We have an amazing doctor by the name of Hal Markowitz to thank for canine enrichment.
He studied animals in zoo settings and discovered way back many years ago they were missing
key components of activity throughout the day that...
greatly impact their mental health and well-being, and without the right activities their health
was going to suffer
Michelle here with how to train a dream dog and today I want to share with you what canine
enrichment should look like for your dog so your dog stays both mentally and physically
healthy
and I don’t mean just buying some fun puzzle toys to give to your dog to keep them busy.
Now before we begin go ahead and hit that subscribe button because you're not going
to want to miss another video just like this one when it comes out
We need to take into consideration your dog’s natural instincts and breed characteristics
as part of your research on which enriching activities would be best for your dog
For example, a Beagle who never gets to sniff and explore is probably going to lose his
mind and go stir crazy
I mean all dogs love to sniff and explore but some dogs love to do it more than others.
Beagles were after all bred to hunt
We talk about how important these sniffaris are when we cover decompression walks here
in this video all about ways to exercise your dog
Your dog’s instinctual needs consist of sensory stimulation, which means smelling,
feeling, tasting, and seeing new things
Your dog needs to feel safe and secure while doing these behaviors
This means they shouldn’t be say walking down a really noisy neighborhood street when
they don’t love big trucks, buses, bikes, or loud noise for that matter.
That would not be very enriching for a dog, instead, that would be super stressful
Enriching activities should bring joy to your dog, not stress
Dogs love to scavenge as well
Of course, we teach them safety cues such as “leave it” and “drop it” when they
do get something in their mouth that they aren’t supposed to have or that could make
them sick
You can learn more about teaching training cues such as these and many more from our
online puppy training course, 30 Days to Puppy Perfection
The link is below this video in the description.
Dogs also love to forage… this means working to obtain food, this might be where the puzzle
toys come in
Keep in mind you may need to try a few different toys to find a few that your dog prefers
Sometimes we offer up puzzle toys that are a little too advanced for our dogs
Those aren’t very fun for a dog when they can’t figure out how to get the food out
This causes frustration and your pup not only gets discouraged but stressed too
For example, we love the Kong and we have several filler ideas that you can find in
this video here
But sometimes the Kong is a little too tough for younger pups who can’t figure out how
to get the food out
So instead we would suggest a West Paw Toppl or maybe even a snuffle mat
Snuffle mats allow your dog to paw and dig to find kibble or hidden treats.
When your dog doesn’t get the right amount of mental and physical exercise including
opportunities to engage in daily activities they find enriching
You can expect an increase in what we consider unwanted behavior
You heard that right, it’s only considered unwanted to us, but natural to our dogs
Take for example barking
A dog that doesn’t get the right amount of physical or mental exercise is going to
be edgier
They will be more in-tune to every little noise they hear
This means they are more likely to alert bark
When we can help release the pent up energy our dog has on a daily basis, we can see a
more relaxed, and often times calmer dog
Now for more info about barking dogs, you can check out this video here after you’re
done with this one.
Just an FYI I always put the video links in the descriptions below my videos so you can
click the link and go directly to other videos I mention
Ok, back to canine enrichment…
Now an important part of enrichment involves the ability to make choices.
We control so many aspects of our dog’s lives, when they eat, where they sleep, who
they can interact with, how they are getting there, and when they get to go
It is important for the mental health of your dog to allow them a choice
Research shows that the days of being a control freak over your dog and demanding they do
what you say when you say it 24/7 is detrimental to your dog’s health
How would you feel if you never got to make another choice a day in your life…
Well for me it sounds pretty good at the beginning
Phew I don’t have to decide what we're having for dinner
who else struggles with this one?
I don't know about you but I get asked often by my family members “what's for dinner?”
I always have to decide what we're having well in advance and get all the supplies and
have them ready to go throughout the week
for me, that is an extremely daunting task and can be overwhelming
I would love it if somebody else made that decision for me
but of course, over time I'm sure I would get a little frustrated with this decision
making done for me
sometimes I just want to have pasta or steak for dinner
if I never got to choose when we had that it would be a real bummer
now the choices I'm asking you to allow your dog to make aren't life-altering
but can really change their behavior in a good way
let's take for example going out for a walk
it's likely that you walk out the door and you determine which direction you're going
to go in
sometimes the dog wants to go the opposite way and they continue reacting or pulling
on the leash or lagging behind, all out of frustration
what if you went out your door and let your dog decide which direction the walk was going
to go in for the day
you might be surprised
Allison one of our team members started doing this with her dog Lincoln recently
she let go of the control just a little bit and allowed Lincoln to decide which way they
were going on their walk
she noticed that Lincoln enjoy the walks a lot more and he was a lot less stressed Upon
returning home
sometimes our dogs catch a scent of something they just want to explore
not allowing them to check it out can be very frustrating
my dog pickles is a prime example
I can drop a piece of kibble while he's in his crate and 4 hours later he remembers where
that exact piece of kibble was and as soon as he's let out of the crate will immediately
beeline for it
all day long he smelled that piece of kibble and he just wanted to go explore it and of
course, gobble it up
I think new puppy owners are often surprised to hear that their dog is a sentient being
Meaning they have feelings and preferences
For years we’ve been fed false information that dogs didn’t have feelings or preferences
but preferred to be told what to do.
