Enrichment Series Part Four: Putting It All Together
Over the course of June, we have discussed different enrichment components and how we can implement them into our dogs' lives. Thinking about enrichment and possibly thinking about how you might have missed out on these things before can be overwhelming. One thing to know is that no matter what, your dog loves you. If you have a bad day and miss enrichment, the world will not end, and they will still choose to snuggle with you. Being down on ourselves for what we have the capacity to provide will only stress your dog out more as they can smell stress in our breath and our sweat. All we can do is our best, and I am hoping with the course of this blog series that you have picked up on some things you can do to meet your dog's needs.
Enrichment does not need to be complicated. If you are a mom of youngsters, work full time and are also trying to keep the household moving - try throwing your dog's breakfast out in the grass in the backyard and let them sniff for it and work for it. Seems easy enough? This is actually a great form of enrichment. Every day does not need to be elaborate, and we can still do an amazing job. Realizing what we can do as well means that you are caring for yourself, and I believe a wise person once said, "you cannot care for others until you take care of yourself."
If you missed week two of this blog series where we discussed the enrichment chart, go back to read that part! An enrichment chart is an excellent way to layout things that we can do and create a plan of action for how we will move forward. The most important thing is to start small. If you want to improve on enrichment in four categories, start with one. Pick the one that you think will make the most significant difference in your dog and start there. Don't overdo it and stress yourself out - remember they know when you are stressed, even if the other humans don't.
Enrichment should be fun and beneficial for you as the handler and your dog. Enrichment should strengthen your bond. Enrichment should make you both happy.
To learn more about enrichment, what types of enrichment you can implement into your dog's life, and groups to follow for inspiration, check out the following resources:
Facebook Groups - Canine Enrichment, Pet Harmony Training (Monthly Training Challenges) and Falkor and Rescue Friends.
Books - Canine Enrichment for the Real World by Allie Bender & Emily Strong
In the end, we all want our pets to be the healthiest possible and live the longest life possible, and we want to help everyones pet stay healthy and happy! The more we study and learn of better avenues, the better their diet, their health, and their overall life will become. Have a topic you'd like us to discuss? Send an email to info@itsallaboutthepaws.org.
The information discussed here has been researched and learned from: Allie Bender at Pet Harmony Training, Canine Enrichment for the Real World, Balance Behaviour, Best Friends, and other related resources.
