Summer enrichment for dogs
Is it too hot outside or are you time poor this week? Need some enrichment ideas for your dog? We're delighted to share some herewith for you...
But firstly, what is Canine Enrichment?
We love Shay Kelly's book which reads...
"Enrichment is the action of improving the quality of something. But what are we improving the quality of? We're improving the quality of life; our dog's life. What an amazingly privileged position we find ourselves in. We get to decide what sort of life our canine companion gets. There may be all sorts of things we can't control, for example, ill health. But whatever ailments, disabilities, or predispositions a dog may or may not have, we still get to influence things. We still get to enrich their lives. We still get to do the best we can for them."
"We get dogs because we think they will improve our lives. But what about their lives? Do we stop to consider what the dog needs? We often don't.
Even if people say they just don't have enough time, there are some great simple ideas that Shay shares in his book...we can always make time for these I believe.
Take them for 5 minute sniffs outside. Longer might be better but several 5 minutes sniffs make a much better life than none
Each and every time you make a cup of tea, use the time while the kettle boils to do things with your dogs
Place food in different areas of the living room for a quick treasure hunt
Chuck some treats in an empty cereal box and let the dog get them out
Grab a soft tug toy and have a one minute gentle play
Don't just walk past your dog, instead stop and give them ten seconds of fuss
Sit with them to watch TV and give a gentle massage
Wrap treats in a tea towel and give it to your dog
Stuff a KONG or fill a LickiMat, then put it in the fridge or freezer to give to your dog while you're having dinner
Give them a small carrot when you get home from work
It doesn't have to be complex. What the dog needs most is you. Build small interactions into your daily routine. We can't all do everything. But we can all do something.
Zali absolutely loves rolling in the grass or scatter feed hunts on the lawn, two of her favourite things to do on our lunch breaks in particular...the simple pleasures in life.
