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This guide is for anyone who has a dog with a poor eating habit. You’ll find out exactly what the heck enrichment feeding for dogs is and whether you should try it with your own dog. Plus a helpful list of products that make enriching your dogs meals easy.
Does your dog gobble down his or her food too fast? Or maybe you have a dog that isn’t even interested come dinner time? Dogs are interesting characters who seem to always develop some new kind of quirk.
It’s important to understand why your dog chooses to do the things he or she does. And guess what, usually a big reason is because they are lacking some form of enrichment in their lives.
Did you know there are actually 6 different areas of enrichment you should consider? Your dog needs enrichment in their life in order to thrive.
Don’t worry providing enrichment in your dogs life is fairly easy. Some enrichment activities will even utilize multiple areas all in one. It’s important to ensure your dog receives enrichment in each of the following areas for the happiest and healthiest lifestyle.
4. Sensory Enrichment
5. Feeding Enrichment
6. Toy Enrichment
If you are running into issues around meal time then it may mean you need to look into enrichment feeding for dogs. This post is all about how to make your dog’s meal time fun again!
ENRICHMENT FEEDING FOR DOGS
What is enrichment feeding for dogs?
Enrichment feeding for dogs is creating an experience around your dogs meal time. Make it interactive! You can involve yourself in their feeding or you can use a puzzle, mat, or toy to make it more intriguing.
The key is that you find the right tools to make your dogs dinner fun while ensuring they eat appropriately for their age / breed / size.
What are the benefits of enrichment feeding for dogs?
There are many benefits to enriched feeding routines. What your dog will gain from enriched feeding is dependent on their personality but some of the benefits include:
- Mental Stimulation
- Reduce Stress
- Practice Nose Work
- Avoid Boredom
- Challenge Your Dog
If you have a dog who eats super fast it’s important to slow them down. When dogs eat too fast they can run the risk of choking or other health hazards. By making their meal time more interactive, you can in turn also slow it down.
On the flip side…
If you have a dog who is refusing to eat – it’s also important to address what is going on. A refusal to eat can be a sign boredom! That means either the food itself or the experience is lacking. You can certainly try changing up your dogs food but some special diets don’t allow for that. So the alternative is to make dinner fun again! Create an experience for your dog.
How do I enrich my dog’s feeding time?
You can enrich your dog’s feeding time in a number of ways. And don’t worry if you don’t have a large budget, there are some DIY enriched feeding you can do at home.
You can get more involved in your dogs meal time by hand feeding or hiding food around the house OR you can utilize slow feeders, puzzles, mats, toys, and other tools to stimulate your dogs senses.
You’ll want to consider your dogs age, breed, and overall heath when determining what their feeding time should look like. It’s important to keep in mind that while enrichment feeding for dogs is well recommended, it is not for every dog. You should always consult your own veterinarian when it comes to any changes you want to implement.
Food Enrichment Activities For Dogs
Slow Feeders
“Perfect for the dog who eats too fast!“
Just like it sounds, slow feeders are used to slow down your dogs eating process. Slow feeders work because they have multiple compartments. This prevents your dog from gulping down all of the food at once.
This is a great first step to try when it comes to enrichment feeding for dogs!
DIY Slow Feeder Ideas
If you don’t have it in the budget to spend money on a slow feeder there are a few ways you can achieve the same goal at home.
- Tennis Ball
- Place a tennis ball in your dog’s food dish along with their kibble.
- Your dog will need to push the ball around to get to all of the food which in turn slows the process.
- Cupcake Tin
- Place small amounts of kibble in each cupcake circle.
- Your dog will only be able to eat out of one cupcake circle at a time.
Other Slow Feeders You’ll Love:
Dog Puzzles
“Your Smart Pup Will Love This!”
Dog puzzles offer a unique opportunity not only to slow your dog down during meal time but also give them a challenge!
Each dog puzzle varies but essentially you’ll put your dogs kibble into hidden compartments. It’s your dog’s job to figure out where the food is and how to get it out.
There are varying levels of puzzle difficulty so be sure to find the right balance of challenging without being too difficult.
DIY Dog Puzzle Ideas
Not sure if your dog will use a puzzle? Try out one of these homemade puzzles to test out enrichment feeding for dogs.
- Activity Box
- Use an old cardboard box as your base. Fill it with your dogs favorite toys and sprinkle in your dogs kibble.
- Your dog will have to maneuver their toys around to get to all of the food.
- Muffin Tin
- Similar to the slow feeder method you’ll put a few pieces of kibble in each circular space.
- This time you’ll top your kibble with toys. Your dog will have to use their brains to move the toys.
Other Dog Puzzles You’ll Love:
Dog Lick Mats & Snuffle Mats
“Great For Making Meal Time Last!”
Sprinkle kibble throughout the snuffle mat and your dog will need to search each pocket. Snuffle mats work best with dry dog food.
Lick mats work great for wet dog food. You can spread it over the ridges which will create a more interesting dinner experience for your dog.
DIY Lick Mat & Snuffle Mat Ideas!
- Make Your Own Snuffle Mat
- Grab some fleece and get to snipping.
- Check out this step by step guide on how to make your own snuffle mat.
- Make A Lickable Treat
- Create a delicious and drool worthy concoction of your dogs favorite foods and just add water.
- Pop in the freezer – once it’s frozen it’ll keep your dog licking for hours.
Other Lick Mats & Snuffle Mats You’ll Love:
Food Dispensing Toys
“For Dogs Who Never Wants To Stop Playing!”
Some dogs would rather just play than eat their meal. This seems extra common with puppies!
If your dog is motivated by toys try making their meal more interactive with food dispensing toys.
You simply put the food inside and your dog most wobble or roll the toy around to get the kibble out one at a time.
DIY Food Dispensing Toys
While I’m pretty certain your dog will love any of these food dispensing toys – you can also make your own. Just know that while homemade food dispensing toys are great way to try enrichment feeding for dogs, they likely won’t hold up as well.
- Cardboard From Paper Towel
- You know that cardboard piece all of your paper towel is wrapped around? Take that and fill it with kibble.
- Once the kibble is inside, fold and tighten each end. Let your dog figure out how to get the kibble out.
- Towel Roll Up
- Lay your towel flat and evenly space kibble throughout.
- Then simply roll it up and let your dog work out how to unravel the towel to get to their food.
Other Food Dispensing Toys You’ll Love:
Final thoughts on food enrichment for dogs:
Hopefully you found some ways you can implement food enrichment into your dogs meal time.
Keep in mind every food interactive idea may not be for every dog. Not all dogs like puzzles or games around meal time and that is okay. Find what works for your dog!
The most important part of food enrichment for dogs is that you do change it up! Don’t give your dog the same interactive toy or puzzle day in and day out.
There will come a point where the toys, mats, and puzzles are no longer enrichment and instead just a part of their meal time routine. To make these feeding enrichment ideas last longer it’s important to swap them in and out. Keep meal time fun and challenging!
This post was all about enrichment feeding for dogs.
Other Posts You May Want To Check Out:
Fun Cognitive Enrichment For Dogs | 8 Activities To Actually Keep Your Dog Busy
How to Celebrate A Dogs Birthday – 7 Ways to Give Your Dog the Best Birthday Ever
