If you’re looking for ways to relieve boredom, make your dog happy, and to show them how much you love them - enrichment activities are the answer!
Dogs need more than a daily walk to meet their needs, but enrichment goes way beyond stuffing a toy with food and calling it a day. There are so many different ways you can enrich your dog’s life and give them ways to express their natural instincts.
We’ve rounded up 9 enriching activities for you to try. Each one taps into different types of enrichment, helping your dog feel happier, calmer, and more connected to you.
Why is enrichment for dogs important?
Canine enrichment simply means giving your dog opportunities to express their natural instincts and meet their physical, mental and emotional needs. It’s about creating a life that’s rich in experiences - not just walks and meals, but moments of play, discovery and connection.
Enrichment is important because it helps dogs feel calm, confident and fulfilled. Without enough stimulation, dogs can become bored, frustrated or anxious, which often leads to unwanted behaviours like barking, chewing or digging. The right kinds of enrichment give them safe, healthy outlets for those instincts - which makes life more enjoyable for you both.
There’s no single ‘right way’ to do enrichment. Every dog is different, and many activities overlap - a game of tug, for instance, can deliver physical, social, and cognitive enrichment all at once. The best approach is to mix and match different types of enrichment to suit your dog’s personality, age, and natural preferences.
Types of enrichment for dogs
1. Environmental enrichment
Environmental enrichment is about the spaces your dog experiences and how those environments support their wellbeing. It can mean making small adjustments at home - like adding rugs, non-slip mats or ramps to help them move comfortably and confidently. Or intentionally introducing them to new places that offer fresh sights, smells and social encounters.
Activities could include: exploring a new woodland or beach, creating a digging pit or sensory garden in your own backyard, visiting friends or family, taking your dog to swim, visiting friends, or going to a garden centre. Every new environment offers opportunities for curiosity, confidence building, and connection.
2. Cognitive enrichment
Cognitive enrichment is about mental stimulation, problem-solving, and making decisions. Offering mental challenges are just as important as physical exercise for helping dogs feel fulfilled and relaxed. But it’s important not to fall into the trap of making them too challenging or frustrating - the goal is that your dog enjoys the activity.
Activities could include: puzzle feeders, trick training, training games, and scent games. Even everyday moments can become learning opportunities - like asking for a sit before throwing your dog’s favourite ball or practising ‘leave it’ at dinner time.
3. Sensory enrichment
Sensory enrichment involves activities and experiences that engage your dog's 5 senses - smell, hearing, sight, touch, and taste. Scent is a big one for dogs, since their olfactory system is up to 10,000 times more powerful than humans. But the others matter too, giving your dog a chance to tap into their senses is hugely enriching.
Sensory activities include: sniffy walks, scent games, tug games, play with toys of different textures and colours, massages, grooming, different chews and treats - the options are almost endless!
4. Physical enrichment
Physical enrichment gives your dog an outlet for their natural need to move, chase, tug and play. It’s about more than just exercise - movement supports physical health, builds coordination, and helps release stress and pent-up energy in a positive way.
Activities could include: tug of war, fetch, swimming, chase games, hiking, or dog sports like parkour, agility, hoopers or flyball. If you’d like to try a sport that’s less competitive, you might like mantrailing.
5. Social enrichment
Social enrichment is all about connection, relationships and bonds. Dogs are social animals - and while not all enjoy interacting with other dogs, the human-dog bond plays an incredibly important role in their emotional wellbeing. Creating opportunities for your dog to socialise and connect within their comfort zone helps them feel secure, confident, and loved.
Activities could include: interactive play like tug, cuddles on the sofa, visiting friends (human or four-legged), or playdates for dogs who enjoy canine company. For dogs who prefer space, parallel walks or quiet time together - like sitting side by side on a hill or beside a river - can be just as enriching. What matters most is spending time together doing what you both enjoy.
9 ideas for fun and easy canine enrichment
1. Play Tug (obvs!)
Types of enrichment: Social, Physical, Cognitive
Difficulty level: Easy
Best toy: Any Tug-E-Nuff tug (we love the Sheepskin Bungee Chaser or Bright Fauxtastic)
Tug isn’t just a game - it’s one of the most powerful ways to build focus, confidence and connection with your dog. Interactive play like tug fulfils your dog’s natural instincts to grab, pull, and chase - all while strengthening your bond and improving communication.
Keep your sessions short and fun, letting your dog win often to build their confidence and motivation. Tug can double up as a high-value reward in training, or simply as a joyful daily ritual that reminds your dog you’re the best game in town.
2. Play Hide and Seek
Types of enrichment: Cognitive, Social
Difficulty level: Easy - Medium
Best toy: Bright Fauxtastic or Faux Fur Pocket Bungee Squeaker
Practice your dog’s ‘stay’ cue while and challenge your dog’s brain by playing hide and seek together. Ask your dog to stay put, then hide somewhere in the house or garden with their favourite Tug-E-Nuff toy. When you call them to find you, get ready for that excited zoom when they track you down.
