10/06/2026
When people hear the word enrichment, they often think of lick mats, puzzles and toys.
Those things can be brilliant, but some of the best enrichment for dogs doesn’t come in a box. 🤎
This is Binx doing some of her homework from training class at home. At 4 years old, she’s well past the puppy stage, but she still absolutely loves learning, practising, and working things out with me.
Binx attends training classes with Invicta Dogs: Training & Behaviour, and this is where a lot of her “homework” comes from. It gives us structure, progression, and guidance so we can continue building on her skills at home in a fun and meaningful way.
In this session she’s working through a mix of:
🐾 Leave it (impulse control)
🐾 Sendaways (confidence + distance work)
🐾 Emergency stop (real-world safety + reliability)
Training like this isn’t just about obedience. It gives dogs the chance to think, make choices, earn rewards, and most importantly, build confidence.
It’s also one of the best ways to strengthen your relationship with your dog. Every short session is time spent communicating, understanding each other better, and working as a team. It doesn’t need to be perfect, and it doesn’t need to be long to be valuable.
Alongside her training classes, Binx also does mantrailing. Scent work taps into one of a dog’s most powerful natural abilities: their nose. Dogs experience the world through scent, and watching her follow a trail and work out the puzzle in front of her is incredible. It’s a brilliant example of dogs doing what they were born to do.
Finding activities that suit your dog’s breed and natural instincts can make a huge difference to their overall wellbeing. Whether that’s scent work, retrieving, searching, or problem solving, these outlets provide both mental and physical enrichment and can help reduce frustration and unwanted behaviours.
One of the biggest myths I hear is that training classes are only for puppies. The reality is that many dogs enjoy learning throughout their lives, and regular training is a fantastic way to keep their minds active and engaged.
For this session, all we needed was:
🐾 A handful of treats
🐾 A treat pouch
🐾 A few minutes of time
🐾 A dog ready to learn
Enrichment doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Sometimes the simplest things are the most effective.
What does your dog enjoy most: learning new skills, sniffing, retrieving, or something else entirely? 🤎
