5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Dog's Day and Their Well-being.

Dogs have been our companions for the last 30,000 years. They still accompany us today in our daily activities providing their services in exchange for food and a warm place to sleep. That is, if they have a job. The roles of herding, hunting and guarding dogs are disappearing meaning these dog's day has become long and often very dull, with little more than a 30 minute walk morning and evening to keep them stimulated.

With these simple enrichment activities you can improve your dog's day.

Experiment with these ideas, tweaking and expanding them.

1. Food time: I say this often....studies show dog's prefer to work for their food.

   At mealtimes try different ways and stages to feed their dinner, if they are fed a combination of dry and wet food, scatter the dry food on the ground and let them find each piece and then spread their wet food on a lick mat in a different place so they can have a second course. This is very rewarding and it's quick and easy for you. Experiment with different deliver such as filling empty cardboard rolls and turning in each end to secure the food

   
   

2. Treat Treasure Hunt: Scatter small treats around a familiar, quiet room. Let your dog sniff around and find them at their own pace. This builds confidence by letting them explore and succeed in a safe environment. You can progress this to different rooms and increase the distractions like the radio and other people. This game work well prior to leaving the house as your dog will be busy with the hunt and your departure will go unnoticed.

   
   

3. Sniffy walks: Slow down your daily walk and encourage your dog to sniff, to begin slyly drop a treat at the base of a tree and then encourage your dog over, they'll be surprised and thrilled to find the treat. They'll also appreciate a different pace, you could even go on a dog walk, following them follow their nose.

   
   

4. "Find the Toy" Game: Hide a favourite toy or a treat in an obvious location, under a couch cushion, behind a door then encourage your dog to sniff it out. Praise them generously when they find it. This creates a positive association with searching and rewards them for trusting their nose. It is a fun collaborative game that also promotes waiting aka impulse control, attention on you and improved focus.

5. Touch Target: Hold your hand out, palm flat, with a tasty treat on your thumb. When your dog nudges your hand, praise them and give them the treat with the other hand. This builds confidence by rewarding them for simple interaction and creates a positive association with approaching your hand. Practice often, you can progress to having no treat in your hand, using both hands and moving away from your dog and encouraging them to follow you. The bonus here is it practices recall in a fun way. This skill is is handy if your dog gets overwhelmed in situations, asking for a skill they know well will calm them.

Additional tips:

• Keep it positive: Games and activities need to be fun and stress-free. Use a bright tone of voice, delicious treats and a calm manner.

• Start slowly and gradually build with simple games and increase the difficulty as your dog gains confidence.

• Variety is key: Use different activities to keep your dog engaged.

• Observe your dog's reactions and adjust the activities accordingly. Some dogs may prefer one type of enrichment over another.

• Make it a routine: Include these ideas into your daily routine to help your dog anticipate and enjoy them.

For additional training or games Book a New Skills Training Session today.