Environmental Enrichment for Dogs - Ideas and Games!

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 3 August 2021
Update Date: 15 December 2024
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DIY Brain Games for Dogs! Homemade food puzzle toys
Video: DIY Brain Games for Dogs! Homemade food puzzle toys

Content

You've probably heard of environmental enrichment for zoo species, and perhaps you've never heard of the term for dogs. In fact, environmental enrichment is something that has started to be studied in captive species in zoos but it can and should be used for all animals that live in captivity, including dogs.

Are you trying to better understand what the environmental enrichment for dogs and need ideas to apply it to your puppy's everyday life? In this PeritoAnimal article we explain everything you need to know about environmental enrichment for dogs.

Environmental enrichment for dogs

First, let's explain what "environmental enrichment" is. As the name implies, it is a way to enrich the environment that surrounds the animal. That is, a series of measures aimed at improving the animal's quality of life in captivity and that they allow it better express your natural behaviors and that stimulate you psychologically.


It's not just humans who can suffer from psychological problems. Other animals too, like dogs, can suffer. Some problems like stereotypies, separation anxiety and stress are more common in dogs than you might think. Environmental enrichment for dogs is the best weapon for preventing these types of problems.

As well as being an excellent way to prevent behavioral problems, environmental enrichment for dogs can also be an excellent treatment for behavioral problems.

Type of environmental enrichment for dogs

There are different types of environmental enrichment for dogs. We can consider that it is divided into 5 types of environmental enrichment:


  1. Cognitive Environmental Enrichment
  2. Social environmental enrichment
  3. Sensory environmental enrichment
  4. Physical environmental enrichment
  5. Environmental food enrichment

Cognitive Environmental Enrichment

O cognitive environmental enrichment consists in promoting stimuli, situations or problems that the puppy needs to resolve. It can be through tasks where the dog receives a treat as a prize.

Social environmental enrichment

O social environmental enrichment consists of increasing interaction with other dogs or even with other species, including humans. Puppies are very social animals and need to socialize both with humans and with friends of their own kind.

Sensory environmental enrichment

O sensory environmental enrichment it is about providing sensory stimuli, that is, different smells, images, sounds, in which the dog can use its 5 senses.


Environmental food enrichment

O environmental food enrichment uses food as enrichment. That is, by introducing new snacks, changing feeding times, how the dog is fed, etc.

Physical environmental enrichment

O physical environmental enrichment it consists in modifying, permanently or only temporarily, the space where the animal lives.

Here are some ideas for different types of environmental enrichment you can do with your dog!

Environmental enrichment ideas for dogs

Some environmental enrichment ideas for dogs are:

Games and toys for dogs

There are different toys for dogs available in petshops, from mazes to toys with more technology. If you can't spend a lot of money, that's not a problem, as you can make yourself a toy that stimulates your dog, where he has to figure out how to get some of a treat he likes, being a cognitive and food at the same time.

O kong for dogs is an excellent example of an intelligence toy you can buy at any pet shop. Inside the toy there is an empty space where you can put food. The objective is for the puppy to play with the object and find out how to get the food that is inside it. Kong allows you to entertain your dog, improve environmental enrichment and can even help to treat separation anxiety.

There are other types of toys for dogs that can enhance sensory environmental enrichment, such as toys that emit sounds or toys that taste like food. See our list of toys for hyperactive dogs.

train your dog

In dog training, you can stimulate his cognitive functions through new commands. In addition, training is an excellent tool for social environmental enrichment, as the dog is not only learning (cognitive stimulus) and exercising (physical stimulus) is interacting with you (social stimulus).

Very nervous dogs and/or with anxiety-related behavioral problems benefit greatly from training. Training allows the puppy to learn to deal with challenges, learn to respond and react to certain situations, and it can be extremely fun, not only for him, but for you. By the way, the beauty of having a dog in your life are the moments you share with him, isn't it?

We remind you that you should always use positive reinforcement techniques. Therefore, if you are looking for a professional handler, ask him about the methods he uses and ensure that he is a competent professional and that he uses methods that are always aimed at the dog's well-being. If your dog has behavioral problems, it is very important that you consult an ethologist, that is, a veterinarian who specializes in animal behavior.

spread food around the house

This is one of the easiest ways to improve the dog's environmental enrichment. Instead of leaving his feed pot full before leaving the house, hide bits of feed around the house. This type of enrichment is especially beneficial for dogs with a lot of food cravings. So, instead of eating it all at once in just 5 minutes, it can take an hour or more to find and eat all the small pieces of feed.

