April 20th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

We are a nation of animal lovers, and it is estimated that around 33% of UK households own at least one dog. Owning a dog isn’t entirely dissimilar to having children in that it is just as much about keeping them happy and making them feel loved as it is about meeting their physical needs. Plus, a happy dog tends to be a well-behaved dog so there’s a double benefit. (Destructive and challenging behaviour often stems from boredom).

Every dog is different, but these 5 principles will help keep almost any dog happy and fulfilled:

1. Positive reinforcement – the importance of praising good behaviour

Dogs are usually loyal animals who just want to please their owners. They, therefore, respond well to praise and reward. When training your dog, the evidence shows that you will get much better results if you highlight and reward good behaviour rather than scold them for the things they do wrong. This is the general principle of positive reinforcement.

However, it is easy to fall out of the habit of praising our dogs once we’ve moved out of the puppy training phase. Make a concerted effort to keep recognising when they’re doing things well and it will not only give them the motivation to keep doing them, but it will also show them that you are pleased with them which is their ultimate goal. Recognition can be in the form of food treats (be careful not to overfeed – consider taking treats from their overall food allowance) however it’s just as effective to use praise words delivered in a jolly tone of voice, physical contact, such as tickling or stroking, or even just a happy, smiling facial expression.

2. Keep walks interesting – vary your routines

It depends on the breed, and health of course, but generally speaking, dogs need plenty of exercise, so walks are essential. However, it’s more than just the physical walking itself that they enjoy; it’s the different surroundings and scents, the other dogs that they meet, the opportunity to run around off-lead, the games they can play (catching balls or finding sticks), and the different experiences they can get. You may not like it, but this can include jumping in muddy puddles and even rolling in unmentionable substances.

Try to allow your dog the opportunity to do these things and to vary their experiences. You could try different locations for walks, vary the toys you take to play with (ball one day, Frisbee another etc), organise ‘doggy play dates’ with other owners, and do plenty of work on recall so going off-lead is a viable option. It might be worth investing in a hot outdoor tap to deal with those ‘rolling in unmentionables’ incidents!

Give them time to sniff, allow them to socialise with other dogs, and keep your focus on them (as tempting as it can be to catch up on calls or listen to a podcast while walking).

3. Provide fewer toys - but keep changing them

Providing different types of toys is great for stimulating dogs and can also help with practical things like giving them something to chew other than the furniture. However, rather than giving them 20+ toys that they have access to all the time, try giving them just a few at a time and perhaps even choose specific times of the day when they can play with them.

It stops them from getting bored and makes playtime a real treat. It can also allow them to develop skills to entertain themselves when they’re alone (we’ll look at this further in a moment). Rotate the toys regularly to maintain interest and include items with different purposes in your combinations, for example; a chewy one, a soft one, one with different textures, perhaps a puzzle one or one that can be filled with treats etc.

4. Bonding enrichments – things you can do together

Our dogs want to love us and will behave much more positively if they are bonded to their owners. You can only achieve this by spending time with them and building trust. Enrichment is all about providing activities that stimulate them. It is as important, and as tiring, for them to exercise their brains as it is for their bodies.

Try playing games with them that make them have to figure things out to get treats or praise, or why not train them to fulfil certain tasks like finding and fetching objects, putting away their toys, or closing doors. Many breeds were once working animals and this desire to do ‘jobs’ will be deep-seated in even the most pampered pets! Spending time and building this bond will lead to a more satisfied and well-behaved dog.

5. Solo enrichments – activities to keep them occupied on their own

It’s also very important to allow your dog to develop the skills to entertain themselves. Separation anxiety can be a serious issue for dogs, especially after lockdowns when they would have had company for the majority of their time.

By providing them with things to do on their own you can build their self-sufficiency. These may be toys that they can play with on their own, or puzzles that they need to work out in order to get treats. Start by leaving them for short amounts of time and build it up and always give them plenty of praise when they do well.