Getting Started with Enrichment Toys

If you're looking to get started with enrichment toys for your small dogs, here are a few quick tips to get you started.

According to the RSPCA website, "Enrichment involves mentally and physically stimulating activities that engage an animal's mind, body, and senses (e.g., smell, taste, sound, smell, touch)". In other words, you are providing toys or activities that involve your dog interacting with the toy in a way that engages them instinctually and with multiple senses.

Pick a toy or activity that is "easy" by nature

This means that you pick a toy that gives your dog an "easy win". Ideally, these toys can be stairstepped and have a way to increase the difficulty level as your dog gains confidence and ability in enrichment toys.

Make Sure the Toy is Safe

This means that the toy is made of materials that are free of heavy metals, are non-toxic, and durable. Oftentimes, the cheap "fast fashion" toys that have become so prevalent are easily destroyed, leaving your dog vulnerable to ingesting harmful ingredients. This also means that the toy is size appropriate- if it's too small, it can be a choking hazard, and if it's too large, it can be dangerous for them to carry around. As far as enrichment toys, the size is even more important because as they engage with the toy more to seek out the treat, there is a bigger danger that they could get they mouth or nose stuck, so you want to make sure that the area where the treat is hidden is small enough that that isn't possible.

Start Easy

Use the highest value treats for your dog.  When you first show your dog the enrichment toy, make it as easy as possible- leave the treats partially exposed... you might even need to pull the treats out further or make them more obvious if your dog is struggling to engage. 

Don't Give Them Any (other) Treats While they are Engaging with Toy

You basically don't want to reward them outside of the toy at this point so they learn that seeking out the treat in the toy is the only way to get the "prize".

Slowly Increase the Difficulty

Once your dog is successful at this level, slowly bury the treats deeper, or make it more difficult- if your dog struggles at the next level of difficulty, try to make it slightly easier, and then increase the difficulty again.

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Enrichment toys are an incredible tool to help your dog engage all of their senses, by starting slowly and increasing the difficulty, you can make sure they gain confidence in the process and have a lifelong love of enrichment toys.