Boredom-busting enrichment activities

Challenge your dog’s brain!

Dogs need both physical and mental exercise to stop them getting bored and destructive. If you have a powerful chewer, then no toy is safe, but these have lasted longer than most amongst my dogs and foster dogs!

Kong rewards ball – this sturdy ball dispenses food as they roll it around. I’ve had plastic ones in the past, but this one is much quieter when they roll it into things! Just fill it with dried food or treats and leave it on the floor for them to find. Remember to adjust their meals so that you don’t over-feed them, or if you use dried food, you could even use it to feed them their whole meal.

Soda Pup toys, Scream Xtreme toys and Kong Teething Stick - I top these with treats such as mashed banana and blueberries, mashed sweet potato and pumpkin, a small amount of dog-safe nut butter or add bone broth and freeze in the hot weather. Absolute Raw Pet Care in Wodonga sells a great range of these type of toys.

Another way I like to entertain my dogs in the summer, is to freeze apple slices (or other pieces of fruit discarded by my children) and then float them in the dogs’ shell pool. This doesn’t last long, but it’s fun for the dogs, keeps them cool and gives them a nutritious snack.

Snuffle mats, slow feeding bowls and food puzzle toys are also good options for enrichment, but must be well supervised. In my experience, the food is quickly located and then they will start chewing the mat/bowl/puzzle!

Tip: Meal times are a great opportunity to do some training with your dog. You’ll make quick progress because they’re hungry! Work on a command/trick at the start of each meal with some of their food. Doing this each meal time for a couple of minutes is a great way of squeezing some regular training into your busy day!