Sept 25 - Friday Enrichment Roundup

As the rainy weather begins to set in here on the Island, certain dogs (Marlo, cough cough) like to spend less time outside :)  So, indoor enrichment becomes even more important!

Outside? No thanks...

A quick review of my favorite online training resources!

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
Primarily for dog sports competitors but plenty for everyone if you choose carefully!  I have taken several courses and enjoyed them all.

Wag It Games
Wag It Games has an online academy.  I've taken Indoor Agility and a Beginning Find It class.

Cyber Dog Online
If you're looking for beginner clicker training skills, but can't attend an in-person class, this is the place to start!

Cyber Rally O
If you're interested in Rally Obedience at home, you can earn titles through this venue!

VALOR Agility
Interested in agility but can't attend regular trials?  Earn titles through Virtual Agility!

Do More with Your Dog!
Teach tricks, earn titles!  What could be more fun?

BONUS CAT ENRICHMENT

This brilliant guy built an interactive feeder for his cat, to allow his cat to "hunt" for his dinner!
http://benjaminmillam.com/cat-geek/monkey-the-cat-hunts-for-dinner/

Sept 11 Friday Enrichment Round-Up

I didn't get a whole lot off of the good old Interwebs this week for enrichment, so I thought I'd post a few pics of some enrichment my own dogs have had in the past few week.  (Or maybe it's just an excuse to spam you will pics of my dogs!)   Because Becky is getting older, and Marlo is reactive, we try to give them lots of new experiences other than long walks.

Marlo and Becky got some cookies, which I soaked in chicken broth overnight to add some flavour and make them softer.  A new treat for them both!

Our neighbour turned up a bunch of the bottom field.  What a fun sniffing excursion that was for the dogs!

We took  Becky for a walk in a local bird sanctuary (on leash dogs only!)  She enjoyed the new sights and smells very much.   

Marlo had a play-fest with a bunch of different toys.  There are always toys around because he likes to carry them to greet us, but I rotate through the stash. 

Becky got  to go to her favorite, Nosework class!  

Marlo meets a kitten!

Becky took a trip to the Ferry Terminal to meet Timo.  

Becky got a new toy: a durable soccer ball! 

Becky also got to go visiting, to a friend's house.  Meeting new people is not as enriching for Becky as it is for Marlo, but she did very well.

There you go!  My dogs being enriched.  Please send along enrichment things you find on the web, and I'll include them in the Round Up!

Sept 5/15: Friday (er, Saturday) Enrichment Round-Up

Not only am I a day late, I'm about 3 weeks late with this blog entry!  Primarily this is due to some medical concerns with my older dog that I'll be discussing later on (she is doing well right now). But enrichment marches on!  So here's what I've found lately:

Don't Feed from a Bowl!  From the Pet Professional Guild:
http://ppgworldservices.com/2015/09/04/free-feeding-from-a-bowl-can-be-costly/

Hamsters with enriched environments are more optimistic:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2015/07/29/hamsters-happier-toys/#.VesPlhG6fIU

If you've got parrots, here's a link to an Activity Book, also from the Pet Professional Guild:
Facebook Link to a PDF

A fun and easy enrichment toy idea from Nando Brown and Fizz
Facebook Video Link

Another awesome enrichment infographic, this time from All Dogs Go To Kevin:

And finally, a great pic about creating digging spaces for your dog (especially if they're digging in your yard/garden) from Conscious Companion:

Have a great weekend everybody!