The happiest and most well adjusted pet dogs tend to be those who have all of their needs met. They get lots of love, exercise, rest and mental stimulation. Most breeds of dogs were historically bred to do a variety of jobs, from guarding homes or farms to herding sheep. These days, though, dogs don’t often have enough “work” to do to keep them occupied in our apartments or homes. Fortunately for us, it’s easy to collaborate with our kids to create some brain games that will satisfy our dogs. Here are 15 simple canine enrichment activities to do with kids.
Starter Brain Games for Dogs
It’s important that our dogs feel successful when they start to learn to engage in enrichment activities. They are a lot like our kids – and some don’t handle frustration well. The best strategy to start using brain games with dogs is to start with activities that are simple, and then increase their difficulty over time.
Safety note: If your kiddos are preparing games and food toys for your dog, be sure to be present and remain alert if the pooch is in the same room. Dogs get very excited about these types of activities and we want everyone to stay safe 🙂
1. Towel Treats
In this first game, simply start by having your kids sprinkle some treats on a flat towel and then roll it up. Most dogs will catch on very quickly and will either unroll the towel or pick it up so that all of the treats fall out. No matter what strategy they choose, mission accomplished – they solved the puzzle. Here is an example of Barley solving this puzzle.
2. Not Quite Empty
When your kids have finished the last of the peanut butter in the jar or have scooped out most of the plain yogurt, simply offer your dog the nearly empty container to lick. Make sure your dog can’t get her head stuck in the container and that they don’t consume the plastic. Safety note: only allow your dog to eat foods that do NOT contain the artificial sweetener xylitol, which is very poisonous to dogs.
3. Lick It
Invite your kiddos to spread peanut butter, plain yogurt, canned pumpkin or cottage cheese onto a Lickimat or silicone trivet with ridges. Once it’s coated, bag it and put it into the freezer for awhile. Offer it to your dog when it’s time to help the kids do homework, and it will keep the dog occupied for awhile! Here is Barley, trying this activity for the first time:
4. Fill and Freeze
Call the kids into the kitchen for this creative project. Fill small dixie cups or silicone molds with a variety of ingredients, such as beef or chicken broth, kibble, raw meat, frozen peas/carrots or other goodies, and then freeze.
5. Recycled Rolls
Instead of recycling your empty toilet paper or paper towel rolls, save them for this simple canine enrichment activity for your dog. Have your kids pinch one end together and fold it so that it remains closed. Pour in some kibbles or other dried treats, and then fold the top closed. Give it to your dog and watch as he tries to figure out how to get the treats inside. Here, you will see Dexter, one of my foster dogs, as he tries this game for the first time.
6. Sandwiches
These aren’t any ordinary sandwiches! The next time you are at the pet supply store, ask your kids to pick out some large dog biscuits. These will be the “bread” of your sandwich. Spread the filling of your choice onto one of the biscuits (xylitol-free peanut butter, cream cheese or canned pumpkin) and then top with another biscuit. You can prepare a baking tray of these and then freeze for a couple of hours. Once frozen, pour into a freezer safe container or bag and store in the freezer whenever your pup deserves a fun treat.
Getting the Hang of Canine Enrichment
7. Tugs
Look around the house or a nearby thrift store and see if you can find an old fleece blanket or towel. Have an adult or older child cut it into strips, about 2-3 inches wide. Braid three strips together, tying knots at each end, to use as a tug toy for your pooch.
8. Braids and Treats
Using some of the fleece or towel strips from the previous enrichment activity, make more braided toys for your dog. But this time, ask the kids to tuck little dried treats into the creases of the braid. Make sure that you supervise your dog with this activity in case they get confused and think the entire toy is edible! No need to turn this game into an emergency vet visit!
9. Recycled Inventions
Kari Breed, a member of the Canine Enrichment group on Facebook, came up with this fantastic project with her kids. She kindly gave me permission to use this image :-). They used empty containers and invented a fun feeding contraption for their pet dog.
10. Sandbox Archeology
If you have an unused sandbox in the yard, turn it into a fun place for your dog to dig. Have the kids hide bones, toys and edible treats in the sand, and see how long it takes your dog to find all of the hidden treasures. Added bonus: your dog will love digging here, instead of in your yard!
11. Scatter Feeding
One of Barley’s favorite ways to get breakfast or dinner is to find kibbles hidden in the yard. In order to prevent your dog from getting too frustrated, start in a small area of your yard – on a deck or in a small patch of grass. Have the kids sprinkle a handful of kibble into the designated space. Once your dog gets the hang of this game, you can spread the kibble farther. My teenage son enjoyed tossing handfuls of kibble into the lawn or onto our hillside for Barley to find. She gets REALLY excited to go “hunting” with her nose for the meal (and it makes her tired too, for the win!) ps. If the weather is horrible outside, you can hide food around the inside of your house too!
12. Get into the Kitchen
Call the kids into the kitchen to help you make some homemade salmon treats for your dog. ps. If you don’t have any canned salmon, you can use tuna or even ground turkey in this recipe! Barley and all of my client dogs LOVE this delicious treat.
13. Build It and They Will Come
Invite the kids to collect a variety of household items, such as boxes, bed sheets, broom handles, hula hoops and chairs to build an indoor obstacle course! Drape a sheet over the dining room table or chairs to create a tunnel they can all go through. Make jumps using a broom handle or some old pvc pipe. Use cardboard boxes of all sizes to make steps, jumps or even hiding places for kids or dogs! Here is a simple obstacle course that we built in the garage for two of my foster pups, along with some classic silly puppy shenanigans:
14. Snuffle Mat
This project is perfect for people who love to use their hands. You don’t even have to be particularly crafty! Use a sink mat and fleece strips to make your own snuffle mat! Here is a tutorial of how to make one.
15. Science
Have your kids design a science experiment using your dog as a subject. In order for this project to be fun for your dog, make sure that the topic of the study is something the dog enjoys doing! For example, you can test to find out if your dog prefers eggs raw, scrambled or hard boiled?
What are some of your favorite canine enrichment activities to do with your kids? I’d love to see them – feel free to share them on the Pooch Parenting Facebook page!
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