Dog toys & enrichment

Just like you, your dog needs a variety of activities to spice up their life and keep them happy and healthy. Giving your dog’s brain a workout with mental enrichment offers a range of benefits; burn off excess energy, provide entertainment, reduces stress, and prevent boredom and behaviour problems, such as anxiety.

Here we take a look at some easy ways to incorporate enrichment into your dog’s life with toys and activities and how it can ensure the wellbeing of your furry friend.

For dogs, toys are not a luxury - they’re a necessity! Dogs are highly intelligent and inquisitive creatures that love to play as much as possible! Whether they chew, shake, snuggle, tug, or fetch, dogs need a variety of engaging dog toys to help them thrive.

Here’s a list of different types of dog toy to help get you started on the right paw:

Chew toys: Chewing is a natural behaviour for dogs. For teething puppies chewing can help alleviate discomfort, while for older dogs it helps prevent boredom or relieve anxiety. Providing sufficient chewable toys can help fulfil this need – whilst saving your slippers and furniture!

Rope toys: Rope toys suit dogs of all ages and are some of the most versatile dog toys around. Rope toys are beneficial for exercising your dog’s mouth and jaw during playtime - you can hold the other end of the toy and begin a game of Tug-of-War!  

Plush toys: Plush toys are super-soft, cuddly and are a popular choice for games of indoor fetch or just to keep your pup company. Usually made from soft fabric, plush toys will retain your dog’s scent after a while and can become a source of comfort for them while you’re away, making them a great choice for puppies and anxious dogs.

Fetch toys: Almost no dog can resist chasing a ball or frisbee! Fetch toys come in many different sizes and materials to suit dogs of all sizes. To take your fetch game to the next level, try a Nerf Ball Blaster or launcher stick to help launch the ball farther and save your arm from stiffness – plus, no more picking up dirty slobbery tennis balls!

Squeak toys: Dogs love a toy that goes squeak! When a dog chomps down on a squeaky toy, they hear a sound that triggers an immediate gratifying auditory reward - which keeps them stimulated to continue playing and satisfied by their progress.

Eating the same food from the same bowl every morning and night can become a snooze! Rather than feeding from a bowl, interactive feeders and puzzle toys are a great way to teach dogs how to problem solve and use their brains to work for their favourite treats or food.

Work your dog’s mind and appetite with our favourite interactive feeders, puzzles and enrichment toys:

Kongs toys

Kongs are a fantastic source of mental enrichment and a great way to make mealtimes fun when stuffed with biscuits, treats or wet food. They can even be frozen for a tougher challenge! By keeping your dog occupied for extended periods of time, stuffed Kongs are effective in preventing boredom and providing mental stimulation.

Click here to see our 5 tips for using a Kong.

Dogs with separation anxiety and other behavioural issues (e.g. barking, whining or destructive behaviours) can benefit from Kong toys by keeping them distracted from the “bad behaviour”. This form of ‘behaviour modification’ can also be helpful for crate training puppies and building confidence in anxious dogs. While diverting their attention onto the rewarding experience of the gratifying toy, your dog will become more comfortable being crated and less anxious.

Puzzle games and interactive feeders

Nina Ottosson dog puzzles help reduce boredom and undesired behaviours by activating their natural instincts through nose work. These challenging and rewarding puzzles will engage your dog’s mind and help keep your dog focused and mentally stimulated as they search and sniff out the tasty treats!

Treat dispenser balls

Keeping your dog occupied with treat dispensing ball is an excellent way to provide mental stimulation and prevent boredom. Simply insert treats or kibble and the dispense ball will keep your dog intrigued as they roll the ball and sniff around to find ways to release the treats.

LickiMat

LickiMat is a fun enrichment aid, designed to keep your dog stimulated and entertained during mealtimes. The flat, flexible mat allows food to be spread or sprinkled on the surface to encourage licking to retrieve the tasty treat. In addition to slowing down fast eaters and reducing boredom, LickiMats are a great stress and anxiety reliever - as the repetitive licking promoted by the LickiMat releases a calming hormone into the body, helping to sooth and calm your pet.

Brain games and enrichment activities are a great way to tap into your dog's natural hunting and foraging skills. By allowing your dog to engage in these behaviours, you allow them to be physically, emotionally, and mentally satisfied.  

We’ve put together a list of fun DIY enrichment activities and games to try at home with your pooch:

Scavenger hunt: Dogs love having to hunt and forage for their food and scatter feeding can be a great way to satisfy this urge. Sprinkle their kibble or treats around the house and let your dog search it out.

Hide-and-seek: Playing ‘hide-and-seek’ works your dog's nose and reinforces their come-when-called behaviour. Start easy with this game so they're successful in finding you and give them lots of praise when they sniff you out. Once you dog gets the hang of the game, make your hiding spots increasingly trickier to challenge them.

Sniffari walks: A sniffari is an outing where your dog sniffs whatever they want and leads you where they want to go. By allowing your dog to navigate the world through all its glorious smells, this activity uses a lot of brainpower and gives your dog a great mental workout! 

Home agility course: You can make an easy agility course for your pup in a hallway or go all out with a full course out in the yard. Use regular cones or even cardboard boxes to create weaves and jumps if you don't have actual agility equipment.

Towel burrito game: Using an old towel, lay it flat and scatter some treats at varying distances over the whole area. Then roll it up into a little burrito for your dog to forage in to find the treats. You can adjust the level of difficulty with the thickness and tightness of the towel – thinner towels rolled tighter make the game more challenging!

Muffin tin game: Place treats or food in a muffin tray and place tennis balls on top. Your dog will have to use their nose and their memory skills to remember which treats they've grabbed from the muffin tin.

Three cup game: Line up three identical cups and hide a treat under one while your dog watches. Give them the ok to show you which one is the right cup and let them have the treat when they choose correctly. Once your dog gets the hang of it, you can make it more challenging by mixing up the cups after you place the treat.

DIY enrichment toy: Enrichment can be made from almost anything around the house. You can fill a cardboard box with toys, treats and newspaper to make a search game. Hiding treats or kibble in a scrunched-up paper bag for your dog to forage is a cheap and easy activity too! To keep your dog safe, ensure all DIY enrichment toys and activities are safe and suitable (non-toxic and appropriately sized) and supervise your dog when they’re playing to make sure your dog doesn’t chew or ingest anything they shouldn’t.

Enrichment does more than just alleviate boredom. It can also help your dog live a longer, happier life, and improve your bond. In other words, it’s a no-brainer! For more dog enrichment advice and tips, speak to the friendly team at your local Animates store.