Enrichment
What is enrichment and how can it help my dog?
Enrichment is a word that people have heard more and more within the pet community in the past few years. Now what is enrichment exactly? Enrichment is providing captive animals with species appropriate stimulation that engages the animal both physically and mentally. Yes, our pets in our homes are actually captive animals and absolutely need enrichment! Enrichment did start with zoo animals and then gradually made its way into the pet industry.
Many nuisance/destructive behaviors I see in some clients dogs are due to lack of enrichment in their lives.
Lack of enrichment in dogs can result in increased vocalization, excessive licking, digging, running away from the yard, repetitive behaviors (spinning, pacing), and even self mutilating.
When a dog gets enrichment diversity, they tend to cope with environmental changes easier and overall make better decisions navigating their environment.
Every dog is going to have their own preferences in enrichment. So if you try something with your dog and they don’t engage, try something else! Not everything will exciting for your dog, but it is easy to find enrichment that your dog will find reinforcing and enjoy. I do find that majority of dogs really enjoy some sort of nose work. Dogs primarily view their world with their nose, so allowing them to use their nose more, can create some tired pups! Previous clients have even seen the bond between them and their dog grow because they now incorporate appropriate enrichment into the dog’s life.
Guess what? Enrichment does not have to be hard or costly to setup for your dog! For some dogs, car rides are fun and enriching (bonus with the windows down!), basic training can be enriching, or adding some classical music to their day. I also teach people to learn to read what your dog is communicating with their body language. This provides the owner making better choices for their dog in social interactions. By the owner understanding their dogs feelings towards a situation or person, inevitablly begins to build a better relationship.
From puppies to senior dogs, they all deserve to have a more fulfilled life. Contact me today to schedule a consultation and we can develop a plan to add more enrichment into your dog’s daily routine!