As doctor Markowitz studied animals he determined they indeed do have preferences and feelings
The next time you want to see this in action allow your dog to make some choices
Put 3 toys down and see which one they want to play with
Allow them to chose which way you go on a walk
Offer them 2 treats and see which one they go towards first
We always tell our Pro-Level students, those are the ones that have access to a private
student-only Facebook group and access to LIVE group zoom calls with the trainers
That they should keep notes about their dog’s activities, preferences… it’s like a daily
logbook or reflection of what things work, what doesn’t or
What happens after a particular activity
For example when you give your dog a puzzle toy, how long does it take them to figure
it out, are they acting frustrated and give up and walk away
or do they stay engaged for a longer period of time
What is their behavior like afterward?
These are crucial pieces of the puzzle
If you continue to offer up activities that your dog doesn't love to do,
you're not going to see the results you are looking for which might be a calm relaxed
dog
or a dog that Tunes in and pays attention when you're working on training games
Remember earlier how I told you that knowing your dog’s breed characteristics can be
helpful when determining what activities to offer your dog …
Well let’s take those dogs that love to chase
We might want to incorporate a flirt pole into the training mix
Not only can your dog chase after a fast-moving item but you can incorporate a few training
games into the mix
maybe you ask your dog for a sit or down before you engage in the game
you'll likely be working on “drop it” or even “leave it” as you play with your
dog
keep in mind that puppies should not be encouraged to jump high as they chase the
flirt pole lure
the lure should be kept low and on the ground and encourage your dog to move after and chase
after the lure
be sure that you are not whipping the toy so that your dog has to make hairpin turns
as they attempt to grab the lure
this is very dangerous for growth plate development and Bone development
I talk more about safely exercising your dog in this video here
be sure to play this game in a grassy area, not a slippery floor and not on the pavement
where the pads of your pup's feet can get easily ripped up
But... what if your dog is a digger?
I often see bad advice online advising puppy owners who have dogs that dig
to get them to stop digging immediately
they might tell you to put rocks in the holes or other things like red pepper flakes
whatever you do, do not use these techniques
instead, I want you to provide an outlet for your dog to positively dig in an appropriate
place
Yes you heard me right I said we are not going to correct the dog for digging
instead, we are going to redirect them to a place they can dig
Here's the reason why attempting to extinguish a dog's natural behavior can actually lead
to other unwanted behaviors
remember your dog has species-specific needs and preferences
if we attempt to suppress or take away the behavior not only are we causing undue stress
and anxiety but what are we replacing the Unwanted behavior with?
and will that behavior be as strong as the ones you're attempting to remove?
likely not, as a matter of fact, in your absence, your pup is still likely to do the natural
behavior
this means if they are digging holes in your yard you can provide a dig box where you've
hidden goodies and toys
create a positive place to dig instead of trying to extinguish or punish the digging
Behavior
Now there are some really fun things you can make at home to create enrichment activities
too
It won’t cost you much either
Let's collect a few things from around the house
Grab a cereal box, a muffin tin, and a water bottle
How many ways can you create a puzzle toy with these?
The cereal box…
Easy with a few holes, harder with less holes, harder yet with one bigger hole and a bowl
over the top
What about with a muffin tin?
Each compartment filled with a little kibble, a little harder..
A few covered with toys, hardest, frozen in the compartments
How about that last one, the water bottle… a few bigger holes, then a little harder with
fewer holes, hardest a few holes but tucked inside another box
It’s always best to start at the easiest level when you introduce something new to
your pup, increase difficulty when your pup finds the easy level less challenging
And when they are ready to level up
Don’t level up just because you want them to be challenged, this may discourage engagement
Last on our list of enriching activities is training
Before I share my thoughts on training, go ahead and hit that subscribe button so you
can get notified when a new lesson goes live
Now...The training games we play in 30 days to puppy perfection work by using several
techniques to teach your puppy new skills such as luring and shaping
Dogs do love to learn new things.
If you think your dog isn’t enjoying learning it’s likely that you’ve pushed too far
too fast.
This is often the case when new puppy owners are eager to teach their new pups all the
new things they can in the fastest time possible
This is a case where going to fast can actually slow you down.
Trying to progress through training at your human pace rather than your pup’s pace can
lead you to setbacks in your training progress
Because your dog will get easily confused and overwhelmed which leads to shutdown
You’ll likely push your dog before they are ready and they may end up having fear
issues with things like being exposed to new environments too soon
Students are often surprised when we tell them to hold off on the neighborhood walks
until last
This is partly because the big scary world can be a lot to handle for a little pup
and the more we flood our dogs with things that overwhelm them the harder it is for them
to ever get over their fear
Leash walking is made up of several lessons that need to be introduced gradually over
time
We pair the skills together to get to the end result which is walking down the street
or in a store
Your pup isn't ready for that just yet.
They need to learn things like go zone, returning to you when they get to the end of the leash,
And check-ins where they look up and let you know they know you’re there
instead of just tuning you out or getting over distracting with things going on in the
environment
There are several other skills we teach inside the course, be sure to start in module 1 and
go through the course slowly
With over 50+ video lessons there’s plenty to work on that will lead you and your pup
down the path to a lasting relationship together built on trust
Training can certainly be part of the enriching activities you provide to your dog on a daily
basis
Yes your dog needs daily enrichment and adding novelty or newness to your routines regularly
will pique your pup’s interest
and keep your pup engaged for longer periods of time.
Be sure that your training techniques are free of force and fear tactics.
There’s none of that in our training methods.
You can be sure that as you go through our training program you will be proactive and
positive about the things you learn and teach your dog.
Now, in the comments below share one ah-ha moment you had as you learned more about this
canine enrichment.