Google dog enrichment or canine enrichment and a bunch of dyi enrichment ideas will pop up. Most of these involve food, using food puzzles at home, food toys etc. Is this really enrichment? It may be a piece of the puzzle but to give your dog a food puzzle and call it enrichment is missing the concept.
The definition of enrichment from the Smithsonian National Zoo: Enrichment gives animals a creative outlet for physical activity and mental exercise, as well as choice and control over how they spend their time. Examples of enrichment include puzzle feeders that encourage animals to forage for food, climbing structures that enhance habitats, and training sessions where animals can interact with keepers.
Enrichment keeps an animal's day interesting and is just as essential to animal welfare as nutrition and veterinary care.
Here's another definition: Enrichment has been defined as “an animal husbandry principle that seeks to enhance the quality of captive animal care by identifying and providing the environmental stimuli necessary for optimal psychological and physiological well-being” (Shepherdson, 1998, p. 1). Enrichment should influence multiple aspects of an individual’s behavioral repertoire. It is often classified into five broad and overlapping categories (Bloomsmith et al., 1991; Keeling et al., 1991): social enrichment and four types of nonsocial enrichment that typically consist of physical, sensory, food, and cognitive/occupational components. Although this definition implies a broad focus on multiple behavioral dimensions, in practice the term “enrichment” is sometimes simply used to refer to toys and objects given to animals. Partly due to this misuse of the term “enrichment,” many professionals working with captive nonhuman primates now prefer the broader term “behavioral management.”
This definition and article are from 2012. According to this article even 12 years ago the term enrichment was largely being misused.
The point of the above and the short of it, is that giving our dogs a food toy is not enrichment. It may be a piece of a comprehensive care program but based on the research it actually has the least affect on our dog's behavior. For those of us who love research, here's an article you can check out: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8772568/#B17-animals-12-00141
You may be thinking why are articles about zoo animals relevant to how I provide and care for my dog. I think a lot of times we think of dogs as these lucky, "spolied" animals that we care for and love. The reality is they are captive animals and a lot of the time the majority of their biological needs are not being met or are barely being met and this leads to a host of behavioral issues.
We can do a number of things to enhance the quality of our dogs lives and I don't mean to negate the movement towards more mental enrichment through the use of food puzzles. I do think we need to start looking for more ways to allow them to express themselves more fully as a dog and to provide more enriching experiences.
There are numerous ways to enhance our dog's experience. I love living in Seattle. It is so progressive in so many areas. I love seeing how this trickles down into how we care for our dogs. We're lucky to have large dog parks in the area. I love seeing people walking their dogs out on a long leash, doing sniff walks. There are multiple training facilities where you can take classes your dog may need to help cope with life in the city or you can take classes for fun to give your dog a much needed mental outlet. Classes not only provide mental outlets but also help strengthen the bond between you and your dog. If classes are too overwhemling for your dog there are a host of qualified dog trainers in the area to help you and your dog in your home. We'd love to help with in home dog training if your dog needs help navigating life in the city.
Through our off leash adventure program, we are attempting to create a more comprehensive enrichment program for our dogs. It is constantly evolving as the dogs show us more about what they enjoy and as they build more skills that allow us the option to give them more and more freedom.
Our move away from the dog park and into the SniffSpots has really allowed us to dive deeper into enrichment. The change in environment has opened up a whole host of enrichment opportunities. It may seem obvious that the change in environment is a huge difference but in having conversations with people I find that maybe that isn't as evident as I would expect.
The main spot we use is about 45 minutes outside the city. It is a 5 acre wooded property, with a seasonal stream. You can take a little walk through here: https://youtu.be/PAdT4ATq58E
The SniffSpot provides ample opportunities for the dogs to engage in natural behaviors. What do I mean by natural behaviors? I mean they can make choices about how they move their bodies, they can form relationships with one another and with their handlers. They are able to use their noses, chew on sticks, dig holes, search for things, nest, take a rest in a den, chase and play. I enjoy documenting all of these things. It brings me great delight to see a dog connect with themselves and discover the ability to engage in these innate behaviors.
The change in environment also allows us the space to work on dog training. We practice recall, staying in proximity, touch, leave it, walk alongs and more. These behaviors help us develop bonds and also strengthen skills the dogs need to enjoy more freedom. Dogs that have a strong relationship with us and have a solid skill set are able to take adventures at the other SniffSpot we love. This Spot boasts numerous trails and a few ponds. The dogs love the change in scenery and the ability to explore more. All dogs wear Tractive GPS Trackers while we hike for peace of mind althought the requirements for a solid recall, and the strength of our relationship are what we rely on for safety.
Overall, our goal at the SniffSpot is to enrich the lives of the dogs in our care. We will continue to look for ways in which we can offer more choice to the dogs and also activities that give them the opportunity to engage in species specific behavior.
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