6 Quick Tips for Enriching Your Dog's Environment
Boredom is the worst. When I’m bored, I find myself scrolling through social media aimlessly or playing a game on my phone to kill some time. It’s not just us humans who fall into bad habits though. Dogs do too.
One of the easiest ways to keep your dog blissfully busy is exercise. My dog absolutely loves playing with her toys, but she especially loves it when I play with her and do tug a war with her toys or throw them around for her to catch them.
She also loves when I chase her around the house/yard, she gets tons of energy and will just run around me in circles and then the minute I try and get close to her she will keep running.
She also really enjoys wrestling with me or my spouse and goes frantic, it's one of the best ways for us to get her energy out and to make her tired.
It doesn't take much for her cause she is small, but I know she absolutely enjoys every minute of playtime.
While physical exercise is important for dogs, they also need to keep their brains busy too! Here’s my
quick tips to enrich your dog’s environment to help them stay mentally and physically active - and out of
trouble.
Tip #1: Try a game of wrestle
Families that play together, stay together! I make sure to spend at least 30-45 minutes playing with
Echo every day. We get to bond and exercise which is important because it keeps her mind and body busy, but also gives her some needed attention from her owners so she feels loved and appreciated.
Tip #2: Put on some classic music
If you work outside the home or plan on being away for a while, leave some music on. Echo absolutely loves listening to some nice calming tunes. I’m a big fan too!
Music is great for enriching the environment but also gives them a feeling of having someone around when we are not home. It also helps with anxiety and stress.
It's important to make sure to keep the music in your home at a lower volume so it's not too loud for their sensitive ears. It's also important to choose a genre that is gentle and not too heavy (for example, heavy metal, rap or alternative are probably not great choices) as this will help prevent your dog from being agitated or stressed by the noise.
A good option to consider is "Through a dog's ear" - soundtracks for dogs.
Tip #3: Leave the TV on for the day
No, my dog doesn’t like watching Dead to Me but she is a big fan of the nature channel with anything animal related. There’s so many new sounds on these channels that my dog is not ever heard so it really gets her ears listening and focusing on the sounds.
Every dog is different so play around and see what your dog actually finds engaging/entertaining.
Tip #4: Change up your scent in your home
A new smell can spark curiosity in your dog. I especially love Lavender for my dog because Lavender oil is a fantastic scent to promote calmness and reduce nervousness and stress in anxious or hyperactive dogs.
Make sure you are responsible with scents though, especially anything that goes on or near your dog.
Some stuff is toxic.
Tip #5: Change up your flooring/or blanket decor
Changing the floor textures or temperature can add a new experience for your dog. I swapped out my
bedding for a plush throw blanket on the end of our bed. My dog just loves it, everytime I am in the bedroom it's the first place she goes is on the blanket, rolls around and curls up in the blanket.
It also made my bedding look a little brighter with the color and keeps us and our fur baby warm at night.
You don’t need a full-blown remodel though! Adding a new throw rug could do the trick.
Tip #6: Show them the world!
Before I leave the house, I make sure to keep some of her favorite toys nearby especially if I plan to be away for longer periods of time. I also make sure to allow for lots of natural light in her area where she stays, she also really enjoys sitting by the windows on warm days to get some sunshine on her fur.
Echo loves our neighborhood cause we always have so many people walking by, so more dogs and people for her to see everyday.
