Field Guide · Glossary
Sensory enrichment
EnrichmentEnrichment aimed at what a dog can smell, feel, hear or see rather than at what they eat.
How it works
It covers new smells brought into the house, different surfaces to walk on, sounds a dog does not otherwise hear, and places with something to look at. It matters most for dogs whose world is small: one recovering from surgery, one on restricted exercise, or one who finds going out difficult. For those dogs it is how novelty still arrives, without asking them to go anywhere or do anything demanding.
What it looks like
A dog on crate rest after an injury is given a cardboard box that has been sitting in a neighbor's yard, a towel that has been outside overnight, and a herb pot placed near their bed. None of it requires movement, and all of it is new information.
Commonly confused with
- Occupational enrichment
- Sensory enrichment offers something to experience. Occupational enrichment gives the dog a task to perform. A scent left in the room is sensory; a trail of that scent to follow is occupational.
Related terms