We often hear the importance of activating our dog’s brain through “enrichment” activities. Most people think that this involves giving dogs food puzzles and other things to chew. That is only a tiny part of enrichment.
Did you know there are six broad categories for enrichment? Before going into each of these categories, let’s define what enrichment is, “These are activities that a dog is not obliged to do.” Let me repeat that, “These are activities that a dog is not obliged to do.” That means that command/compliance training and boundary-oriented protocols are not a part of enrichment.
We are going to focus strictly on enrichment in this column. That is - dogs do it if they want to and the goal is to motivate them to want to engage. They are not command based because that creates an implied obligation, which can create conflict and stress for many dogs, especially for anxious dogs.
Where does training fit into enrichment?
Does this mean that command-based training and other leadership protocols are not important? Not at all. There should be a balance of the type of activities and training we do with our dog. This leads to a well-rounded experience and proper socialization. Yes, enrichment includes socialization. Enrichment is about training skills such as impulse control, conflict resolution, problem solving, focus, body control, etc. even more than training commanded behaviors. The more “intentional” thinking and behaviors we can work on with our dogs, the better adapted they become.
Consider doing some of these activities even if it’s only 10 minutes a day.
Enrichment is divided into the following categories:
- Physical enrichment including natural features and artificial items used to create useful elements. It also includes temperature, light, sound and space use as well as artificial or natural manipulative objects and toys (e.g., a digging pit, trees for shade, a kiddie pool, a mister system for the summer months, etc.).
- Feeding enrichment includes types of foods provided and the frequency and method of delivery with an emphasis on novelty and variety. Examples include feeding a variety of food items that are dispersed, hidden, buried or hung in the environment. Try a variety of food toys (e.g., snuffle mats, licki mats, KONG, Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble, some sticky peanut butter or cheese, etc.).
- Sensory enrichment entails stimulating the senses by introducing music or nature sounds, scent work, sensory mats, varied bedding materials, varied light and dark spaces, and temperature variations (e.g., sand from the digging pit, ice blocks with treats frozen inside, sensory mats and fumble courses, toys in a cardboard box for the dog to open, etc.).
- Social enrichment refers to the introduction of dogs and other animals. This includes one-on-one exposure to another dog, group dog exposure, meeting new people or other animal species either individually or in groups.
- Human-animal interactions includes play, grooming, brushing, settling near you and brain games for learning.
- Occupational enrichment includes introducing things that encourage mental stimulation for executive function skills such as problem solving, conflict resolution, body control, confidence building, focus and relevance training, and impulse control.
We are going to give you two different enrichment activities that fall under the following categories: physical enrichment, sensory enrichment and occupational enrichment.
Fumble Course: This is a sensory activity where we place many different substrates on the floor for dogs to learn to walk through and experience. This is a confidence building activity that is great for anxious and fearful dogs. This is basically where you place a variety of things on your floor (e.g., aluminum foil, bubble wrap, plastic hangers, pillows, etc.) and throw treats into the pile and then let your dog negotiate stepping on all the weird stuff to get the treats.
This involves sensory experiences and sensory generalization. Sensory experiences help build nerve connections in the brain that allows for more complex learning. It also helps dogs with different learning styles through the experience of novel surface textures. Sensory activities develop gross motor skills by promoting problem-solving and exploration. Here are two examples of differing dog personalities negotiating a Fumble Course: Dodger, https://youtu.be/XFhl0L7Rcy8 and Pacer, https://youtu.be/_FhEgM9AJGs.
The Magic Carpet: This is a “free shaping” activity where you use a clicker to “shape” your dog to do the things you want him to do. Remember, with enrichment, your dog can do it however he chooses, and he also has veto rights to NOT engage or to stop when he wants. This is a simple game that activates your dog’s problem-solving skills, improves his focus, as well as bolstering his confidence.
For this activity, you will need a towel, a small rug, or a blanket – you’ll get the idea when you get through the specifics for the activity. You will also need a clicker, which can be purchased at any pet supply store, Amazon or Wal-Mart. It is best to use a clicker for this activity instead of your voice. The clicker will be the consistent feedback telling your dog that he is doing it correctly so no praise will be needed.
In fact, we don’t want to use praise at all for this activity, including a “yes” that is often used with other training activities. We want to bypass the social component of most training activities and keep your dog’s focus just on the activity. Our voice is variable and often, stimulating which can muddy the water for learning.
Here is a video to show how to do this activity (https://youtu.be/VpagQ9bcf0s):
- This activity involves you waiting patiently while not giving any cues for your dog at all. You will be manipulating the environment to increase the likelihood of your dog interacting with or getting on the towel.
- Place the towel on the floor and stand in front of it. Have treats in one hand and the clicker in the other hand. This activity rewards your dog for interacting with the towel in any way. This includes looking at it, sniffing it, stepping or standing on it, walking across it, etc. ANY interaction with the towel is exactly what we are looking for. It doesn’t matter whether your dog was even aware of what he did, that will come later.
- At the very first interaction by your dog that has ANYTHING to do with the towel, click the clicker, put the treat up to your dog’s mouth, and then drop it away from the towel so he must go get it off the floor. We want your dog to move away from the towel to get the treat so he can approach the towel again. Soon, your dog will expect the treat when he hears the click. Then, you should be able to roll or gently toss the treat away from the towel consistently.
- In the beginning, this will be super easy because your dog will likely easily step on the towel simply because it is on the floor. Do this around 15 times before progressing to the next step.
- For this step, you want to take a large step to your right or left so the towel isn’t right in front of you anymore. This will decrease the likelihood of accidental interactions and move to more purposeful interactions where your dog learns to do something with the towel to hear the click and get the treat.
- If he just stares at you or doesn’t interact with the towel in any way, you can walk away from the activity area and then right back to it to reset the game. Your dog will learn that by interacting with the towel, he can control when and how quickly he gets the click and the treat. We want him to find out how to control the game by thinking and choosing behaviors.
- Once your dog begins to understand the game, then move a few more steps away from the towel so he must move away from you to go to the towel.
- Once your dog is comfortable leaving you to go to the towel, even when it is a few feet away from you, then you can start working it in different locations such as another room or even the back yard.
- You can also work it when another situation competes with the activity such as when there is a lot going on, specific distractions, or when he has FOMO (i.e., fear of missing out on something). This is about helping your dog to organize his brain and focus on the activity even when his environment may be more distracting or stressful. Remember, he can choose to stop or move away when he wants to. Your job is to motivate him to continue to play, not to demand it.
- This is a fantastic enrichment activity and is a wonderful foundation for place training.
Remember, your dog needs a balance of all sorts of experiences. This includes command-based training, boundaries in your house, as well as different enrichment activities. Enrichment enhances your dog’s ability to learn new concepts, problem solve and practice impulse control. It also helps to make you the most relevant thing in your dog’s world, which is the foundation for a well-socialized and well-mannered dog.
Sam Freeman, CPDT-KSA, is the president and owner of Pet Behavior Solutions and Edu-Care for Dogs, based in Scottsdale. She is the creator of the Core Behavior Assessment, which is the behavior evaluation program used by many animal shelters and animal control agencies in Arizona. Freeman is certified through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and has completed specialized education and training in psychology, learning theory, ethology, family counseling, behavior modification techniques, aggression, canine and feline behavior issues, and grief counseling. Reach her at 480-200-2011 or visit petbehaviorsolutions.com.
