Canine Feeding for Enrichment

Day 1: Why Ditch the Bowl? & Easy First Steps Goal: Understand why traditional bowl feeding limits your dog & explore simple, effective alternatives. Key Lessons: The downside of bowl feeding & how it wastes a valuable training tool. The benefits of enrichment feeding, including mental stimulation, slower eating, & improved behaviour. Practical ways to introduce hand-feeding & basic food puzzles. Practical Exercises: Hand-Feeding Bonding Session: Feed 50% of your dog’s daily food by hand while reinforcing basic commands like ‘sit’ & ‘look at me.’ Food Scatter Game: Scatter a portion of kibble for your dog to sniff out, engaging natural foraging instincts. Day 2: Making Meals Work for You Goal: Use food as an effective training & enrichment tool. Key Lessons: How to structure meals as training sessions. The confidence-boosting benefits of problem-solving through food-based challenges. Introducing interactive feeding tools such as snuffle mats, slow feeders, & Kong toys. Practical Exercises: Training Through Meals: Reinforce commands like ‘stay,’ ‘come,’ & ‘leave it’ using food rewards. Interactive Feeder Challenge: Replace the bowl with an enrichment tool like a Kong, snuffle mat, or slow feeder. Day 3: Level Up – Customising Enrichment for Your Dog Goal: Make enrichment feeding a sustainable habit tailored to your dog’s needs. Key Lessons: Choosing the right feeding strategy based on your dog’s personality (e.g., high-energy vs. anxious dogs). Creating a routine that suits your lifestyle while keeping your dog engaged. Preventing frustration & maintaining a fun, rewarding experience. Practical Exercises: Problem-Solving Meal: Hide food in a puzzle toy or DIY feeding challenge (e.g., rolled-up towels or boxes). Adventure Feeding: Use part of your dog’s meal on a walk to enhance engagement & recall training. Bonus Resources: ✔️ An enrichment feeding check ✔️ Access to a private support group for sharing progress and ideas.