When you play this game for the first time with the dog, put the food in places that are easily accessible. Over time, you can increase the level of difficulty and choose more difficult places for him to get the ration. For example, put some food under the cupboard so the puppy has to use its paw to get the food. Another idea is to put it under a rug, so that he has to lift it in order to get the little piece of food. You must remember that puppies also need to stay motivated, new challenges keep the interest!

This type of environmental enrichment stimulates the dog's senses (environmental sensory enrichment), promotes exercise through pursuit (physical environmental enrichment) and even stimulates the dog's mind with challenge (cognitive environmental enrichment). In addition to all this, it avoids the problems resulting from the fact that the dog eats too quickly, such as gastric torsion and even choking on eating.

Discover the dog's favorite games

Something very important to keep in mind is that each dog has different tastes. You should try out different games and ways of environmental enrichment and find out which ones are the most stimulating for him.

If your puppy is of a specific breed, it might even be easier to find out what motivates him naturally. For example, for a sniffer hunting dog, games that involve hiding food or other objects he likes might be his favorite game.

There are many games, which may not apparently include high cognitive stimulation, but which are an excellent physical and social environmental enrichment as well, because the dog is playing with you. Try something as simple as teaching the dog to catch the ball.

walks with the dog

Dog walks are much more than just for them to take care of their needs outside the home. You are promoting a new environment for the dog, with new challenges (physical environmental enrichment). On the tour they can have social environmental enrichment, coexisting with other dogs, humans and even other species. They allow the dog to exercise physically, especially in cases of more sedentary or elderly dogs, where at home it is difficult to motivate them to play. Furthermore, it is a natural way to promote sensory enrichment, as there are different smells and sounds. You can even go varying the type of soil, such as walks on land and on the beach, stimulating the dog's touch.

If you don't have time to walk your dog, consider hiring a professional. There are people who are dedicated to walking dogs, the so-called dog walkers! Although it is an extra cost every month, it is an investment in your puppy's physical and psychological well-being, which ends up preventing many problems resulting from lack of physical exercise, such as obesity and even behavioral problems. A small investment now can avoid a large vet bill in the future. Above all, the important thing is to make your dog happy!

Agility Circuit

In addition to the walks and games you can do at home, a good form of physical environmental enrichment is the Agility circuit. The Agility circuit is a sport that you can do with your dog, which consists of a series of obstacles that he must overcome, such as ramps, tunnels, walls, walkways, etc. This sport is a great way for you to spend fun time with your dog! Read our full article on the Agility circuit and if you are interested in starting this sport with your dog, read our article on getting started in Agility.

Environmental enrichment in kennels and shelters

Enrichment is especially necessary in kennels and shelters because, in these facilities, dogs tend to have high levels of stress and anxiety, as well as various behavior problems, such as compulsive actions that have no apparent end. However, forms of enrichment are more limited in these cases due to lack of time and resources.

Food toys, such as KONG, favor chewing while keeping the dog mentally active, making him move more and offering a different diet than usual. Thus, dogs tend to bark lower and it is possible to observe a greater well-being. [3]

On the other hand, it is ideal that dogs, as they are sociable animals, can live with groups of two or more individuals, as this increases their social behavior, physical activities and exploration instinct. If that can't happen, it's important that those in charge of the place dedicate a daily time to each dog.

Other forms of environmental enrichment for dogs in kennels and shelters are:

  • Change the normal tour route and let him smell and explore other places;
  • Exercise, except with those dogs that have a high level of stress;
  • Brush the fur and bathe all dogs that allow this practice;
  • Listening to music to stimulate the ears of dogs;
  • Practice obedience exercises to reinforce some behaviors, such as: sitting;
  • Avoid complex exercises that can stress dogs;
  • Perform activities in wooded areas;
  • Use anti-voracity bowls to avoid stress when eating;
  • Replace kong with frozen foods during hot periods.

If you want to read more articles similar to Environmental Enrichment for Dogs - Ideas and Games!, we recommend that you enter our Basic Care section.