{"id":30167,"date":"2020-03-30T16:07:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-30T20:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.whenhoundsfly.com\/?p=30167"},"modified":"2020-03-30T16:09:13","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T20:09:13","slug":"dog-bored-enrichment-social-distancing-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whenhoundsfly.com\/vancouver\/dog-bored-enrichment-social-distancing-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"My Dog is Bored and is Driving Me Crazy – Enrichment During Social Distancing \/ COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dr. Sarah Shapiro-Ward<\/p>\n

Enrichment describes all the activities our dogs do which fulfill their mental, social and physical needs. Toronto dogs are typically accustomed to getting their social time through daycare, dog walkers, playdates and dog parks. Physical needs are typically met via hiking, playing fetch or walking around Toronto\u2019s streets and green spaces. Mental enrichment comes from interacting with their humans, solving puzzles and exploring their environment through their noses. With many of these activities curtailed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, what can we do to ensure our dogs cope?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Nosework<\/b><\/h3>\n

Sniffing is one of the most mentally enriching activities for our dogs \u2013 after all their sense of smell is around 40 times stronger than ours is! It may be counter-intuitive, but walking more slowly and providing your dog with plenty of time to explore scents with their noses is more enriching than walking briskly. Get the most out of your limited outdoor time by allowing your dog time to sniff!<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also plenty of ways to get your dog\u2019s nose working at home. You can take a formal scent detection class with us, for example.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatively, try playing the \u201cfind it\u201d game:<\/span><\/p>\n

Level 1 (easy): Put your dog in her crate or have somebody hold her while you hide several treats around the house. As you open the crate door cue \u201cfind it!\u201d and sit back as your dog uses their nose to search out the treats. If they are struggling after 30 seconds, offer a hint by pointing to the treat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Level 2 (intermediate): Ask your dog for a down-stay out of sight while you hide the treats. Cue \u201cfind it!\u201d to release her from the stay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Level 3 (advanced): Conceal treats in challenging locations \u2013 under the doormat, behind the sofa cushion, on a raised shelf \u2013 get creative!<\/span><\/p>\n

(PS: We’re launching our Scent Detection class for Virtual delivery very soon!)<\/p>\n

Food Puzzles<\/b><\/h3>\n

Food Puzzles are a well-known way of providing some mental enrichment for your dog. These are toys with compartments for concealed food \u2013 your dog must figure out how to roll, knock, pull or push the toy so that it dispenses the food. Unfortunately, many of our dogs figure out their food puzzles in record time, and what was a mental challenge quickly becomes just another slow feeder. Keep your food puzzles fresh and interesting by mixing them up!<\/span><\/p>\n

Training<\/b><\/h3>\n

Training is one of the best ways to keep your dog mentally stimulated, and it has the benefit of improving your dog\u2019s behaviour! Consider replacing lost exercise time with a dedicated routine of training to keep your dog busy and challenged. Work on your dog\u2019s basics by joining us for Foundation Skills Virtual classes (more information:<\/span> https:\/\/sites.google.com\/whenhoundsfly.com\/virtual<\/span><\/a>) or consider taking a more advanced class with us. During this time, we are allowing anyone to audit our classes on a Pay-What-You-Feel basis (and if your situation is that you can’t pay, that’s ok!)<\/span><\/p>\n

Set yourself specific training goals and celebrate with your pup when you reach them! Here are some training goal ideas:<\/span><\/p>\n