Feeding time is an exciting and important part of your dog’s daily routine but just because it’s routine doesn’t mean it needs to be boring.

By introducing simple enrichment protocols to our dogs’ daily lives we can improve their health and our relationship.

Why is enrichment important for pet dogs?

The “wild”, that idyllic place that’s considered the model we should mimic even though in actuality it is a dangerous, dog-eat-dog place, has nonetheless caused the evolution of a wide range of feeding behaviours that very much take up much of an animals day.

Evolution has also caused the development of strategies that allow animals to conserve energy and our pet dogs are still of that state of mind.

But we also know a little about how behaviour develops in captivity. Animals have behavioural needs – they are compelled to carry out behaviours, even if the results of those behaviours e.g. food, are freely available.

Pet animals want and need to carry out many of the same behaviours that their ancestors did. Indeed, it’s commonly these behaviours that are often labeled ‘behaviour problems’ and that cause so many of the breakdowns in relationships between pets and their people.

First step, ditch the food bowls.

Why do we HATE food bowls?

food bowls do nothing to encourage interaction between dog and owner

food bowls do little to teach the dog that all good things come through their owner

feeding from a food bowl wastes hundreds of reward opportunities by presenting them for free all in one go

contrafreeloading suggests that animals prefer to work for food rather than get it for free

modern pet feeding practices encourage a sedentary way of life for our pets

there is a limited range of behaviours demonstrated so dogs will need to display them in other ways(which may cause problems for people)

chewing is an important behaviour for dogs and modern feeding practices often don’t encourage chewing

Food bowls are human convenience devices – toss food in bowl, leave on floor, dog eats….dog is fed and my job is done. But feeding your pet can be soooo much more…

Dogs are Scavengers and Predators

Dave Mech, the wolf guru, outlines canid predatory behaviour in a sequence of behaviours called, not-surprisingly, a predatory sequence. These are behaviours that are innate in all dogs and to greater or lesser extents in different types of dogs and individuals.

The dog predatory sequence might look something like this:

track – stalk – chase – grab – hold – bite – chew – dissect

These are the behaviours that your scavenging, predatory pet needs to do – provide acceptable outlets otherwise he will find his own, and you might not like that.

‘Working’ for Food

These strategies tick lots of the scavenging and tracking boxes.

Set up scavenger hunts by:

scatter feeding: take a handful of kibble or other food and toss on the lawn or floor for your dog to hoover up

hiding little piles of kibble or stuffed toys around the house or garden for your dog to track down

setting up a digging pit for your dog containing buried yummies

Take scavenger hunts to the next level by setting up more and more complex scentwork games like these:

And one of my faves:

Food in Training

Food in training acts as a valuable reward, makes training easy and quick plus dogs have to eat! And by associating you with food you increase your value in your dog’s eyes too boosting your relationship!

Feed as much of your dog’s daily rations from your hand as a reward for good behaviour.

Make up a Training Mix by mixing your dog’s regular (boring) food with some small pieces of smelly yummies (e.g. cheese, hotdog, chicken) sealed in a container overnight in the fridge. By morning everything smells yummier.

Keep little pots of Training Mix dotted around the house to reward good behaviour when and where it happens – ideal places are at the front door (to reward polite greetings), near your dog’s bed (to reward calm chilled out behaviour) and any place you sit and relax so that you can practice lazy training (while your dog does all the work).

Food Dispensing Toys

These toys will challenge your dog while keeping him occupied and exercising his mind (and sometimes body). Working on food dispensing toys will help your pet get lots of tracking, holding/biting, chewing and dissecting jollies in too.

I categorise food dispensing toys based on whether they get the dog moving or encourage him to lie down; so there are Activating Food Toys and Calming Food Toys.

Activating Food Toys include Buster Cubes, Kong Wobblers and the Tug-a-Jug.

While Calming Food Toys like many from the Kong range, stuffed with wet food or frozen, will keep pets calm and contained while you go about your day.

Chewing

Chewing is a really important dog behaviour and one, when directed at our furniture or belongings is not always welcomed by the two legger at the other end of the leash.

Chewing is comforting and calming for dogs so is a great pastime for dogs who are home alone or are crate training.

Chewing and dissecting is part of our dogs so we need to prevent them ever learning how enjoyable it is to chew our expensive shoes or dissect our comfy cushions.

Stuffed food toys can of course offer great chewing outlets:

Nylabone offer a wide range of edible and durable chews:

Chewing carefully selected raw, natural bone as part of a diet plan (e.g. BARF) or as an enrichment addition can be a great chewing work-out:

Enrichment doesn’t always have to be about food…

Interactive toys encourage social (you and your dog) and environmental (your dog and the world around them) interaction.

Toys that encourage interaction and above all else lots of fun include tug toys, fetch toys, chasing toys like flirt poles and digging pits or paddling pools.

Introducing doggie games helps with training, teaches self-control and boosts your relationship with your dog. Remember, always teach games with rules so that they stay fun!

Taking your dog on walkies and for outings offer lots and lots of opportunities to interact with your dog, get him thinking and teach him all sorts of acceptable behaviour.

Make sure that when you take your dog out and about that they get the chance to mark, follow scent trails, interact with other people, dogs and animals, get plenty of physical exercise, are exposed to lots of different situations and settings and that you do lots and lots of training focus work with your pet.

Enrichment doesn’t always have to be store-bought…

There are lots of home-made enrichment projects that you can put together for your pet.

My favourite entertainment solution for summer is simple to make in the kitchen.

Take a lunchbox or other container and line with cling-film. Fill it about three-quarters full with water or stock and add some chunks of hot dog, chicken, cheese and other yummies.

Freeze for a couple of hours or overnight and then turn out to entertain and delight.

Simple rainy day games are only limited by your imagination.

Take a cardboard box and fill with crumpled or shredded newspaper. Mix in some treats and kibble, close it up and let the fun start!

Take an old dish towel and lay it out flat. Spread some kibble and treats on the towel and roll it up. Soaking the towel in water or stock and freezing it all (with treats rolled in) also makes a pacifying chew toy for teething puppies.

Lots of great ideas in here too:

No excuses

There really are no excuses… ditch the dogfood bowl, entertain your pet and he will be much easier and more fun to live with.