Dogs absolutely love having something that keeps them entertained that has food involved! We have some fantastic dog chews that can be stuffed with delicious treats - puzzles - to sharpen that clever mind - slow feeder bowls that can also be used by dogs that are not gobblers. Bear in mind that when your dog is happily entertained chewing or trying to figure out how to do something, not only is he not doing anything naughty, you are providing excellent mental simulation and reducing the likelihood of behaviour problems developing. All our products are top brand names so you never have to worry about poor quality. Do have a look at what we have for all your fur-babies and contact us if any questions. www.mcmac.co.za
How to Provide Food Enrichment to Your Dog
This informative article supplied for us by Kevin Ruan (Editor & Dog Lover)
Kevin is the brains behind the content published on DogNeedsBest. He carefully plans articles to include all the necessary information. Along with that he also builds engaging outlines that are easier to understand for the pet parents. Lovely website, do give it a visit!
This informative article supplied for us by Kevin Ruan (Editor & Dog Lover)
Kevin is the brains behind the content published on DogNeedsBest. He carefully plans articles to include all the necessary information. Along with that he also builds engaging outlines that are easier to understand for the pet parents. Lovely website, do give it a visit!
Has your dog lost all excitement for his food? Despite changing his food, trying different brands, and ruling out all other possibilities, they seem to be bored with their feeding routine. In such cases, food enrichment ideas are a game-changer.
Whether it’s just a food toy or hiding food at different spots in the house, food enrichment can keep the dog occupied and active while you’re at work or can’t take them on a walk. It teaches dogs to use their brains to work for food.
Food enrichment is crucial because it keeps food interesting for dogs. Moreover, it provides mental stimulation and a little amount of physical activity as well which means less barking and less destructive behavior.
We’ll try to cover food enrichment 101 in this article. Read on to know the importance of it and different food enrichment ideas.
Why is Food Enrichment Important?
Food is not just about nutrition. It’s an achievement to a dog; a result of tiresome hunting and scavenging. A dog may have to starve on bad days for food in the wild and eat extra when more food is available.
According to Kevin Ruan, Editor at DogNeedsBest, “When your pooch is staying with you, you need to provide things that moderately replicate a dog’s environment in the wild. Meaning, if you just serve your dog’s meal in his regular bowl, he won’t get a chance to express his species-specific behavior.”
That said, you should make your dog’s life exciting, cheerful, and a little bit challenging. Chasing prey, sniff work, putting brains for finding food, etc. activities have been associated with food for a dog. Food enrichment will make your dog’s eating experience more enjoyable and satisfying.
However, there’s a little caveat here. Not all enrichment ideas will work for all dogs. For example, if your dog chooses to give up on his food rather than solving a particular type of food puzzle. If it bores your dog, it won’t provide any enrichment.
Let’s see what different food enrichment ideas you can try to keep your dog happy and healthy.
Sniffing Games
Dogs have some detective-level olfactory senses that can sniff out even the slightest smell from over huge distances. Using their senses in a way that’s rewarding will make them feel satisfied. K9 Nose Work and other sniffing activities can build confidence in dogs. It is a highly recommended activity for dogs as a part of enrichment.
This game is simple and you can intensify the game gradually. You will require a few objects and your dog’s favorite dry dog food or treats. This trick won’t work for canned food as there will be a lot of mess to clean afterward.
Let your dog watch you hide treats or kibble in plain view of the room. Command your dog to ‘stay’ while you hide all treats. When you’ve hidden treats, step back and command your dog to ‘find’. Your pooch should then enter the room and explore.
Keeping the game easy initially will help your dog understand the game. Do not hide the treats where your dog can never reach. Moreover, when your pooch finds the treat, praise him with a clicker sound or with your sweet voice.
To make this game more difficult, you can hide more treats at unexpected spots or hide treats when your dog is not present in the room. You can play this game right before your dog’s mealtime.
Food Puzzles
Puzzle toys are a great way to teach your dog how to work for their food. They compel dogs to use their muzzle and paws to reveal and eject the food from inside the toy. Again a general rule of thumb is to not use canned food with puzzle toys.
Wet food gets stuck inside the toys and the puzzle toys lose their purpose. And not to mention the frustration of not being able to get the food out.
If you’ve decided to purchase a puzzle feeder, consider buying two or more and rotate them. This way, your dog will not get bored of the same toy and their enthusiasm will be maintained.
Sit with your dog in a calm area and introduce the toy filled with kibble. Let him study it and sniff out the food inside. Your buddy will be able to figure out the way to get the food out in most cases. But if he gets frustrated, start playing with it yourself and help him get the first piece of kibble from the toy.
TV Dinners
Yes, you can make TV dinners for your dog at home. This frozen food will keep your dog cool on hot summer days. You will need kibble, some canned food, water, and a mold. Mix in appropriate amounts and freeze it.
