do this with my pot bellied pigs. They love to root and dig, so I pop treats in the wholes and cover them up. They get a delicious surprise!

There is an endless amount of enrichment ideas you can do with your dog! Does your dog have any favorites? Let me know, I'd love to hear from you!

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