Everyone talks about Enrichment but what is it?

Here, Lola (a 12-week-old cocker spaniel) is practising finding treats with her nose instead of just her eyes.

As we all know many dogs are bred to historically do some form of work. Whether it's your sleepy dachshund, that was bred to flush out badgers and rabbits, your golden retriever, that's bred to collect game both in water and or land, your cocker spaniel, bred to hunt Woodcock they all had work to do. However, now many of them love to play with toys and sleep. However what happens when you return home and find your cushions destroyed, the toys all chewed up, or a barking that won't stop. This tends to be because they are bored. This is where enrichment helps. Enrichment is one of the most important aspects of a dog’s wellbeing, and understanding it can completely transform your dog’s happiness.

What is enrichment?

Enrichment refers to activities that don'

t just involve your dogs physically but mentally as well and often reflects their natural instincts. It’s about giving dogs opportunities to engage in behaviours they were born to do — like sniffing, foraging, chewing, problem-solving, and exploring.

Think of enrichment as the thing that keeps their minds active and fulfilled.

Why is enrichment important?

Dogs aren’t designed to just sleep all day and go for one walk. Without enough stimulation, they can become frustrated, anxious, or even develop behavioural problems.

Proper enrichment can:

• Reduce destructive behaviour (chewing, digging, tearing things up)

• Lower anxiety and stress levels

• Improve focus and trainability

• Increase confidence in nervous dogs

• Help tire your dog out more effectively than physical exercise alone

  
  

In fact 15mins of enrichment can be the equivalent of an hour-long walk.

There are several types of enrichment

1. Food-based

This encourages natural foraging behaviours and is great for the fast eaters. These include Puzzle feeders, snuffle matts, frozen Kongs or lick mats or simply scatter feeding in the garden.

2. Scent work

Dogs experience the world through their noses. Sniffing is incredibly calming and mentally tiring for dogs. To help scent work practice find it games, hide treats around the house for them to find.

3. Physical enrichment

This includes movement that goes beyond just walking. Such as agility style games, tug of war and exploring new environments.

4. Cognitive enrichment

These are all things problem-solving and include trick training, puzzle toys and learning new commands.

How to start adding enrichment?

You don’t need expensive equipment — simple changes make a big difference:

• Scatter your dog’s food instead of using a bowl

• Freeze meals in a toy to make them last longer

• Let your dog sniff more on walks instead of rushing

• Rotate toys to keep them “new”

• Add short training sessions into your day

If you’re looking for calm, reliable dog walking or pet care in Bovey Tracey, Chudleigh or surrounding areas, feel free to get in touch for a friendly chat or meet & greet.