Megan’s dog, Kima, sleeps in on a beautiful lazy morning.
Looking for ideas how to put a smile on your dog’s face?
Dogs are often easy to please, but sometimes one of life’s simplest and most satisfying pleasures comes from thoughtfully adding an activity to your dog’s life. Even if it’s only taking that extra golden moment to snuggle with them on the couch and give them smooches... Below is a list of things many dogs love (keeping in mind, of course, that not all dogs will be into every single thing on this list!).
Sniffing on Walks
Dogs have incredible noses. Allowing them to use their olfactory smarts is one way to provide them with immense enrichment and joy – with the added bonus that this will tire them out!
Dissecting Toys
Does your dog lay waste to toys? Do you ever experience chagrin at the dollars you just spent on that brand spanking new toy, only to find it ripped immediately to shreds? Worry not, there is a solution: Next time you hand a new toy to your dog, whip out your camera and film the precious minutes, even seconds of pure bliss emanating from your dog’s every pore. Recording this pleasure for posterity will make every cent you spent on that toy completely worth it. (Consider buying new toys that are cheap!)
Swimming in the Pool…
…or the lake, or a river, or a pond, or the kiddie pool, or even just a plastic container filled with water that your dog can step into. On a hot summer day, nothing feels better on paw pads than refreshing cool water. Some dogs like to dunk their whole head in, some dogs will lay down in the water, and some will go swimming after that stick you tossed for them. Nothing beats the tactile sensation of cool liquid!
Our good friend, Leeloo, cools off on a hot summer day.
Digging
If your dog loves digging, let them! This is a wonderful species-appropriate behavior that will let them wallow (literally) in cool dirt and enjoy the smells of fresh earth. Digging also provides a nice core workout since they use both front legs (unlike humans, who don’t always shovel symmetrically).
Training
Dogs love to train (with positive reinforcement, of course). Even older dogs or dogs who already have a lot of skills under their belt get what we call “cookie eye” when they realize they have a chance to earn a beloved biscuit. If you want to improve your dog’s behavior, training is the perfect way to spend time with them, stimulate their brains and tire them out, AND get the behavior change you want to see!
Interactive Games
Dogs’ ancestors used to entertain themselves and expend energy hunting for food. Although modern-day domestic dogs are well-loved, and typically well-fed, this also means they are often bored. Some fun games you can play with your dog can tap into species-appropriate behavior and exercise abilities they inherited from their ancestors, but no longer use. For example, a vigorous game of tug or chase that gets your dog’s blood going will release endorphins (known in humans as “runners’ high”). Hint: Endorphins make your dog happy!
Work-To-Eat Puzzles
Another way to provide your dog with enrichment that plays to their ancestral abilities is through work-to-eat toys. The pet toy manufacturing industry has exploded with a dazzling array of toys that not only slow down fast eaters, but also make eating a festival of activity. There is absolutely no reason to feed your dog out of a traditional bowl. If you’re short on time (or just feeling lazy!), you can pour kibble into a Snoop (by PlanetDog) or even into a takeout container that had last night’s leftovers in it – or chuck your dog’s kibble across the lawn and let them take a good long time to find it all. Your dog will have a blast and working for their food will help to tire them out.
Playing with Other Dogs
Just as humans often crave the company of other humans, so do many dogs. That said, just as you know who you like to hang out with and how many people makes a comfortable gathering, your dogs may likewise have a preference for the number and type of other dogs they want to be around!
Snoozing in a Sunbeam
Sometimes opening up a curtain or making a sunny spot on the patio accessible to your dog is all that is needed to allow your favorite fur-buddy to take a pleasurable snooze in a swath of sunlight.
Hanging with the family
There is a reason dogs are often our best friends. As much as we love to hang out and cuddle with them, they love it right back. Don’t forget to take a few extra moments in your day to tell your dog all about your day and ask them how theirs was. Maybe hold a paw affectionately and give them a scratch on the ear or on their rump – or find that spot that makes them play the air guitar – the one where, if you hit just the right rib, their hind leg scratches the air. Or simply let them lay contentedly near your work area or follow you around as you go about your evening chores, soliciting the occasional pat and “whoosag’boy?”.
Me hugging my very good dog, Jared.
A version of this ‘blog was published in the quarterly magazine 4 Legs & a Tail, Northern VT & New Hampshire edition, September 2, 2019.