Behavioural Topics - Let's Talk about Enrichment

In Lisa Hird's latest Behavioural Top article she explains how best to use enrichment. This is useful advice for all breed, not just German Shepherds, although GSDs do tend to require stimulating activities like this - or they may make their own!

Discover more about Lisa's work, ethos, and training experience on her website: https://www.dogbehaviourclinic.co.uk/

 Let's Talk about Enrichment

Enrichment for our dogs seems to be the buzzword at the moment. In many ways, this is great news. We should be providing activities that are mentally stimulating and enrich our dogs environments. But - there is always a but - enrichment can actually cause more problems if it isn't suited to the individual dog. 

Individual is one of my favourite words whether we are talking about activities, walks, diet, motivators, environment - we must take into account the individual dog.

There are some amazing Facebook pages and groups that have lots of truly innovative ideas for mental stimulation and enrichment.

However, we must consider the individual dog! I have spoken to quite a few people who say their dog is not interested in puzzle games/mental stimulation/enrichment ideas.

Providing enrichment isn't as straightforward as just giving a puzzle toy though. As with any training we do with our dogs, we must set them up for success.

For example:

My male Staffie is a real problem solver, but my female Staffie soon gets bored if she can't get to the food quickly enough. In fact, she would bark in protest! Not something we want to encourage!

My German Shepherd girl is wary of new things and won't even attempt some puzzle games. If it hasn't got real chicken or ostrich treats it isn't worth attempting. If we make the game too difficult or too noisy she may become anxious.

Things to consider:

How we introduce the puzzle - for nervous dogs it is a good idea to prepare the activity first to avoid making lots of noise while setting it up. Quietly place on the floor and encourage the dog to engage - and then let the dog explore. Choose something really easy such as a treat underneath an old towel or treats in a cutlery draw organiser, along with some toys.

The difficulty level - if the puzzle is too difficult, dogs will not engage and it can have the opposite effect. Instead of building confidence it can actually decrease it.  Start with easy puzzles so the dog enjoys finding the food and gradually increase the difficulty level. Set them up to succeed.

The food we use - if the dog is not motivated by the food he is unlikely to bother working to find it. Using a portion of their dinner might work later on, but we need to use something tasty, at least to begin with. Moist, soft treats tend to work best.

Where we use it - if you have a multi dog household we need to be careful not to cause problems between dogs. Some dogs will be reluctant to interact if there is another dog around. Stair gates between dogs or dogs in other rooms often provide a feeling of security and allow the dogs to explore. In multi dog households a little 1:1 time with each dog is a good thing to do anyway.

Which puzzles we use - A Kong Wobbler for example would not be a good idea for a noise phobic or nervous dog. These are designed to roll around - have you heard one when it hits a radiator?

If your dog does not seem interested in using puzzle toys, scattering treats in the garden or hiding them behind pots/seats/sheds etc can often encourage them to engage.