Just like people, dogs need both physical and mental stimulation to keep them healthy and happy. Enrichment toys are a great way to work your dog’s mind- plus, they’re tons of fun! Check out some of our favorite enrichment toys below.
Puzzle Toys
Who doesn’t love a good puzzle?! Puzzle toys come in dozens of shapes, sizes, and difficulty levels. Your dog will need his paws, teeth, and snout to flip, pull, toss, spin, or disassemble each piece of the puzzle to find the treats.
Brillo is a one-year-old terrier mix who is looking for a foster or forever home through Detroit Dog Rescue. He’s an active boy who, like many dogs, needs a lot of physical and mental stimulation to keep him busy. Look how much fun he’s having with his puzzle toy!
Enrichment Boxes
Enrichment boxes are a super easy, free option for working your dog’s mind. Simply fill a cardboard box, like a pizza box or pasta box, with a little newspaper and a few treats. Your dog will have a blast sniffing out the treats and channeling his inner hunter to tear the box apart.
Using enrichment boxes in a shelter environment- in this case, over at the Detroit Dog Rescue shelter- helps keep the dogs busy and quiet in their kennels while they wait to find a foster or forever home.
Kongs
You may have seen an original Kong before- it’s funny shape is easily recognizable, and it keeps dogs busy. Did you know that there are endless ways to stuff a Kong so that your pup never gets bored? Peanut butter, canned dog food, mashed sweet potato. You can even throw it in the freezer overnight to make it last longer. Here’s over 50 ways to stuff a Kong– which one is your pup’s favorite?
Kongs come in a variety of sizes and durability levels.
Kong Wobbler
Similar to the original Kong, Kong Wobblers are a great way to keep your dog busy while making him work for his food. Fill the Wobbler with your dog’s daily kibble and watch as he has a ton of fun knocking it around to get his meal.
Check out adorable puppy Leroy as he works his little puppy mind to eat his dinner.
Flirt Pole
Using a flirt pole is sure to wear your dog out by working your dog’s mind while getting him physically active. This is another one that’s easy to make at home (though you can also purchase one for around $30 if you aren’t feeling crafty)- all you need is a PVC pipe, rope, and your dog’s favorite toy.
Here’s cutie pie Leroy again- look at him run, chase, and play as lead trainer Katelin easily controls the toy at the end of the pole.
Does your dog have a favorite enrichment toy? Show us your pictures and videos of your pup working his mind in the comments!
Author: Margo Butler, CPDT-KA
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