Enrichment and Lickmats
Signs of Spring are all around us, bright colours break through our flower beds, from their winter slumber. Birdsong fills the air along with the gentle buzz of bumblebees setting out for a day's work. The nights are getting lighter and sometimes if we’re lucky we have warmer weather and more sunlight. I don’t know about you, but I adore the warmer weather and Spring is a taster of the Summer that's on the horizon. A gentle sunny Sunday afternoon is perfectly paired with time pottering in the garden with the dogs. My dogs will actively graze on long spring grass and other dog safe plants such as mint. I find it truly fascinating how our dogs can self select and scavenge through the hedgerows to support their body in whichever way they see fit. Interestingly ingesting grass can sometimes be discouraged due to the 50/50 chance of which end it will reappear. Dogs will commonly eat grass to perge from the body, whether this is through vomit or passing through the GI Tract like a pipe cleaner. Obviously if you have serious concerns about the volume of grass being ingested speak with your vet who can further explore this with you.
Along with Spring comes Easter! I have many happy childhood memories of going on an Easter Egg hunt, so of course I will help recreate this for my dogs. We predominantly use our sight to find hidden eggs, dogs will call upon their nose to help them complete the job. Us humans have 6 million smell (olfactory) receptors and dogs have a whopping 300 million! That is quite a big difference, so tapping into this enhanced sniffing ability is a fabulous way to provide enrichment for your canine companion. This is a really easy one to set up, pop your dog in one room and hide treats around the house. I would say with a multi dog household to allow one dog to go at a time, so they focus on the task at hand instead of who will get to the treat first. To make this tougher if you have a super sniffer, hide treats in empty loo rolls or empty cereal packets to make it that little bit trickier. You will be surprised how quickly this will tire your dogs out without even breaking into a sprint. The part of a dog's brain that is dedicated to processing smells is in fact 40 x larger than ours! It doesn’t just have to be Easter themed, other enrichment activities are great all year round for dogs across the board.
Can every dog benefit from enrichment?
Well in my humble opinion yes, there is something for every dog! Enrichment activities are fast becoming recognised as a must have in the home with our dogs. We have to remember that our canine companions have to blend into our way of life, so it is important for their own mental and emotional well being that we facilitate avenues in which to express natural behaviours. Lick mats and brain games are a fantastic way to channel this behaviour and with so many variations you can facilitate a truly engaging experience.
The Recovering Dog
Resting a dog can look different depending on several factors such as, surgery, a strain, an orthopaedic condition and or an old injury rearing its head. Whether it is 6 weeks strict crate rest or 5-7 days of taking it steady enrichment is going to be key! If we’re poorly, resting and watching trash TV is a must. Our dogs have no appreciation for ‘Come Dine With Me’ so enrichment is the next best thing! Keeping the mind active can help manage the risk of reinjury, fussing over stitches and avoiding low demeanour from no exercise.
The Reactive Dog
No matter the reactivity issue, the stress response is the same. Stress is corrosive on the body, the stress chemical Cortisol level spikes and takes 72 hours to come back down to base… that’s if we don’t have other reactions on top! Alongside working with a registered trainer, enrichment can help to decompress and nurture self soothing behaviours.
The Giddy Dog
Sometimes in clinic I will work with dogs who get wired with minimal hand contact, they just implode with giddiness! When trying to work on a particular area, I do need a certain degree of stillness and calm, which can be super difficult for some dogs. Using a lick mat in particular can help draw focus away from what I’m doing, as for most dogs food triumphs over all! Giving a giddy dog a job can help channel that energy to the task at hand. I have also found using lickmats and brain games of great help when taking one of my dogs to a busy place, such as the pub. Keeping them distracted in a highly stimulating environment can aid in desensitising to said environments, thus meaning more chilled pub trips. I mean who doesn’t want a bit of that!
Here are my all time favourites for enrichment!
Lickimats- I’ve used two large Lickimats in my clinic, on rotation for over two years and they’re STILL going! Five days a week use, many runs through the dishwasher. They’re slightly bald in the middle from over eager dogs pulling at it with their teeth, but they still have plenty of life!
SodaPup lick mats- These mats are more expensive, however they have much thicker ridges and are more sturdy. Plus they have AWESOME designs, the sugar skill is my favourite.
Sodapup Black Sugar Skull- This is so hardcore in strength! A cute design but really robust for those heavy chewers. Fill with loose treats for your dog to bat around the room to get treats of freeze raw in for a much longer enrichment experience.
Kong- With too many variations to mention, there is something for every dog across the board! From the traditional Kong shape for stuffing treats in, to fabric toys with pockets in to search out treats. A real staple brand to have in the dog cupboard.
Injoya- An amazing array of snuffle mats, balls and toys! These fleece based products are perfect for setting up a Sniffari at home. The Snail Rollup is adorable but only suitable for one my dogs Lily. The other two are total savages so I tend to stick to non fleece for them, every dog is individual.
Nina Ottoson- If you have a super brainy dog these are next level for brain games! Your dogs really have to get ‘paws on’ to solve these puzzles!
My go to treats across the board for enrichment would be,
JR Pate- 100% single source protein product. I find the rabbit and salmon pate easiest to spread on lick mats and the rest of the pate range are firmer for chopping up and hiding. Not forgetting their handy training treat sized single protein treats are great for hiding too.
Anco- This pate is firm has a variety of proteins in different sizes, but also have some great additional herbs such as chamomile and chia seeds. Great for spreading and chopping!
Finer by Nature- The pate is firm enough to cut into chunks but surprisingly spreads really well. The pate tubes are also huge and great value for money for multi dog households. They also have a 80% meat treat range, handy little biscuits for hiding and a firm favourite in our house.
It goes without saying that your dog shouldn’t be left unsupervised with enrichment activities. They are robust but not indestructible so to keep them in their best condition follow care guides and supervise usage.
Remember last Saturday of the month you can catch me in store to talk about all things joint health!
Continue to nourish your dogs with, species appropriate nutrition, massage and compassion.
Catch up soon,
Yaz x
