Enrichment Ideas for Snowy Days
- pupparentpawmunity
- Jan 30, 2022
- 2 min read
It can be hard to get outside and take your pup for walks on cold, snowy days (or even rainy days). When physical activity isn't appealing to either of you, mental stimulation can be a good substitute. Here are some ideas to help keep your dog occupied when stuck inside.
Training
Being stuck inside can be a great opportunity to work on some of your training goals. You can teach your pup a new trick or practice skills they have already learned. This both engages their mind and also helps strengthen your bond. Not sure where to start? This article from Dogster.com has some great training tips and step by step instructions for teaching various tricks.
Here's Milo demonstrating one of his favorite tricks, High Five.
Puzzle Games
Puzzle games are fun, rewarding, and help keep your dog's mind busy. There are puzzle games that you can purchase (our favorite is this one from Outward Hound, and they have ones for all skills levels), and ones that you can DIY at home. A popular but simple DIY puzzle game at our house is Find the Treat:
Place 3 solo cups in a line and upside down on the floor.
Put their favorite treats under 1 of them. Depending on your dog's skill level, you can show them which one the treat is under when you are setting it up, or you can hide it from them.
Let your pup sniff and knock over cups to find the treats, and the treats are the reward for their hard work.
You can repeat this as many times as you want, placing the treats under different cups each time.
Snuffle Mats
Snuffle mats are a fun way to engage your pup's instinctual drive to sniff and find food. They are designed for you to hide food or treats within them, and then your pup has to dig around and sniff to find them. You can buy a snuffle mat at most major retailers (this one from AWOOF is one of our favorites), or you can DIY it.
DIY snuffle mat:
1. Grab a towel and lay it flat on the
floor.
2. Put your hand in the middle of the
towel, and twist it up (see photo)
3. As you twist the towel, add treats
or kibble in the folds.
4. Once you've twisted it all the way
up, let your pup find the hidden
treats.
We hope these tips help make your next snow day more fun and enriching for both you and your pup. Let us know what your favorite enrichment activities are in the comments!
This post contains some affiliate links, but all products recommended have been tried and tested by us & are ones we truly recommend.
Comments