Enrichment is a hot topic in the pet care world. The market for various toys for providing enrichment to your animals is booming and there are always new things to buy and try! While new toys are in themselves a form of enrichment (contact with a new item can be mentally stimulating!) you should not feel pressured to constantly spend lots of money on expensive toys! The best way we can provide enrichment for our animals it by paying close attention to their individual preferences for behaviors they like to engage in and provide them outlets that align with their preferences – enrichment opportunities are only enriching if the animal actually enjoys engaging with them! Keep in mind that you can provide enrichment with things you already have and even with the environment around you.
- For dogs who enjoy sniffing you can use grass around your home and scatter their meals for them to forage from the grass.
- For dogs who enjoy chasing prey, giving them opportunities to chase toys can be a fantastic outlet for them, an investment in a single sturdy flirt pole can be used endlessly with different toys you already own attached to the end, or you can attach a crinkly paper bag with treats inside to let them shred and eat at the end of the game.
- For dogs who like to lick and chew, you can freeze food in bowls you already have or smear things like peanut butter or wet food on an existing reusable nylon dog chew and freeze that.
For some other free and inexpensive ideas, take a look at this article from the ASPCA:
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/canine-diy-enrichment