Text: Barbara Kellerman
What do flowers, fortune cookies, cubes and mats have in common? The answer is obvious. They all enrich and challenge the minds of the ever-wonderful companions that we call our dogs. How? By simply being turned into enriching snuffle toys that not only make tongues wag through the addition of treats and kibbles but also excite the senses, stimulate learning and development and keep boredom at bay.
Enrichment plays an important role in the happiness and well-being of your dog, regardless of his life stage. It lets them live out their natural hunting/scavenging instincts and may even save your garden, shoes and electrical wiring from devastating destruction. If you also have doggos that scoff up their food like they haven’t been fed in three months each time you put their bowls down, then you also might want to read on as we’ll explore five of the best reasons why enrichment toys are yours and your furkid’s best friends (and the solution to your problem lies in here!):
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Mental stimulation for the pawpulation
Mentally stimulating activities play an essential role in helping to keep your dog happy and smiling and in controlling their energy levels. Just as their bodies need exercise, so too do their minds. Toys such as snuffle balls, challenger cubes and activity mats that include several different pockets and pouches are perfect examples of mind-exercising activities. One of the ways in which these toys exercise their minds is by providing them with the challenge of figuring out how to obtain all the hidden tidbits within the nooks and crannies of these toys. The energy and focus that goes into solving this problem are greatly beneficial in boosting your dog’s mental abilities as it requires them to think and do and think again, helping them to learn how to overcome an obstacle and have fun whilst doing it.
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Takes them for a walk on their wild side
Through sniffing and foraging for food and treats, your dog’s natural instincts are kept alive, and they are happier for it, as mimicking their natural scavenging behaviour is a very rewarding activity because it allows them to utilise their very curious minds and strong sense of smell. So, if you sometimes find yourself short on time to take your floof on a sniffari, having a snuffle toy available can be quite handy in satisfying your dog’s hunting and tracking needs.
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Takes them on a trip to relaxation station
Snuffle toys are great for calming nervous, anxious, hyperactive and even over-stimulated dogs that engage in a lot of high-energy and sporting activities. This is due to the calming effect that these toys can have on a dog by serving as a distraction and/or break from their surroundings or whatever situations tend to set them off. Furthermore, when dogs are on ‘bed-rest’ due to an injury or post-surgery, they can become agitated and frustrated from not being able to move freely. In these cases, snuffle toys can be equally useful in distracting them from their situation.
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It busts their boredom, so they don’t bust up everything but the kitchen sink
A bored dog can equal a frustrated dog, and a frustrated dog can lead to destructive behaviours such as the all too familiar digging to attain the deconstructed garden look and chewing everything in sight or barking as if to signal Batman to save them from a life of eternal boredom. Having a variety of enrichment toys that come in different shapes and consist of various pockets and activities can help keep your dog entertained and occupied by allowing them to search and sniff through different challenges, which ends up being a rewarding game and keeps them from creating their own destructive games.
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It helps slow down the hoovering
If you have a pooch that will knock you over with excitement over the sight of their food bowl and proceed to gobble up the food as if the apocalypse is coming, then a snuffle mat can be a saviour. Eating too quickly and swallowing without chewing can lead to bloating, choking, vomiting or other digestive problems and by scattering your dog’s food over a snuffle mat, requiring your dog to search for his food can be a great help in encouraging them to eat slower and properly chew their food.
Visit www.quadrupetsandco.co.za for pricing and orders on the snuffle toys pictured.
