If you are looking for monthly new ways to help enrich your pups life, you have come to the right place!
Enrichment doesn't need to be expensive and doesn't mean you have to go out and buy a bunch of new toys or feeders! Some of the best enrichment can happen from making things at home. ALL of our Enrichment Bingo squares can be done using things found in your home!
Scroll to the bottom of this page to find out how to participate in this month's Enrichment Bingo. This month, we are excited to collaborate with a new pet store local to Okotoks (Global Pet Foods Okotoks) who will be donating an enrichment item to our winner this month
We hear the word “Enrichment” thrown around a lot with animals, but what does it actually mean?
Enrichment is something that your dog finds positive, productive, interesting, challenging and stimulating that is rooted in their “natural” behavior and enhances their quality of life!
There are so many ways that you can enrich your pets life!
It is important to remember that enrichment is about our pets, NOT us!
This is the whole reason WHY I have decided to start the monthly Enrichment Bingo... Sometimes, we need help finding new things to try with our pups in terms of enrichment to see if they enjoy it.
What are the 9 items on this month's Enrichment Bingo Card?
What the heck does it all mean?
Don't worry! Enrichment shouldn't feel scary or intimidating... just fun!
Here are video links or page links to show you what each of the 9 Enrichment Bingo activities mean and how to do them.
1. Go on a sniffari
What are the benefits of a Sniffari you may ask?
It allows for your dog to use all of their senses, helps create autonomy as they are making their own choices and most importantly just lets them be, well, dogs!
2. Try a new food topper your pup hasn't tried before
Trying new foods is so incredibly important for our pups! Not only can it help to broaden their palette, but adding in new foods can add different much needed nutrients to their diet.
Here is a list of dog safe foods that you can try as a topper for your dogs!
3. Teach your dog a new skill or trick
This can be anything you have been wanting to teach your pup! This can be a new cue like "go to bed" or a new trick!
Here is a list of novice tricks from "Do more with your dog" that you can teach your pup and work towards different trick titles!
4. Play the cup game
The cup game is a super fun and easy nose work game to play with your pups!
5. Do your dog's favorite activity
Show off your dog's favorite activity! This can be anything your dog LOVES!
6. Play the muffin tin game
The muffin tin game is a super easy brain game that has some nose work components as well! All you need is a muffin tin, some treats or your pups kibble (if you are using for a mealtime enrichment activity) and some balls/ something to put in the muffin tins to cover the treats/kibble.
7. Play hide & Seek with your pups
All you need to do is ask your pup to "wait", go and hide around a corner or in another room and say "come find me". The joy in their faces when they find you is absolutely adorable and heartwarming!
8. Do barkour on your dog walk
Barkour is basically helping your pup build confidence in a fun and exciting way! You can teach them to jump up on rocks, go play in a playground (when there are no kids around), jump up on barricades or trees and so much more!
9.
2 Days of no bowl feeding
Dogs are naturally scavengers and so by ditching the bowl, you are allowing for them to tap into their natural senses and find enrichment in eating!
There are so many ways that you can do this (that don't involve spending money on snuffle mats) like scatter feeding in the backyard if you don't have a dog who is a resource guarder or by hiding their food around the house and allowing them to search for it!
Here is a resource that shares some other ways to ditch the bowl!
How to participate:
Participating in our enrichment bingo is fun and free!
All you need to do is choose which enrichment bingo square activities you would like to participate in, take a video of you and your pup doing it and tag us (@sunsoutpawsoutyyc) and Global Pet Foods Okotoks (@globalpetfoods.okotoks) in your story when you post it!
Each square that you complete is 1 entry into our enrichment bingo prize!
Complete all 9 of the enrichment bingo squares? You will get another 9 bonus entries towards our enrichment bingo prize!
Share with your friends and family and challenge them to try something new with their pup!
Have any questions? Feel free to message us at any time!
Have fun!
