ENRICHMENT
Why Do Dogs Need Enrichment?
Dogs need enrichment because they are highly intelligent and social animals. They need to be mentally and physically stimulated to stay happy and healthy. Enrichment can help to reduce boredom, destructive behaviors, , stress and anxiety. Enrichment helps to socialize your dog to novel stimuli and can help to improve your dog's overall health and well-being.
Types of Enrichment
- Physical Enrichment: This type of enrichment involves providing your dog with physical activity and exercise. This can be done by taking your dog for walks or runs, playing fetch or tug-of-war, or swimming.
- Mental Enrichment: This type of enrichment involves providing your dog with mental stimulation. This can be done by playing puzzle games, teaching your dog new tricks, or hiding treats around the house.
- Social enrichment: This type of enrichment involves providing your dog with opportunities to socialize with other dogs and people. This can be done by taking your dog to the park, going to training classes, or having friends over to play with your dog. A well socialized dog is less apt to become fearful, over-stimulated, or aggressive with new people, dogs, places, or objects.
- Nutritional Enrichment: Encourages animals to use natural foraging/feeding behaviors to earn food. This can be accomplished by using puzzle feeders, hiding food to challenge the dog and encourage them to search for food, and alternating treats and chewable items.
- Occupational Enrichment: Challenge your dog by giving them a "job"". Teach them a dog sport (i.e. agility or flyball), to fetch your slippers., to find your keys or to carry their own food/water on hikes.
- Sensory Enrichment: Sensory enrichment can be used to stimulate the different senses of dogs such as sight, sound, or smell. This can be done by placing new objects in your yard (seasonal signs, statues, etc.), playing soothing music, adding interesting scents such as herbs, spices, or essential oils in PVC pipes with drilled holes., introducing them to different types of flooring, bedding and other tactile experiences for the dog.
Enrichment Rooms ($15/half hour Rental)
Enrichment rooms for dogs are becoming increasingly popular as pet owners look for ways to keep their furry friends entertained and mentally stimulated. These rooms can be anything from a simple space with a few toys to a more elaborate setup with multiple activities and obstacles.
There are many benefits to having an enrichment room for your dog. They reduce stress and help with positive socialization. These rooms can help to reduce boredom and destructive behaviors, as well as provide a safe and stimulating environment for your dog to play and exercise.
If you're thinking about creating an enrichment room for your dog,, come and explore ours first!
We have made sure it is full of:
- Puzzles and brain teasers ranging from simple to very difficult
- Interactive toys
- Obstacle courses
- Novel objects such as umbrellas, walkers and crutches
- Baby Pool full of fun stuff
- Different scents
- Variety of tactile experiences
Our enrichment room is full of things that your dog can explore and interact with. You will be able to teach your dog how to use each one-giving you the opportunity to start with simple tasks and gradually increase the difficulty as your dog learns. Be patient and positive, and soon your dog will be enjoying this new exciting experience!
Additionally our enrichment room offers:
- A safe and secure environment for them to explore.
- A rotation of toys and activities to prevent your dog from becoming bored
- Ability to tailor the room to your dogs preferences