When you have a dog, you’ll be feeding them dinner, but hopefully not always in a bowl. Try turning dinner into a feast for the senses, like finding scattered food on your lawn, searching for food stuffed balls (see our Top Dog Toys of 2018), searching for food in a snuffle matt (see screenshot), or bobbing for wieners in a container of water.
Learn more about the best activities for environmental enrichment to help calm and relax your dog.
Please note if you’re finding food for fun and enrichment, then you might not mind if your dog chews, digs or destroys objects. That’s ok with me as long as you’re having fun. But if you think you might ever pursue scent detection or nosework for pet dogs, arrange your food so that the dog can easily get to it. Avoid chewing, digging and disturbing the scent, since those may be faulted or failed in scent detection tests or competition. You wouldn’t want the bomb dog to disturb the bomb that way. The same holds true for most disciplines e.g. for bed bug dogs, cancer detection dogs, dogs competing in sporting detection and nosework etc.
This video features some of our favorite games for sniffer dogs to find food. Try one today and see if your dog enjoys it. Let us know how you make out in the comments below.
