Start with Mealtime

• Food-stuffed Toys and Food Puzzles: Start with easy versions and add difficulty over time.
• Hunting for Food: Scatter or hide food in boxes, around the house, or in your yard.
• Chewing Options: Soft and hard toy options, frozen toys, and edible chews.

Play with them

• Fetch: Use two toys to encourage your dog to bring the toy back and drop it.
• Tug: Play with a very large toy. If your dog’s teeth touch you, the game stops.
• Destroying toys: Buy cheap and supervise. Make your own with treat-stuffed towels

        QUICK TIP: Rotate toys and other enrichment your dog has access to so they stay interesting.​

Work their Body
A note about physical exercise: the more physical exercise your dog gets, the more they will be able to do and will need to do to be tired. Don’t create an athlete if you don’t want one!
● Walks and Sniff Walks: Simply walking may not be enough to tire your dog out but giving your
dog time to explore and sniff is a great way to use their brain.
● Running: Ask your vet about running with your dog. Start with a little and build up.
● Playing with Other Dogs: Only if it’s fun for your dog. Watch for bullying or other problem
behavior.​

Use Their Brain

• Training: Learning a new skill can wear your dog out quickly. Train useful skills, refresh known
• cues, or teach fun tricks.
• Dog Sports: Agility, rally, canine freestyle, disc dogs, dock diving, flyball, and more.
• Scent Work: Great for all dogs! Noseworks or tracking use a dog’s natural abilities and their brain. You can start with treats hidden in boxes at home or find a local class.

Get Help

If your dog needs more than you can provide each day, consider a dog walker or doggie daycare. Look

for someone that is committed to positive reinforcement and provides appropriate supervision. Staff
should be trained to understand dog body language and behavior.

Kong Recipes

Stuffing hollow toys, such as Kongs, is a great way to create a long-lasting chew, make the most of
mealtime, and provide a distraction from mischief.

Tips for Using Kongs:

• Start with a lightly packed Kong so food falls out easily. Add sticky components and pack it tighter
• as your dog learns to work harder on it.
• Layer the Kong to encourage your pup to work on it:
  • Special goodies at the bottom (dessert)
  • Dog food and healthy fillers (main course)
  • A seal of something soft or sticky (appetizer)
  • Treats that are easy to get on top (teaser)
• Freeze the stuffed Kong to make it last longer and keep things cleaner.
• Use your dog’s normal meals in the Kong or otherwise account for the extra calories to avoid
• weight gain.
   

Stuffing Options::
Always follow your vet’s recommendations for feeding your dog and avoid toxic ingredients
including chocolate, onion, garlic, grapes, and xylitol (an artificial sweetener).

• Dry or wet dog food
• Dog treats
• Peanut butter (not sugar free)
• Low-fat cream cheese or yogurt
• Canned pumpkin
• Fruits (like apples, strawberries, bananas, melon)
• Veggies (like carrots, zucchini, green beans, celery)
• Lean meats
• Add homemade broth, water, or ice cubes for a challenging frozen Kong.