Canine Enrichment - Part 1

Although these days dogs are man’s best friend, even after many generations of domestication their natural inclinations remain. Smelling, tasting, chasing, chewing scratching and scavenging are usually thought of by us as undesirable behaviours, but they are vital to your dog’s health and happiness. As such it’s important you make time to indulge them in these activities.

Different dogs were bred for different jobs. Herding, protecting, hunting or companionship, all these jobs instill your pet with different urges. Every dog needs to be walked, some more than others, but there are a lot of other things you can do for them. The kinds of enrichment you should consider to give your pet a full and happy life include physical, cognitive, sensory, social and food, and in the upcoming series of posts we will give you some ideas for each of these categories. Today we will focus on:

Physical

Step one is the good old walk. Every day, rain or shine, your dog needs a walk. Check by your breed though. An English Bulldog might just want a brisk walk around the block and a Husky could need up to three hours of exercise a day.

Once you have walking on a lead down it’s time to work on off lead exercise. Step one is to be absolutely sure your dog is safe to be off lead. You must trust they will come when called and aren’t reactive to other dogs, or people or cars or whatever they may encounter. Once you’re secure with this you can try visits to the beach or off lead dog parks, even local forests. New places have new smells, views and sensations to explore and will be a lot of fun for them.

Fetch is always a big favourite too. This excellent training exercise has many variations. Always start with your dog sitting. Reward them every time they return the ball to you. Dogs can become possessive of toys so if you find this to be an issue, try switching out for a frisbee, but never sticks as they can cause injury. Another great option is using a treat ball.

You could also try buying a little kiddie pool and filling it with dirt and/or sand. Just like house training, your dog can learn that this is where digging happens. This gives them the chance to give in to this very natural behaviour without ruining your lawns….or floors….or walls…..

Blanket forts, tents and tunnels are just as much fun for your pup as they are for kids. Try setting up an obstacle course with a treat at the end and encourage them to zoom through.

When you can’t always get out and about, it’s vital to make sure your dog is kept in a safe and secure environment, fully fenced, and with their own quiet spot. Make sure they have access to fun toys they can play with themselves and swap them out for different ones regularly.

A dog with a busy, physical routine they can rely on and anticipate will be sharp, entertained and stress free, which improves their overall health. Before heading out on big adventures, try a few preventative sprays of CanineCare Probiotic, for those little scratches they may pick up from running around in excitement.