Category: Enrichment

Easy Enrichment for a Senior Dog and a Senior Person

Here’s why a lot of us dog folks collect toilet paper and paper towel rolls. These cardboard tubes are a popular choice for lots of enrichment activities. You can use them in many different ways, so long as your dog doesn’t eat cardboard. I fold them up in little packets when playing “find it” games […]

Nosework: Teach Your Senior Dog Step by Step

This is an easy nosework game that senior dogs can learn, even those who have mild dementia. Finding food is pretty hard-wired into dogs and most animals. Dogs with moderate to severe dementia can’t learn much, if anything, but some may still enjoy using their noses in a simpler version. See the last photo of […]

Six Fun Enrichment Activities for a Dog with Dementia

Sniffing as enrichment activity. Senior rat terrier sniffing a tire.

My rat terrier Cricket lived to be about 17 and had dementia since she was 14 or 15. As her cognitive abilities decreased, I was still able to find things she enjoyed. Enrichment activities are important at any age. Our activities just got simpler and simpler as we went along. I had taken Cricket on a […]

Snuffle Mats: Great Enrichment for Senior Dogs

elderly dachshund in a colorful vest sniffing treats out of a snuffle mat

Snuffle mats are one of the easiest food toys for dogs to learn how to interact with. And if my dogs are typical, snuffle mats are among the most fun ways to eat as well. A snuffle mat is a mat with multiple fabric strips protruding from a base. Homemade ones are usually created by […]

Suus: The Rescued Dachshund Who Found Her True Home

Suus, a wirehaired dachshund, standing on tree roots

Guest post by Nadia Hermans from Belgium in which she tells the story of her dachshund Suus, a former mill dog who is doing great at the age of 17. When I saw Nadia’s photo of Suus in her custom stroller, I had to know more! Nadia kindly shared Suus’ story–Eileen Anderson   How Suzanne […]

Loving Enrichment for a Dog with Dementia

Jennifer Fearing gives treat to her dog with dementia

Enrichment is a win/win situation. Studies say that we **may** be able to slow the onset and progress of canine cognitive dysfunction by enriching our dogs’ lives. But even if we don’t, we certainly are helping them in the moment. I have gotten to know Jennifer Fearing and her lovely dog Yoda through my book and […]

Teaching an Old Dog How to Play with a Food Toy

Senior rat terrier getting food out of food toy

You can teach an old dog a new trick, and you might be surprised how much she enjoys it! Research studies suggest that one thing that can slow the course of dementia is for senior dogs to have a lot of enrichment in their lives. In the laboratory studies, the enrichment consisted of getting exercise, social time with […]