As dog owners help their
pets learn the rules of human society, we also put limits on how they
interact with their environment.---"Don’t
smell the neighbor’s butt!”---“Stop sniffing the ground! We’re walking
now.”---“Take your nose out of the fridge!”---
Dogs use their noses much more than we
humans do, so give your dog a chance to sniff it! Here are a few easy ways to let your dog use his nose.
1. Throw some of your dog’s food in the grass and let him hunt for the tiny pieces of kibble.
2. Using an old muffin tin, place dry food in the bottom of the tin and
place tennis balls on top of the food. Let your dog “find” the food
under the tennis ball.
3. Try stacking some egg cartons together with some dry food in between. Click on the video below to see an example of this do-it-yourself toy.
These are just a few simple ways you can encourage your dog to use his nose. Use your imagination, try a few sniff-it games of your own, and let your dog hunt!
Not convinced? Here are some more great reasons to play sniff it games with your dog.
Hunting ...
1. Burns calories.
If you’re watching your pet’s waistline, try some sniff games!
2. Provides mental stimulation.
Bust your pup’s boredom by hiding some treats around the house.
3. Builds confidence.
Increase your dog’s interest in engaging with
environment by placing cookies in the yard or house for him to find.
If you're asking yourself the question - why interactive toys? Check out my blog entry Leaving the Bowl Behind.
Interactive Food Toys
There are a number of considerations when choosing a food toy for your dog. Here are a few things to consider before you make a decision.
Will your dog be supervised when using the toy? Or will you leave it with him when he's crated or alone at home?
Toys that your dog utilizes under supervision can be somewhat less sturdy. On the other hand, toys left with your dog while unsupervised should be able to withstand concentrated chewing and a frustrated dog's attempts to retrieve the very last crumbs inside the toy.
Here are a few toys I've found to be sturdy and typically survive most dogs' persistent attempts to retrieve the food inside.
Everlasting Fun Ball: The jelly-like material is much sturdier than it appears.
Kong Extreme: Marketed for aggressive chewing, strong-jawed dogs. This is quite a sturdy toy and is frequently used by working dog handlers.
And one that is less sturdy, but an excellent toy for less persistent dogs or for use under supervision...
Tricky Treat Ball: The plastic is not all sturdy and can easily be chewed. This is a great toy for dogs less likely to chew while retrieving the food inside.
Do you want to be part of the game? Or would you prefer your dog to work on them on his own?
Some toys are specifically intended to be used under very close supervision (not at all sturdy) or require frequent reloading for your dog to enjoy. All of the toys above (the Kong Extreme, Everlasting Fun Ball, and Tricky Treat ball) are intended for your dog to work on with little or no human aid. Here is a toy that you can play with your dog. The very popular Nina Ottosson line of toys fall in this category.
Spot Seek a Treat: Requires frequent re-loading and is not at all sturdy - but great fun for and your dog together!
How much space will your dog have to play with his toy?
Some toys work best when the dog has a little room to play with it; others are great in any space, including a crate. The Kong is a great crate toy, as is the Everlast ball. One of my favorite toys, the Kong Wobbler, requires a bit more space. I find that Premier's Busy Buddy Barnacle can best be enjoyed in a slightly larger space, so it's not my first choice in a crate.
Kong Wobbler: Very easy to load, but best used in a larger space.
Barnacle: Can be used in a crate, but your dog can utilize more strategies with more room. This toy in particular lends itself to a number different problem-solving strategies.
What type of food do you plan to use?
If you have no preference, no worries. Some toys work better distributing kibble; others are better with small treats or even a mixture of dry and wet. Premier's Busy Buddy line of toys seems to universally work well with kibble, though some of the toys certainly can be used with wet food and treats.
A good comparison is the Busy Buddy Squirrel Dude and the Classic Kong. The Kong can be stuffed in a variety of ways, but putting loose kibble in it is an incredibly easy win for most dogs. The Squirrel Dude is somewhat similar to the classic Kong, but it has small prongs in the opening that make it ideal for use with loose kibble.