Once they find you, reward them with a quick tug or game of fetch. It’s great mental stimulation and builds recall, confidence, and your bond - all in one joyful game. For an extra challenge, have a friend hold your dog while you sneak into a trickier hiding spot before calling them to come find you.
3. Try Scentwork Games
Types of enrichment: Sensory, Cognitive
Difficulty level: Easy
Best toy: The Clam
The Clam is one of our most versatile toys. Although we initially designed it as a way to reward your dog from a distance in agility, it also works fantastically well as a tool for enrichment.
Hide sprats or other smelly treats inside The Clam (don’t worry - it can go on a cool cycle in the wash afterwards!). Then hide it somewhere within the house and encourage your dog to find it. According to experts, sniffing for 20 minutes is equivalent to an hour’s walk.
4. Create a Foraging Box
Types of enrichment: Sensory, Cognitive
Difficulty level: Easy
Best toy: The Clam
Work your dog’s nose and brain with a DIY foraging box. Hide The Clam (stuffed with tasty treats) inside a cardboard “fort” filled with scrunched-up newspaper, crinkly packaging and even a few noisy items like empty bottles with stones inside.
It’s a fun way to build your dog’s confidence around new textures and sounds while letting them rummage, sniff, and dig to uncover their prize.
5. Go Swimming & Play
Types of enrichment: Physical, Environmental, Social
Difficulty level: Easy - Medium
Best toy: BOB (he floats, tugs and fetches!)
Swimming is one of the best all-round enrichment activities for dogs. It burns energy, builds fitness, and keeps joints healthy thanks to its low-impact nature. Whether it’s a splash in the sea, a swim in a dog pool, or a paddle in a river, water play gives dogs a brilliant physical and sensory workout….
And if you paddle and play too? Well then it’s social enrichment as well!
Take BOB, our floating tug and fetch dummy, and turn swimming into a social experience you’ll both love. You can throw BOB for your dog to retrieve, or play gentle tug in the shallows - adding an element of teamwork and trust.
For water-shy dogs, try our Paddle Pursuit game: start with BOB on dry land, then gradually introduce shallow water, rewarding curiosity and calm.
6. Create a DIY Sensory Garden
Types of enrichment: Environmental, Sensory
Difficulty level: Easy
Best toy: The Clam (hide treats inside for a find-it game)
A sensory garden is an amazing way to bring enrichment into your dog’s everyday environment. It gives them safe opportunities to sniff, explore and discover new textures and scents - right in their own backyard. It’s especially useful for dogs who can’t always go for long walks, like seniors or those on restricted exercise.
Include a mix of textures underfoot (like grass, sand, or bark), herbs and dog-safe plants for scent, and shaded areas for relaxation.
You can even turn it into a game by hiding The Clam with a few treats tucked inside among the plants or textures for your dog to find. It’s a simple way to make your garden not just a space for a wee, but a playground for curiosity, confidence, and calm.
7. Play Tug-E-Nuff Time Trials
Types of enrichment: Cognitive, Physical, Social
Difficulty level: Medium
Best toy: Pocket Powerball Fauxtastic or Pocket Magnet
This boredom busting game exercises your dog’s brain as much as their body. Tug-E-Nuff Time Trials teach patience, impulse control, and focus by chaining cues together before your dog earns their ultimate reward - and it doesn’t take long to play!
To play, place your dog’s favourite Tug-E-Nuff toy on the ground and call them to you. Ask for one or two known cues, such as a hand touch, middle, or sit, before releasing them to grab their tuggy. As your dog gets the hang of it, you can add extra cues to increase the challenge.
It’s brilliant for boosting focus, recall and connection - and you can make it as easy or tricky as you like. Don’t forget to share your progress using #tugenufftimetrials on socials and show us your personal best!
8. Play ‘Chase Me’
Types of enrichment: Physical, Social
Difficulty level: Medium
Best toy: Faux Fur Squeaky Bungee Chaser or Sheepskin Bungee Chaser
If your dog loves to chase birds, squirrels, or other wildlife, this game channels that instinct into something fun, safe, and rewarding. Playing ‘Chase Me’ gives your dog the thrill of the chase while strengthening your bond and focus together.
Grab a long-handled chaser toy, like our Faux Fur Squeaky Bungee Chaser, and move it in quick, unpredictable patterns across the ground to mimic prey movement.
Let your dog chase, grab, and tug - and make sure you give them plenty of wins! It’s a brilliant outlet for dogs with strong chase drives, and it doubles as a great recall booster too, since it teaches your dog that you are where the fun happens.
9. Teach a New Trick
Types of enrichment: Cognitive, Social
Difficulty level: Variable
Best toy: Tug-E-Nuff Clicker + Tuggy
Teaching your dog new tricks isn’t about showing off - it’s a great way to keep their brain active and strengthen your bond. Learning new skills builds confidence, focus, and communication between you and your dog.
Start with something simple like a spin, paw, or middle, and use your Tug-E-Nuff Clicker and treats to mark success. Then finish each mini session with a play reward - a quick game of tug or fetch.
Studies show that dogs who play straight after training not only learn faster but retain what they’ve learned for longer. So, when you celebrate their success with play, you’re not just having fun - you’re progressing your training too.
