Grateful for Games: Staying Sane in the Great Indoors
Enrichment toys such as puzzles with hidden treats or stuffed Kongs can help keep your dog engaged and entertained
California 2020. First, we encountered the pandemic restrictions; next, we found ourselves shuttered indoors by wildfires and unhealthy air.
As restrictions continue, how can we maintain our dogs’ mental and physical health in what feels like a semi-permanent lockdown? Fortunately, there are many enrichment activities for dogs that you can do just as well in the great indoors.
Canine enrichment comes in multiple forms: bonding, training, and playing scent games, brain games, and calming games (like snuffle or lick mats) instead of taking long walks or runs. Indoor activity is just as important as outdoor activity, and it is entirely possible to exercise our dogs’ minds and tucker them out simply by experimenting and seeing what our dogs enjoy.
By incorporating enrichment activities in our daily routines, we create more opportunities to improve the quality of life for our best friends. Studies have shown that when animals are given a choice between easily accessing food or having to work for their meal, many animals choose to do the work and to ignore the free food. So a great place to start is with meal time enrichment, which also happens to be one of the easiest ploys for busy pet parents. Many pet stores and online companies offer feeding toys in the form of topples or wobblers, puzzles, and games. Sometimes our dogs will want us to help them figure out how to use or play with the toys so be sure to observe and engage with your dogs when introducing these items to make sure it's fun and enriching for them. In addition, there are lots of Do It Yourself ideas for making feeding toys using regular household items. YouTube is a fantastic DIY resource, as are favorite animal shelter channels, such as Ontario SPCA. https://ontariospca.ca
Everyone knows about cats’ love of boxes, but boxes are great for dogs, too. If you’re clicker-savvy, just put an open box in the middle of a room and for every interaction your dog makes with the box, click and offer a healthy treat (a marker word can be used instead of a clicker). You can decide what’s worth a treat - going in the box, circling around it, or tipping it over. Just keep it consistent.
Another easy DIY tool is the paper towel tube. Fold in one end and then put some kibble or a few small treats in the other end. Depending on the level of difficulty your dog enjoys, you can leave the tube open, partly fold it in, or fold it in all the way. Then put it on the floor and watch your dog figure out how to get to the food. Some dogs will tear it up, some will push it around until all the food falls out, and some dogs will need help to figure out what to do (yes, it’s a little messy, but you’re stuck at home anyway so relax and enjoy the floor show). Granola bar, cardboard tea, and cereal boxes work well for this game, too, and you’re recycling at the same time.
A clean, unscented towel works delightfully for the “find it” game. Just fold a bath towel in half a couple of times and then scrunch it up, purposely placing some tasty dry food into the ripples or folds. Then tell your dog to find it. Once she understands the game, you can place the towel in different parts of the room and tell her to find it. Help your dog if she needs it the first few times, then watch her sniff and hunt for the towel with the hidden treasure.
Some dogs that are more high energy may enjoy indoor enrichment in the form of active play like tug, indoor fetch, and jumping games (these are super fun and experienced trainers can help you learn how to do this indoors without totally trashing your house). Of course, it’s a good idea to teach “drop it” and have it on a solid cue before you undertake any wilder indoor games. Stuffing and freezing a rubber toy with dog food, peanut butter, or cream cheese, or using a treat-dispensing ball or wobbler will give your dog a thrill and can help pups calm down after more energetic play.
Like humans, dogs have their own personalities and their own ideas about activities they enjoy. Not every dog likes puzzles or boxes, but there are plenty of other enrichment activities out there from which to choose. Pay attention to what your dog enjoys and focus on that style of enrichment. Go slow and help your dog learn how to use new enrichment tools or games (and be sure to clean puzzles, toys, and towels with scentless nontoxic soaps).
Not many of us would choose to have a year like 2020, but it has provided us with a great opportunity to bond with our dogs. With training, motivating fun feeders, interactive puzzles, and sniffing and scent games, we can honor our dogs’ need to work and tucker them out simultaneously. In no time at all, we will have enhanced our best friends' lives, giving them joy and activity, even if we all are stuck inside. Making the most of our time together is the best way to show our gratitude for the love and companionship they give us every day.