Squirrel Dude: Not visible from the picture, but there is an opening at the bottom of the toy. Inside the opening, there are a number of prongs that allow kibble to slowly fall out.
Do you have concerns about your flooring or noise?
Some toys are made of hard plastic and might scuff delicate flooring or make noise on hard floors. The Kong Wobbler is quite loud and can damage very delicate flooring. Contrast the Wobbler with the Everlasting Fun Ball. You'll find the material of the Everlasting Fun Ball very forgiving on floors.
What's your budget?
There are a number of interactive toys on the market and more are appearing all the time. But if you are on a tight budget, you can improvise some nifty toys. Here is just one idea.
Either stack the cartons or close the lid for a simple, home-made interactive food toy.
Vegas has unstacked the egg carton and is eating the kibble he's found inside.
Non-Food Interactive Toys
I use and prefer food toys, primarily because 1) I use them as a bowl replacement and 2) almost all dogs can be encouraged to engage with a food toy. But recently I've seen a number non-food versions, most utilizing plush toys and tennis balls as the high value item. If you have a tennis crazy, toy-loving hound, then look for my future blog post on non-food interactive toys!
Are you feeding your dog out of a bowl? If you are, you're missing out on an opportunity. You can exponentially increase your dog's daily enrichment without a significant time investment on your part, but you have to leave the bowl behind.
Why is enrichment important for your dog?
If you have the bouncy dog that desperately needs a job, providing more enrichment can help to satisfy that need.
If your dog suffers from behavioral problems stemming from boredom, enrichment can help. Note: Always seek professional training advice for behavioral problems including but not limited to aggression, separation anxiety, and phobias.
If you have an unpredictable schedule that allows you to provide for your dog's exercise needs most, but not all of the time, enrichment can help to fill that gap.
Hunt, Train, or Play for all food.
When I welcomed German Shorthaired Pointers into my life, I adopted the mantra hunt, train or play for all food. With multiple GSPs in my house - it's served me and my sanity well!
1. Hunt: Having your dog hunt, whether for food or a trained target odor, can be a great way to feed meals. When hunting for a target odor, I feed a very high value reward initially then add in a handful or 2 of kibble as a secondary reward. NOTE: To see full comments in the video, you must expand to full screen.
You can even do something as simple as throwing a handful of kibble in your grass for your dog to hunt. If you have ants in your area, put the kibble in a vented container and hide in the yard or the house.
2. Train: Be creative! "Training" doesn't have to be about formal training sessions. Here are a few ideas:
Measure out half of your dog's dinner and reward him with a few kibbles at a time for laying down on his place while you prepare dinner.
Does your dog have a stay? Try this exercise! It's quick and easy to do (breakfast exercise!) and a great way to build in distraction to your stay. Buddy's Chance covers this exercise in Master Manners. NOTE: To see full comments in the video, you must expand to full screen.
3. Play: This is where I use food toys. I've provided a clip of one type of food toy. This toy was completely new to Vegas, the dog in the video. Here are the stats:
Premier's Busy Buddy Barnacle
Size: Medium
Difficulty: Medium with small kibble and Difficult with large kibble.
Qty of Food Toy Holds: 1/2 cup of a medium/large size kibble
Vegas' Play Time: 17+ minutes
NOTE: To see full comments in the video, you must expand to full screen.
For more information on introducing food toys, which toys I like the best, and other fun food toy facts, check back for my blog entry Choosing & Introducing Interactive Toys.
In Conclusion
You'll notice there is quite a bit of overlap between each of these. There is some play in training, some hunting in play, etc. The most important thing is that you're utilizing meals for enrichment. So leave the bowl behind, increase the enrichment that you're providing your dog, and give your dog a little more fun. Everyone wins!
