Cheap enrichment

How’s the weather where you live? Most of Eastern New Mexico woke up to a blanket of snow this morning. Tucumcari has warmed up a bit, and the sidewalks are clear, so the Pest and I will probably go for a walk this afternoon, but this seems like an opportune moment to show you a cheap way to tire your dog out if you’re stuck indoors and can’t go for a walk safely.

Dogs — especially working breeds — benefit greatly from activities that require them to figure things out. Puzzle feeders, snuffle mats, lick mats, and Kongs stuffed with treats, are all good for dogs because they keep their minds engaged and encourage instinctive behaviors. Mental exercise is exhausting, and it’s really good for dogs to do it.

Ramona the Pest and Pearl, a.k.a. Burrito Dog, love sniffing for treats, and nothing delights Pearl more than the opportunity to tear up paper, so I made them a special present the other day: I took old egg cartons, sprinkled kibble into them, and then tore up some brown packing paper I’d pulled out of an Etsy shipment, wadded the paper into balls with more kibble in the middle, and tucked the paper balls into the egg cartons. I made one for each dog, but of course they are busybodies who can’t mind their own business, so the whole pack spent 45 minutes snuffling through each other’s egg cartons, hunting for kibble somebody might have missed.

This was a great activity to keep them occupied on a chilly evening. It made their food more interesting, gave Ramona something to think about, and provided the Burrito with a primo opportunity to tear up paper with total impunity. They had fun playing, and I had fun watching them. When they finished, they were worn out and content to spend the rest of the evening taking it easy.

If your dogs are driving you crazy in the house on a snowy day, an egg carton and some old paper cost nothing and will keep them out of your hair for a while. Here’s an Insta video that shows our girls having a good time with their sniffy toys:

You’ll have to spend a few minutes picking up the paper when they get done, but that’s a pretty small price to entertain your dog (and yourself) for the better end of an hour.

Emily