Intro
Whether you're a seasoned dog owner or you've only just picked up your puppy, learning about enrichment could be the best thing you do. One of the most common questions I get asked is what is enrichment and why does MY dog need it?
In this blog post I will break down the different types of enrichment as well as why they are important to our dogs mental and physical wellbeing. I've been utilising enrichment since our Cocker Spaniel Marty first came home. My love of enrichment has grown and my knowledge on the benefits of it have also flourished. As a spaniel owner with a chronic illness I often get asked how I cope with the crazy energy that this breed commonly has, my answer is always the same....ENRICHMENT.
What Is Enrichment
So what is enrichment? Put simply enrichment is anything that engages your dogs senses. The human equivalent may be reading a book or gardening as an example. Similar to human hobbies, enrichment for dogs comes in many shapes and sizes. Whilst most people believe enrichment is purely interactive toys filled with high calorie treats, that statement could not be further from the truth.
I like to break enrichment down into 5 categories -
*Visual/Hearing
*Taste
*Touch
*Smell
*Brain