Enriching Your Dog’s Life: Fun and Engaging Ways to Keep Them Happy

Enrichment is a key part of keeping your dog happy and healthy. It’s not just about food-based games, exercise and mental stimulation are just as important! Enrichment prevents boredom, builds confidence with puppies and anxious dogs and also encourages problem-solving, which all makes for a well-balanced and fulfilled pup.

In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of enrichment, different types of activities (including our fantastic range of LickiMats) and how to make enrichment a daily part of your dog’s routine. It’s not as difficult or time-consuming as you might think.

Why is Enrichment Important for Dogs?

Dog behaviourists and professionals talk about ‘enrichment’ a lot, but what does it actually mean? It's pretty straightforward really and you're probably doing it already without realising. Dogs need both mental and physical stimulation to stay happy and healthy. Without it, they can become bored, anxious or even destructive. Enrichment refers to the mental and physical stimulation you provide for your dog, creating a fulfilling, exciting and challenging environment that enhances their well-being and happiness.

The benefits of enrichment for your dog include:

• Reducing stress and anxiety – Engaging and stimulating activities help dogs relax and release pent-up energy, especially for those prone to nervousness.
• Building confidence – Problem-solving, exploring new environments and engaging with different textures and sounds can help shy or anxious dogs feel more self-assured.
• Encouraging natural behaviours – Sniffing, licking, chewing and foraging are instinctive activities that dogs should be encouraged to do.
• Developing problem-solving skills – Puzzles, interactive toys and learning new commands all improve cognitive function and keep your dog’s mind sharp.
• Enhancing daily walks – Allowing your dog to sniff and explore their environment during walks is a natural and important form of enrichment.

Enrichment should be a daily part of your dog’s life, both at home and on walks. Mixing up activities ensures they stay engaged and excited.

Types of Enrichment

There are many ways to enrich your dog’s life! Here are some of the key categories, along with practical ideas to try.

Food-Based Enrichment

Many dogs love working for their food – but it does help if they are food orientated! Instead of feeding from a bowl, try these methods to make mealtimes more engaging:

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  LickiMats – As the name suggests, these encourage licking, which is soothing for dogs and slows down eating. Try spreading dog-safe peanut butter, yogurt, wet food, or mashed banana on a LickiMat Wobble, which moves around to a dd an extra challenge. If your dog finds bathtime or being groomed stressful, the LickiMat UFO can be suctioned onto smooth surfaces to provide a stimulating distraction. For longer-lasting licking sessions, freeze food inside a LickiMat Yoggie Pot to keep them occupied.
• Puzzle feeders and slow feeders – These turn mealtimes into a mentally stimulating activity by making your dog work for their food. We use a LickiMat slow feeder with our dog Cora, who would literally hoover her food down in 5 seconds, or less. Now her mealtimes last 3 minutes and are far more rewarding. Some puzzles require your dog to work out how to slide a door or flip a lid to reveal hidden treats.
• Scatter feeding and snuffle mats or balls – Instead of giving your dog their food in a bowl, try scattering kibble around the house or garden, or hide it in the folds of a snuffle mat or ball. This encourages natural foraging behaviours and slows down fast eaters.
• DIY food puzzles – Try reusing an Amazon cardboard box, by stuffing it with paper packaging with kibble or treats hidden inside. Or fill an empty toilet roll tube with paper and treats and scrunching the ends shut. Dogs will enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to get to the reward inside and you will enjoy watching them.
• Natural chews – Long-lasting chews like Root Wood Chews provide mental stimulation while satisfying the urge to chew. These are great for dogs who enjoy gnawing.
  
  

Scent-Based Enrichment

A dog’s nose is their most powerful tool! Encouraging sniffing is incredibly enriching and mentally stimulating for them.

• Sniff walks – Instead of rushing through walks, allow your dog plenty of time to stop and investigate different scents. Even a short walk can be tiring if they have the chance to use their nose.
• Find-it games – Hide treats or favourite toys around the house or garden and encourage your dog to sniff them out. Start easy by placing them in plain sight, then increase the difficulty over time.
• DIY scent trails – Drag a treat (preferably a smelly one like something fishy) along the ground to create a scent trail for your dog to follow. You can even place small food rewards at different points along the trail to keep them engaged.

Play & Interactive Toys

Play is a fantastic way to keep your dog engaged while strengthening your bond with them at the same time.

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  Fetch and tug – Classic games that provide both physical exercise and mental stimulation. Tug-of-war can also help teach impulse control if you encourage your dog to "drop" the toy on command.
• Interactive toys – Toys that move unpredictably, make noises, or dispense treats keep dogs entertained for longer. Some puzzle toys require your dog to push or nudge them to release kibble.
• DIY play ideas – Create simple toys at home by stuffing an old sock with treats, tying knots in an old t-shirt, or making a homemade "flirt pole" with a toy attached to a rope.
• Rotating toys – Keep playtime exciting by rotating toys every few days rather than leaving them all out at once. This makes old toys feel "new" again when they reappear.

Environmental Enrichment

Changing up your dog’s surroundings and experiences keeps life exciting and prevents boredom.

• Explore new places – Take different routes on walks, visit a new park, or plan an outing to the countryside or the beach. Different sights, smells and textures provide plenty of stimulation.
• Obstacle courses – Set up a mini agility course in your garden or home using cushions, tunnels, chairs, or boxes for your dog to navigate. This
  
  is a great confidence booster, especially for nervous dogs.
• Water play – Many dogs love splashing around! Let them paddle in a shallow kiddie pool, chase a garden sprinkler, or bob for treats in a bowl of water.
• Sensory experiences – Introduce your dog to different textures like sand, grass, gravel and water. Walking on new surfaces can help with confidence and proprioception (awareness of their body in space).
• Rest and comfort – Dogs need a variety of resting spots. Some prefer cozy, enclosed areas like a covered crate, while others enjoy raised beds where they can survey their surroundings. Providing choice allows them to feel more in control of their environment.

Making Enrichment Part of Your Dog’s Daily Routine

Enrichment doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming, it can be easily incorporated into your daily schedule! Here are some simple ways to include enrichment every day:

• At mealtimes – Use LickiMats, snuffle mats, or puzzle feeders instead of a bowl to make eating more engaging.
• On walks – Allow plenty of sniffing time, take different routes, or hide treats along the way for your dog to find.
• During downtime – Give your dog a natural chew, a frozen LickiMat, or a food-stuffed puzzle to keep them occupied.
• For bonding – Play interactive games like hide-and-seek, work on training commands, or set up a fun obstacle course.

Final Thoughts

Enrichment isn’t just about entertainment, it’s essential for your dog’s well-being! Whether it’s a LickiMat session, a scent game, or an interactive toy, adding variety to your dog’s day keeps them happy, engaged, and mentally stimulated.

Browse our LickiMat collection and start making enrichment part of your dog’s daily routine today!