Keeping your dog occupied

Dogs are well-known to be great lovers of long sleeping and cuddling sessions. However, it is equally important to actively engage with your four-legged friend. In addition to walking your dog regularly, there are other ways to provide it with meaningful tasks.

Meaningful activities are very important for your pet. This is because when their needs for physical and mental activity are not met, dogs always feel underchallenged. The result is that the dog will look for things to do itself – things that its owner will not necessarily like. 

Especially popular are gnawing on furniture, scratching doors and wallpaper, and biting into cables and shoes. Lack of stimulating activity can even make dogs ill in the long run; especially for older dogs, boredom can sometimes lead to depression.

One of the favourite pastimes of a dog and its owner is playing together. However, every game for dogs requires strict time limits and rules. After all, our four-legged friends are always ready for any kind of fun, but they still need time to relax in order to regenerate. 
 

Whether with a ball or a tugging toy – as long as you spend time together with your pet, you will afford it the greatest pleasure. Important commands such as “sit!”, “down!” or “fetch!” can also be taught in a playful way – and are, of course, also a lot of fun.

Intelligence toys provide another variety-filled activity for dogs. It is very easy to make your own intelligence game for dogs. All you need is a plastic carry tray for plant pots or an empty egg box. Place some treats in the compartments of the tray or the box and cover them with various objects, for example with kichen roll.

The dog then has to pick them up to get to its reward. Place the treats in the indentations and cover them with kitchen roll. On your command, your little hunter can start to track them down.

Fun and games for your four-legged friend! A snuffle mat is an enjoyable activity for your dog, because it stimulates its concentration and also appeals to its keen sense of smell. At the end of the session, you can give your dog a tasty reward. Would you like to make your own snuffle mat for your pet?

For a homemade snuffle mat for dogs you will need:

• a fleece blanket 
• a sink mat with honeycomb-shaped holes
• scissors 

Step 1: Cut the fleece blanket into narrow strips measuring approx. 4 cm by 20 cm. 

Step 2: Now pull a strip of fleece blanket through two holes in the sink mat and tie it into a knot. Both ends of the strip should be the same length. 

Step 3: Repeat the process with all the strips until you can no longer see the sink mat. The more tassels you end up with on the snuffle mat, the more fun it will be for your dog! 

Step 4: Hide some tasty dog treats – for example Meat Chunks Pure Chicken from animonda – in the snuffle mat, one at a time, between the long tassels. 

Step 5: Now it’s time for your dog to get snuffling!

When your dog uses a snuffle mat for the first time, you should keep an eye on your pet at first so that it doesn’t start to pull the snuffle mat apart in its excitement and to find the treats more quickly. When the snuffle mat is not being used for playing, your dog can snuggle down on it.

Are you looking for the ideal treat for your dog to play with? The animonda Meat Chunks are perfect for this. The meaty dog snacks contain only one source of animal protein and are gently air-dried. In the tasty varieties chicken, beef, turkey and lamb, and tailored to the size of your dog, the delicious snacks have a meat content of 98%. Like all animonda products, the snack is produced without grain, sugar and soya, and also provides an ideal reward for nutritionally sensitive dogs.