Rethinking your Dog’s Dinner for a Happier, Better-Behaved Pup

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Interactive Feeding for Canine Enrichment

Interactive feeding isn’t exactly new. Research into enrichment for captive wild animals began in the early 20^th century, as zoos became more popular. With more animals added to collections, keepers noticed that they seemed to go a little crazy if they were kept in a barren environment. Animals that were given items to interact with showed fewer stress behaviors than those that didn’t. Imagine if you had to wait in line at the DMV every day, all day, and you couldn’t bring a book or a mobile phone to play with. You’d go crazy too.

If you visit the zoo today you might see parrots dismantling a piñata, gorillas rolling logs around to shake treats out of a hole, or a big cat gnawing a block of ice that’s got bits of its dinner frozen inside. Keepers know that animals need to channel their instincts somewhere. Our dogs are no different.

Our pet dogs show plenty of stress behaviors. It’s hard, living in an alien civilization. Why do we persist in feeding dogs their food out of boring old dog bowls? Given a little creativity, we can use those calories for our dog’s mental well-being in addition to filling their stomachs. Dump the Dish is a guide to doing just that.

WARNING! Be sure to read THIS SAFETY GUIDE first. And remember, I am not a trained nutritionist, so please do your own research!

Why Feed Interactively?

Common Questions

What Kind of Food?

Getting Started: Think Outside the Bowl

Foraging

Sniffing

Chewing

Problem Solving

Resources