Slow Feeder Dish
Some canines just kill the kibbles as soon as they are served their meal. Slow feeder dishes have small vertical pieces attached across their surface making eating quickly too difficult. However, there are different types of slow-feeder dog dishes available but the purpose is the same.
Internet Trends
We all have tried our best to stay in touch with people over social media during this Covid pandemic. I always try to perform the activity that is currently in trend and share it with people over social media.
All in all, those pet challenges will bring joy, enrich your dog’s environment, and a lot of laughter. Apart from these ideas, you can try kong toys, hide food in cardboard boxes of different sizes, and feed designer bones. If you think we missed anything, let us know in the comment section.
Whether it’s just a food toy or hiding food at different spots in the house, food enrichment can keep the dog occupied and active while you’re at work or can’t take them on a walk. It teaches dogs to use their brains to work for food.
Food enrichment is crucial because it keeps food interesting for dogs. Moreover, it provides mental stimulation and a little amount of physical activity as well which means less barking and less destructive behavior.
We’ll try to cover food enrichment 101 in this article. Read on to know the importance of it and different food enrichment ideas.
Why is Food Enrichment Important?
Food is not just about nutrition. It’s an achievement to a dog; a result of tiresome hunting and scavenging. A dog may have to starve on bad days for food in the wild and eat extra when more food is available.
According to Kevin Ruan, Editor at DogNeedsBest, “When your pooch is staying with you, you need to provide things that moderately replicate a dog’s environment in the wild. Meaning, if you just serve your dog’s meal in his regular bowl, he won’t get a chance to express his species-specific behavior.”
That said, you should make your dog’s life exciting, cheerful, and a little bit challenging. Chasing prey, sniff work, putting brains for finding food, etc. activities have been associated with food for a dog. Food enrichment will make your dog’s eating experience more enjoyable and satisfying.
However, there’s a little caveat here. Not all enrichment ideas will work for all dogs. For example, if your dog chooses to give up on his food rather than solving a particular type of food puzzle. If it bores your dog, it won’t provide any enrichment.
Let’s see what different food enrichment ideas you can try to keep your dog happy and healthy.
Sniffing Games
Dogs have some detective-level olfactory senses that can sniff out even the slightest smell from over huge distances. Using their senses in a way that’s rewarding will make them feel satisfied. K9 Nose Work and other sniffing activities can build confidence in dogs. It is a highly recommended activity for dogs as a part of enrichment.
This game is simple and you can intensify the game gradually. You will require a few objects and your dog’s favorite dry dog food or treats. This trick won’t work for canned food as there will be a lot of mess to clean afterward.
Let your dog watch you hide treats or kibble in plain view of the room. Command your dog to ‘stay’ while you hide all treats. When you’ve hidden treats, step back and command your dog to ‘find’. Your pooch should then enter the room and explore.
Keeping the game easy initially will help your dog understand the game. Do not hide the treats where your dog can never reach. Moreover, when your pooch finds the treat, praise him with a clicker sound or with your sweet voice.
To make this game more difficult, you can hide more treats at unexpected spots or hide treats when your dog is not present in the room. You can play this game right before your dog’s mealtime.
Food Puzzles
Puzzle toys are a great way to teach your dog how to work for their food. They compel dogs to use their muzzle and paws to reveal and eject the food from inside the toy. Again a general rule of thumb is to not use canned food with puzzle toys.
Wet food gets stuck inside the toys and the puzzle toys lose their purpose. And not to mention the frustration of not being able to get the food out.
If you’ve decided to purchase a puzzle feeder, consider buying two or more and rotate them. This way, your dog will not get bored of the same toy and their enthusiasm will be maintained.
Sit with your dog in a calm area and introduce the toy filled with kibble. Let him study it and sniff out the food inside. Your buddy will be able to figure out the way to get the food out in most cases. But if he gets frustrated, start playing with it yourself and help him get the first piece of kibble from the toy.
TV Dinners
Yes, you can make TV dinners for your dog at home. This frozen food will keep your dog cool on hot summer days. You will need kibble, some canned food, water, and a mold. Mix in appropriate amounts and freeze it.
Slow Feeder Dish
Some canines just kill the kibbles as soon as they are served their meal. Slow feeder dishes have small vertical pieces attached across their surface making eating quickly too difficult. However, there are different types of slow-feeder dog dishes available but the purpose is the same.
Internet Trends
We all have tried our best to stay in touch with people over social media during this Covid pandemic. I always try to perform the activity that is currently in trend and share it with people over social media.
All in all, those pet challenges will bring joy, enrich your dog’s environment, and a lot of laughter. Apart from these ideas, you can try kong toys, hide food in cardboard boxes of different sizes, and feed designer bones. If you think we missed anything, let us know in the comment section.
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