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Writer's pictureTrinity Travers

Different Types of Enrichment For Your Dog


Chew Toys  

  • Take’s focus & Determination.

  • Help's improve dental health. 

  • Help's reduce stress and anxiety. 

  • Help's reduce destructive chewing.

  • Help's provide a positive outlet. 


Recommended brands - West Paw, Goughnuts, Dura Fussed, Kong, Bento Ball.


( Do not pick a chew toy that is super hard because it can break your pup's teeth.)


Treat Dispensing Toys 

  • Engaging their problem-solving skills

  • Builds the dog's skills with their nose and paws.

  • Encourages engagement. 

  • Helps reduce stress


Recommended brands - West Paw, Kong, Snoop


Puzzle Games

  • Teaches the dog how to work through frustration.

  • Engaging their problem-solving skills.

  • Builds a dog's skills with their nose and paws

  • Encourage engagement.

  • Helps reduce stress

  • Builds confidence. 


Recommended brands - Chewy, Amazon 



Slow Feeders

  •  Slows the dog down if they are fast eaters.

  •  Healthier for their stomachs.

  •  Engaging their problem-solving skills

  • Teaches the dog how to work through frustration.

  • Teaches the dog determination


Recommended brands - Soda pup 



Auditory Enrichment 

  • Helps Build Confidence with noises

  • Start of proper socialization

  • Builds Trust between the dog and the human 


How to start auditory enrichment 

  • Play different noises on a speaker or TV when the dog is playing with an enrichment toy or eating. Always start with easy sounds then gradually move on to different sound 

  ( Easy ex. Waterfalls, Music, People Talking ). ( Hard ex. Sirens, fireworks, airplanes ).             Start with sounds at a low volume and gradually build the volume. The dog should be comfortable the whole time.


Body Awareness Enrichment

  • Dogs rely on their body awareness in a naturalistic setting where multiple solutions exist simultaneously. Dogs make decisions without lengthy trial and error and choose between options based on their body awareness.

  • Builds Confidence

  • Teaches the dog how to work through frustration.

  • Teaches the dog determination

  • Good physical exercise


Exercises to do - 

  • Back up command 

  • Oil pan drill ( front two feet on the oil pan and have then spin around it ) 

  • Wobble Board


Sniffy Walks-

  • Sniffing is a natural behavior for a dog. 20 min of sniffing is equivalent  to a 1 hr of walking. 

  • Helps reduce stress.

  • Gives the dog a outlet


Enrichment is so important in our dogs' everyday lives. A family dog should get at least 30 minutes of enrichment a day and a service dogs should get at least 1 hr of enrichment a day. 


*Dogs need to be supervised during any of these activities*


Comment your favorite enrichmnet toy below !!!


K9 Service Companions 



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