Puppy energy: it’s adorable, but it can be a lot. Now that a lot of us are spending more time at home and trying to be productive in the presence of our favourite distractions, having your dog busy for more than a few minutes is a gift! In an ideal world we could hang out with our dogs all day every day, but in the meantime, finding long-lasting activities for them can be helpful when you need to get to work.
Food is a great way to get (and keep) your dog’s attention, so many of these rely on tasty treats. Many can be swapped for toys or other rewards if your dog is less food-motivated. It’s important to ensure that you are only feeding your dog things that are dog-safe; for a detailed list, click here for my post on Foods to AVOID!
STUFFABLE TOYS – 5-45mins (ex. Kong, Toppl, Stuffablz)
Hollow, food-grade rubber toys are increasing in popularity, and for good reason! These can be filled with treats, dog-safe snacks, and/or their regular food for a little extra challenge. You can use dry treats for a quick reward (around five minutes), but to really make them work, fill it with something liquid/runny and freeze it. Peanut butter, bone broth, wet/raw food, and purees work great for this! You can also freeze your dog’s favourite dry treats in liquid and/or stick them right at the bottom of the toy.
I keep a few of these in the freezer for when I need to occupy the pups. These can also be used for full meals (depending on size/shape) if your dog tends to eat too quickly. If you’d like some recipes, check back in soon for some inspiration 🙂
Some stuffable toys I recommend from experience include the Classic Kong, WestPaw’s Toppl (shown above) and Quizzl, or just a plastic peanut butter jar (under close supervision).
BUSY BOX
This can also be done for dogs who aren’t particularly food-motivated! A busy box is just any old box (cardboard is fine) filled with newspaper (for shredding), toys (for playing), towels/blankets (as obstacles or with treats inside), food (for eating), and/or anything else your dog enjoys. They will have to sniff through and interact with objects to get the reward, which can be a fun self-directed puzzle!
Start off slow: introduce the box and then put only treats inside, so they understand the game. Once your dog masters reaching in to grab the treats, you can slowly introduce ‘obstacles’ (other items). For an added degree of difficulty, wrap some treats or a toy in the towel/blanket before you put it in the box; this way your dog has to find and unwrap it to get their reward!
If your dog is afraid to put their head in the box (which makes sense, as it blocks their ability to see/hear/smell their surroundings), you can just make a pile on the ground. This may be messy to clean up, but at the end of the day it’s about providing your dog with a pastime they’ll enjoy, without fear! You can also fill the box all the way so they only have to reach at the top. You can work your way up to a box with a certified +R trainer if you think your dog could benefit from some confidence-building.
Make sure the box is appropriately sized – you want them to be able to reach the bottom without jumping up or straining.
SNUFFLE MAT – 5-10mins
Snuffle mats are soft mats with fleece sticking out, so you can hide treats inside. These are a great way to encourage sniffing and requires a bit more creativity, as biting the fleece won’t get them the treats any faster!
Sprinkle some treats on top of the mat, then poke them further in and pat the fleece down. This way your dog has to use their nose to move the fleece and get the treats. Some snuffle mats also have woven pockets to tuck treats into, which can make it a bit more difficult.
These can be quite pricey if you buy online, but they’re not too tough to make yourself! I also sell them for just the cost of supplies (as they are quite easy to make). I make them with or without pockets, as well as special shorter ones for brachycephalic breeds (our flat-faced friends). I also make extra durable mats if your dog tends to destroy things! They are also machine washable. If you’re interested in a Kibble Party snuffle mat, reach out to me using the contact form 🙂
TREASURE HUNT – 5-10mins
Whether you use treats or other objects your dog loves, treasure hunts are a great way to get some active enrichment indoors. They also encourage sniffing, which is a soothing behaviour for dogs! Hide some treats, toys, and/or other mobile objects (don’t use their bed, crate, food/water bowl, or blankets, as these can provide necessary stability and comfort) around the house. Then, let your dog sniff around and find them all!
Keep it simple at first, then introduce extra challenges like covering the items up or hiding them in tougher spots!
