By Fran Jewell
Enriching your dog’s life is so much more than walking in the woods, the dog park or out Trail Creek. In fact, many of my clients are overwhelmed by the dogs that mug, jump and aggress their dogs when they try to take their dog for a walk. With the most regretful and saddened heart, I must say that our Valley, which used to be dog friendly, is becoming dog unsafe. I am not here to discuss aggression at this moment, but I am here to discuss alternatives to putting your dog in an unsafe environment.
Our dogs mean so much to us that we want the best for them. We want to enjoy them and see that they are happy and healthy. The first thing that should be on everyone’s mind is to get some training for your dog so you have a communication tool with them. Simple family and home manners are imperative for you and your dog to be happy. Puppies should start training the MOMENT they come home, not at six months old or even after they have their shots. Private training can start your pup off with dramatic results. There is a critical imprinting period up to 16 weeks old. During those important weeks up to four months, puppies can learn skills that will last their lifetime.
Many of you know I breed German shepherd puppies. I start training with them the second day after birth. There is so much that can be done to enrich their lives and help them to be social, loving and well-adjusted, resilient dogs at such an early age. In that regard, puppies are so much like children. Leaving training until they are six months old is like putting a human baby in a dark closet for their first six months. YIKES!!!
Enrichment consists of new experiences that can be given to ANY dog, regardless of age, that helps them to use their natural instincts. The most important and significant instinct for any dog is to use his nose. If a dog is encouraged to use his nose (I do this with my three-day-old puppies), he will be forever happy and his life enriched. This doesn’t mean you have to do competition nose work or scent work; it means you can do fun things every day in your very own yard or house! Even if you do scent games three days a week, you can dramatically help your dog learn to focus, burn off excess energy, and give him confidence he may never have known before.
There are so many ways to do scenting activities. One of the simplest is to toss your dog’s meal into the grass in a widespread area. Let him find his meal with his nose. You can take treats and hide them around your yard. I use cut-up hardboiled eggs on Easter for my dogs to find in the backyard. Such a healthy treat! They go bananas! You can hide food-stuffed bones or toys in the yard for them to find, too.
My favorite exercise comes from detection/search-and-rescue training, which is to put food in a box. Put several boxes out and place kibble or treats in all the boxes. Then place the food in only one box among all the others to make it more challenging. Eventually, you can put the box with food in it under another box. If the box has a lid, you can close the lid for your dog to open. It’s all problem solving and exciting. You would be surprised how many dogs are afraid to put their head in a box. Once they figure it out, it helps to increase their personal confidence.
Scent opportunities are a great way to exercise a dog’s mind, not just his body. In the process, your dog will be filled with joy and more confidence.
Enrichment comes in many forms and is especially good for older dogs that can’t walk well anymore or puppies that shouldn’t be in public areas until they are fully vaccinated. Use your imagination to give your dog a better life beyond just walking!
Fran Jewell is an IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, NADOI Certified Instructor and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC in Sun Valley. For more information, visit positivepuppy.com or call 208-578-1565.