Creating a happy, everyday life with your dog
Discover enrichment ideas to make everyday life with your dog smoother. Meeting their natural behavioural needs is key! A balance of activities, training, mental stimulation, and rest days is best for your dog.
Want to learn more about enrichment? Read here!Exploring the outdoors
Many of your dog’s behavioural needs can be met on walks in the forest or countryside. Using a harness and a long lead allows your dog to choose their own pace and stop to investigate interesting smells. Give them opportunities to climb, explore, and dig if they want to. If your dog is constantly sniffing the ground, let them take their time – this shows a strong need to investigate scents.
Ditch the food bowl
A great way to enrich your dog's mealtime is to skip the food bowl. Try scatter feeding in the garden, freezing food in a Kong, or using food as rewards during walks. Moving away from the food bowl can make a big difference, offering new ways to discover, think, and enjoy treats.
Venture to new places
It’s easy to fall into a routine of walking the same routes, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, you can easily enrich your dog's everyday life by choosing a different path sometimes. New smells, sights, and the chance to explore can be a welcome change for your dog. Dogs explore the world with their noses, so giving them new scents to discover satisfies a fundamental behavioural need.
Does your dog love to dig?
Many dogs have a strong urge to dig and may bury bones or toys. This can be a nuisance if they choose your flowerbeds as their preferred spot! Instead, provide them with a designated digging area. As digging is a natural behaviour, simply setting rules won't stop it. By providing an appropriate outlet, you can solve the problem for good.
Experiencing problems in your daily life?
Think about the natural behavioural needs all dogs are born with. Is there a need that isn't being met currently, or have your walks been confined to urban areas recently? Try reintroducing enrichment into your daily routine and see if the problems start to disappear.
