Cognitive Enrichment Activities
Cognitive Enrichment are useful when stimulating the dogs mind. Many people thing that they way to have a tired and happy dog is to do lots of physical activities (walks, ball toss and etc) but the mind needs to be stimulated as well. Think about how exhausted you are after a school day or work day. The brain working the entire day wears you out. So it is extremely important to help our dogs use their brains to keep them from being bored. Below are many ways to enrich the mind.
Kongs are a great way to help keep your dogs busy and keep their taste buds happy. Click on the link for more info!
Foraging Box
Fun way to reuse all of your Amazon boxes.
Egg Cartons
Egg cartons are an easy way to make a puzzle out of their meals.
Slow Feeders
To help make meals more challenging try using a slow feeder. Check out the video for more tips.
Muffin Tin Game
Try putting the dogs meal or snacks in a muffin tin. Then put some sort of ball over it. The dog will have to use their nose and mind to uncover the goodies.
TP Roll Game
Take an empty toilet paper roll or an empty paper towel roll and fold over one end. Put some food in it and fold over the other end. Your dog will have to figure out how to open it to get the food out.
Tip: If your dog is struggling you can put a hole on the side to make it easier for them to get the treats.
Towel Game
Fun way for your dog to search for food while you practice your laundry folding techniques.
String Game
Get some of your dogs favorite round treats (carrots, cucumbers, beef jerky) and put a whole in the middle (use a toothpick). Then string them on a thicker string and tie both ends onto two points to make the string hang horizontally. Let your dog figure out how to chew the food off while cleaning their teeth at the same time.
Tip: Put an empty water bottle without the cap onto the string. Put treats inside and your dog will have to figure out how to get the treats out.
Piñatas
Fun for the entire family!
Pupcicles
A long lasting treat for your dog.
Tip: Try using an empty muffin tin or some red solo cups for larger popcicles.