- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
When pet parents think of dog enrichment, they might think of fancy puzzle toys or extravagant activities for their pup, which can feel like a lot. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. In fact, you’re probably already incorporating tons of enrichment into your dog’s day without even knowing it.
To get to the bottom of all things canine enrichment, we spoke with Allie Bender, a certified dog behavior consultant who specializes in dog enrichment via podcast. With her excellent advice, we discuss what enrichment is, how much your dog needs, and different activities for different dogs.
What Is Enrichment for Dogs?
According to Bender, canine enrichment is when you help your dog meet their mental, physical, or emotional needs in safe and appropriate ways. Pet parents can do this by encouraging typical doggy behavior, such as:
But as Bender points out, what one dog finds enriching won’t be the same for another. She encourages pet parents to observe their dog’s activities and note what they like. For instance, many pet parents think giving a dog a KONG counts as enrichment. But if your dog isn’t interested in working on the KONG, then it’s not enriching for them.
iStock/Nazar Rybak
Why is it important?
Dog enrichment is important because it improves a dog’s well-being and quality of life. Think about your own experiences and how walking in the sunshine or making time for a favorite hobby can improve your mood. Bender says it’s the same for dogs. If your pup has excessive energy, is stressed, or is bored, they won’t be the best version of themselves.
Other perks of enrichment include:
- Mental stimulation
- Increased confidence
- Less destructive behavior
How Much Enrichment Does a Dog Need?
Every dog will vary in how much enrichment they’ll need. However, on average, a typical dog will need about 20% of their day filled with enrichment activities, or about two hours.
This amount may seem like a lot, but it becomes more manageable when you count what you’re already doing, like walks, meals, and exercise. Remember: enrichment doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be something your dog enjoys.
The quality of the activity is also more important than the quantity. For example, a dog will find a shorter walk much more fulfilling if they can move freely and sniff to their heart’s content versus going on a long walk while being kept in a strict heel the whole time.
Different Types of Enrichment
Bender says there are fourteen types of enrichment, encouraging pet parents to consider the whole picture of their dog’s well-being. These types often get simplified into five categories:
- Nutritional enrichment
- Physical enrichment
- Occupational enrichment
- Social enrichment
- Sensory enrichment
Nutritional enrichment
This is the type of enrichment that many people likely think of when they think of dog enrichment—like giving their dog a puzzle toy. Providing outlets where your dog can forage and act out parts of the predatory sequence fulfills an instinctual need to hunt their own food.
Nutritional enrichment can include the following:
- Hiding food in snuffle mats or scattering kibble in the grass in your backyard
- Giving your dog treat-dispensing toys to chase and bop around
- Placing treats in paper bags around the house for your dog to hunt (find), shred (with supervision), and consume (the snack)
Physical enrichment
Physical enrichment is essential to your dog’s health, as it helps keep them active and fit. It also provides an outlet for excess energy and redirects it in human-approved ways.
While physical enrichment involves exercise, it’s more about arranging your dog’s environment and providing opportunities for them to engage in breed and species-specific behaviors. For instance, if you have a Terrier who loves to dig, set up a sandpit for them in your backyard!
Here are a few other ideas:
- Taking your dog on a hike or a decompression walk on a long leash
- Setting out interactive toys throughout your home and in the yard
- Playing fetch or with a flirt pole if your dog loves to chase
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Occupational enrichment
You may have heard the saying that “dogs need a job.” This is where occupational enrichment comes in. These activities will work your dog’s brain and/or meet a breed-specific need for mental stimulation.
For instance, if you have a high-drive Border Collie, looking into sheep herding opportunities or other outlets to redirect their herding instincts can make for a calmer and happier dog.
Occupational enrichment activities may also look like:
- Getting your pup involved in dog sports like barn hunt, agility, nose work, and dock diving
- Partaking in trick training, obedience training, or therapy dog training
- Teaching your dog new games like hide-and-seek and find-it
Social enrichment
Just like humans, dogs have social needs. Ensuring your dog has adequate social time is crucial to their emotional well-being and happiness. Even if your dog doesn’t enjoy the company of other dogs, they can still benefit from intentional time spent with you or any other human or animal they love.
Doggy playdates and doggy daycare are excellent channels for social enrichment. But there are many other things you can do for both social butterflies and the more anxious and reactive types.
Social enrichment can also include:
- Cuddling with and petting your dog. Consider learning T-Touch for a calming activity together.
- Playing and being silly with your dog. Try out “social play” to bond with your pup and help build their confidence.
- Training either at home, with a private instructor, online, or in a group class.
Sensory enrichment
Also known as environmental enrichment, this type of enrichment encourages our dogs to get the most out of their surroundings by using their senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste. Arranging the environment to be rewarding can help fight boredom and keep our dogs stimulated.
These activities can include things like:
- Going on a car ride with your dog with the windows rolled down
- Growing dog-friendly plants for a sensory garden or yard
- Playing calming music or plugging in a pheromone diffuser
- Giving your pup an assortment of chews and bones
What Kind of Enrichment is Best for Your Dog?
Age, breed, size, temperament, physical health, and personality will all determine what kind of enrichment works best for your particular dog. Here’s what to keep in mind.
Puppies
Bender advises using enrichment to help build a solid foundation for puppies under four months old. These activities could include:
- basic training
- socialization
- getting your pup used to vet appointments or grooming
With older puppies, you can expand past the foundations and offer more opportunities to exercise and stimulate their brains through harder puzzles, new games, and advanced training.
Anxious or fearful dogs
For anxious or fearful dogs, Bender recommends focusing on enrichment activities that help them feel safe, secure, and confident. This could look like tapping into natural dog instincts like sniffing and foraging while they’re out in the world. It could also include calming enrichment, like giving a lick mat or running a noise machine, to help them self-regulate and manage stress.
Petra Richli via iStock
High-energy dogs
Bender says that while high-energy dogs need exercise and physical enrichment (often multiple activities throughout the day), they also need to balance this with more calming activities. Enrichment that encourages licking, chewing, and sniffing can help bring their baseline down.
Bender also notes that many high-energy dogs don’t know how to relax, so incorporating mat work or relaxation techniques into your training can be beneficial for these energetic dogs.
Destructive dogs
For destructive dogs, Bender recommends first getting to the bottom of why they’re engaging in destructive activities. Are they anxious over separation? Are they bored? Do they just love your stinky gym socks because they’re delicious?
If it’s a boredom or sensory issue, there are many options for enrichment toys and activities to satisfy your dog’s natural urge to chew and shred. If the issue stems from anxiety, incorporating calming enrichment activities and working on relaxation can also help.
Reactive dogs
Adding enrichment that builds your dog’s confidence and helps them come down from a big reaction can do wonders for a reactive dog’s well-being. For instance, scattering treats in the grass or playing your dog’s favorite game when there’s a trigger in the distance can help them feel secure in their environment.
Additionally, giving your dog a frozen puzzle toy or a long-lasting chew can help them decompress if they’ve had a stressful walk.
Senior dogs
As your dog ages, they probably won’t need the same amount of physical exercise, but it’s still important that they maintain their muscle mass. Try encouraging gentle movement through activities like canine conditioning, hydrotherapy, or slow walks. Puzzle toys, games, and training can also help keep their mind sharp. You can teach an old dog new tricks!