Remember that you are not trying to ‘stump’ them, you’re just giving their brains some exercise. Don’t hide things out of their reach or take things away from them and hide them, as both of these things encourage frustration and could cause resource guarding issues in the future. It’s best to use medium-value items for this exercise; you want them to stay engaged, but not get annoyed, discouraged, or defensive!
LICK MAT – 10-30+mins
Spreading wet food like peanut butter onto a textured mat can keep your dog occupied for a long time! This is great for helping your dog settle in a new environment (ex. a crate) or adjust to new sounds, like a vacuum cleaner. A stationary lick mat is a great ‘passive’ training tool, as the dog can leave and come back as they wish. Some people give these to their dogs during tasks that require the use of both hands; the mat provides a food reward without the human having to physically offer it to the dog, which is helpful for things like bathing or trimming/filing nails. These can last a long time, depending on the texture depth and how thinly you spread the wet food.
Pet stores often sell these textured rubber mats in the slow feeder section, but you can also use a cheaper silicone trivet/heat pad as long as it is food grade material and you wash it first! Most grocery and dollar stores sell these, and you can hot glue some suction cups to them if you want to put them on the wall.
As always, also make sure that you supervise your dog. This is a lick-only activity, as chewing can break off chunks of the mat and your dog could swallow/choke on them!
MEATY/HARD CHEWS – 30+mins (ex. rawhide, bully/pizzle sticks, dehydrated meat/bones)
There is controversy around the use of ‘natural’ hard chews like rawhides or animal bones with dogs. They tend to be more inherently interesting than rubber or nylon chew toys, but they come with a risk of tooth breakage, splintering in the dog’s mouth and digestive system, and other health complications, especially with long-term use. There is also not as much regulation of the pet food industry, and even less with chews (that aren’t technically food). This means that companies do not have to disclose their ingredients, nor the chemicals and methods used in manufacturing. Rawhides especially are heavily processed and many owners are opting for more natural options to satisfy their dogs’ chewing urge. These chews can get pretty expensive as well if your dog gnaws through them quickly!
On the other hand, it can be hard to convince your dog that a durable, non-edible toy is tastier than a rawhide, bone, or stick. They love and need meat in their diets, and these products have a natural appeal (stink) that can keep dogs engaged for a long time. Some studies have also shown that chewing on hard raw bones can help clean dogs’ teeth as both a preventative and restorative measure (though this can also be achieved through regular brushing and/or use of edible dental treats). However, these studies only evaluated the short-term dental benefits of raw bones – it’s all a risk analysis that is up to you as the buyer! Many brands are transparent about the contents of their chews, and you can find natural, minimally-processed treat brands at many pet stores. The vast majority of dogs also don’t have issues with edible chews; these are just risks that can be somewhat reduced by supervision and shopping critically.
An alternative option that has yet to let me down are cheese chews, or ‘cheese bones’. These use a Nepalese technique of dehydrating cow and yak cheese. They are hard, but soften in the dog’s mouth, have no bones, and don’t splinter or break. They also don’t smell as bad to humans, but provide comparable appeal to dogs. They are more expensive and can be tough to find, but these are fantastic in a pinch and don’t require any preparation. You can store them at room temperature as well, in case your freezer is full of Kongs! The only drawback compared to meat chews is that cheese bones don’t have the same proven dental benefits, but that is easily supplemented.
A general safety rule for hard chews is to avoid anything you cannot indent with your fingernail; it’s also very important to supervise your dog when they are chewing, even if it’s just checking in every few minutes. Make sure you inspect their chews periodically as well and remove any splintering pieces or sections that your pet could break off and swallow or aspirate. It’s also good to check that there isn’t any blood, as sometimes sharp pieces can cause little tears in their soft mouth tissue.
SOURCES:
Himalayan Yak Chews: 11 Benefits You Need To Know – Downtown Pet Supply
https://www.industripet.com/product/lickimat-buddy/
https://www.westpaw.com/scoop/stuffable-toys-wound-pups
Raw beef bones as chewing items to reduce dental calculus in Beagle dogs – PubMed (nih.gov)
KIBBLE PARTY 