What If Dog Enrichment Isn’t Working?
Enrichment toys and activities are more than just the latest fad in pet care, these practices got their start with zookeepers and veterinarians as a way to improve the quality of life for their zoo animals. For household pets, enrichment can help prevent many problem behaviors like: excessive barking, escape attempts, anxious chewing, and general hyperactivity.
Learning more about different enrichment techniques is a great place to start figuring out what works best for you and your dog. If you have multiple dogs in your household, you may also need different activities or toys for each dog to feel satisfied.
But if your dog isn’t interested in the activities or toys, how can you get their attention? Let’s break down some of the most common problems:
Why Doesn’t My Dog Like Enrichment Toys?
There are several reasons why your dog may not be engaging with the enrichment toys that you’ve brought home. So before you throw out the Kongs and snuffle mats, try these tips:
Tailor to your dog's needs. Enrichment isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Spend some time observing their behavior. Knowing what captures your dog's interest (other than you) versus what gets them calm and settled down, can help guide what enrichment you offer them.
Let the problems guide you. Take a moment to think about what your dog’s struggles, anxiety, or problem behaviors are. For example, if they have a bad habit of destroying furniture — toys that give them a positive outlet to shred or tear something may be the most useful.
Variety is king. Even if your dog likes the toy you’ve gotten them, they may not want to play with it every day. Make sure your dog gets different types of enrichment including enrichment toys, food-based enrichment, healthy socialization time, and regular exercise.
Try different difficulty levels. If your dog shows no interest in a puzzle or toy, it may be because they don’t understand how to get the food or reward. Aka, it’s too hard for them! Try to make it easier for them at first by simplifying the toy or showing them how it works. Rescue dogs may be especially unfamiliar with many types of play and need you to teach them what to do.
Every dog has their own personality and will be drawn to specific toys or activities. If you’ve tried a couple of enrichment toys with no luck, you may not have found the right one for your dog yet. Thankfully there’s no shortage of options out there. You can learn more about your options in our blog on dog enrichment ideas.
You may also read this and think, “I don’t have a ton of money to experiment with different toys and treats.” However, enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive or require much, if any, financial investment. Save those cardboard egg cartons and paper towel rolls, and fill them with undyed craft paper for your dog to pull treats from.
Leftovers are another great solution. That little bit of Greek yogurt, combined with the scraps of your rotisserie chicken, can be combined and frozen for a novelty treat.
Why Doesn’t My Dog Care About Enrichment Treats?
It’s not just you, many people report that their dogs don’t have much interest in enrichment treats, such as stuffed Kongs, frozen licking mats, or homemade jerkies — and they often find them untouched when they return home. There have even been some small research studies that show that food-based enrichment activities have the smallest effect on a dog’s behavior.
Some dogs just aren’t food motivated, but for others, it could be that you haven’t discovered what gets them excited. There are a lot of healthy and tasty options out there and we encourage you to branch out or try sampler packs to see what excites your dog the most. They might also want a little variety in their treats and benefit most from rotating through different flavors or textures. Even if your dog is food-motivated, they may lose interest quickly without variety.
Overfeeding is the other main reason that dogs lose interest in food-based enrichment. If they have constant access to a full food dish, there might not be any drive for them to work through a puzzle to get a treat. It’s also easy to over-feed on dry kibble (especially if your dog is always begging for more), so make sure to talk with your vet about how much they should be eating.
What Can I Do If No Enrichment Methods Work?
If you’ve tried every toy and treat on the market and your dog still gets bored or anxious when you’re away — you’re not out of options. Ultimately, you may find that your dog thrives best with companionship.
Our professional in-home pet sitters help people like you all over San Francisco. Reach out today and let’s chat about what your dog needs.
