The modern, city-dwelling, companion dog is increasingly living a life of abundance. Doggy dedicated luxuries like Pupper Cups, Pawtisseries by Maison de Pawz, home-delivered fresh meals like Pet Plate and The Farmer’s Dog, plush beds and even doggie sofas. Many of today’s dogs are free of the stress and worry of when their next meal will be and where they will find shelter or safe drinking water. This is a stark contrast to an animal in the wild who spends most of their time and energy searching for these necessities. Whilst this search can be stressful, it gives these animals a job to do, an outlet for their energy, and keeps them mentally stimulated.
I don’t want to confuse anyone into thinking that we should add stress to a dog’s life or remove their luxuries. Quite the opposite. We must, however, be mindful that if we remove tasks from a dog’s life we should prepare to replace them. If we don’t, a dog may find their own way of occupying themselves (like chewing your furniture or excessively barking).
Fortunately, there is a small adjustment you can make to your daily routine that will help provide your dog with physical and mental activities each day. Simply ditch the regular food bowl. Instead of using a food bowl to feed your dog, consider using interactive food toys and puzzles. Benefits of making this change include:
- Preventing bloat or digestive issues from eating too quickly.
- Providing mental stimulation for your dog.
- Keeping your dog occupied whilst they spend time alone.
- Encouraging physical activity as they attempt to extract the food.
- Boosting a picky eater’s interest in meals.
- Providing an outlet for a dog’s desire to chew.
If you haven’t used interactive food toys or puzzles for your dog before or you’re looking for something new, you will find a few of my favorites below.
Conversation