Good dog enrichment doesn't need expensive toys. Most of the best ideas use things you already have: your dog's own food, old towels, cardboard boxes, a muffin tin and tennis balls. The money is better spent on one or two durable items, like a stuffable rubber toy, than on a cupboard of gadgets.
Free: from the recycling bin
- Shred-and-find box: a cardboard box half-filled with scrunched plain paper and a few treats. Remove tape and staples first. More on box enrichment.
- Toilet roll "crackers": fold the ends of a cardboard tube with a treat inside. Supervise so they rip rather than eat it.
- Egg carton puzzle: a few treats in the cups, lid closed.
- Bottle feeder: a clean plastic bottle with the lid, ring and label removed, and a couple of treat-sized holes cut in the side. Roll it on a hard floor; take it away once empty.
Free: from the linen cupboard
- Towel burrito: scatter kibble across an old towel, roll it up, and let your dog unroll it.
- Knotted towel: treats inside a loosely knotted towel for a harder version.
- Blanket burrow: treats hidden in the folds of a blanket on the floor, great for diggers and burrowers.
- DIY snuffle mat: fleece strips knotted through a rubber sink mat, if you are handy. Check for loose threads.
Free: from the kitchen
- Muffin-tin puzzle: treats in the cups, tennis balls on top. How to set it up.
- Cup shell game: three plastic cups and a treat.
- Scatter feeding: the free-est enrichment of all, using your dog's normal food. Scatter feeding.
- Ice treats: a little low-salt broth (no onion or garlic) frozen in a container with a few kibble pieces, for hot days.
Free: from you
- Training games: a new trick costs nothing and is one of the most tiring things a dog can do.
- Hide and seek: you are the toy. How to play.
- Sniff walks: the same walk, with permission to stop and smell.
- Calm massage: time and gentle hands.
Worth buying, if you buy anything
| Item | Why it earns its place |
|---|---|
| A durable stuffable rubber toy | Endless uses: stuffed, frozen, or as a chew. One of the few toys that may be safe unsupervised if sized correctly. |
| A long line (5 to 10 m) and harness | Turns ordinary walks into sniffing sessions safely. |
| A lick mat | Cheap, reusable and calming for many dogs. |
| A snuffle mat | Optional: a towel does a similar job. |
Safety on a budget
Homemade enrichment is only safe when supervised. Cardboard, towels, bottles and egg cartons aren't designed to be chewed, so play together and put things away afterwards. Remove tape, staples, plastic and labels; use balls too large to swallow; and stop if your dog starts eating rather than shredding. Use part of your dog's daily food, and check spreads for xylitol.
Lives with Henry, a Hungarian Vizsla, and wrote his weekly enrichment plan by hand for months before turning it into this app. Not a vet or a qualified behaviourist: the guides draw on everyday experience with a high-drive gundog and on published guidance from animal welfare organisations, which is linked where it is used.
