Our cattle dog’s favorite types of meal enrichment
The first year and a half after I adopted her, Scout ate almost all of her food through active training sessions. Over time we’ve moved away from so much hand feeding. Now she gets the majority of her food “for free”—she doesn’t have to do anything to earn it from me—in a range of fun ways that tap into her natural instincts.
Here’s what they are!
First: What is canine meal enrichment?
At its simplest, canine enrichment is providing our dogs with opportunities that improve their quality of life. Recognizing that we ask them to live in a modern, human-centric world that’s sometimes at odds with their instincts… and giving them chances to, put simply, be a dog.
Food enrichment is exactly what it sounds like: enrichment that involves our dog’s food. It’s one of the most popular types of enrichment because we feed our dogs every day, no matter what else is going on—something we can’t always say about getting out for sniffari walks or enjoying intense games of tug or a bunch of other activities. Since we already provide our pets with a few meals a day, it’s usually simple to give a few of them in ways that are meant to be biologically fulfilling!
Why do we provide food enrichment for our cattle dog?
Food enrichment isn’t a cure all, but it is a great fallback for some mental stimulation (and decompression!) if we have a few lazier days.
Sniffing can lower a dog’s heart rate and decrease their blood pressure. Meal enrichment—like feeding in a snuffle mat—is a nice way to get our heeler to use her nose, especially if she’s been stressed.
Ultimately: The more opportunities we give Scout to safely act on her instincts, the more fulfilled and well-adjusted she’ll be.
Some favorite enrichment resources
Our favorite ways to feed Scout her meals
They say variety is the spice of life
Scattering in “nature’s snuffle mat”
Instincts this satisfies: Sniffing, scavenging
How often we feed this way: 5-10 times a week when we lived in a house, more rarely now in the van
This was one of my go-tos when we lived in our house. I’d take a scoop of Scout’s kibble, toss it into the grass in our backyard, and voila. Breakfast served in nature’s snuffle mat! Scout would spend anywhere from 10 minutes to a full half hour scrounging up each piece of food.
We don’t do this as often now that we live in our van—I’m not able to guarantee what’s been on the ground in public places before we arrive—but on occasion we’ll still scatter at a Harvest Host or remote spot of forest land.
But does scattering food on the ground teach dogs to forage for dangerous things?
One of the most common questions I got when I’d show Scout eating her meals this way was if it taught her to scavenge for (potentially harmful) things out in public.
It’s a valid concern—but with some clarity and impulse control, it was never a problem for us! Scout knew I was releasing her to find her food with her “get it” marker, and I could always ask her to leave strange objects while out on walks.
Tucking in a traditional snuffle mat
Instincts this satisfies: Sniffing, scavenging
How often we feed this way: About 4-5 times a week
We also have a classic fleece snuffle mat that we can use anywhere, no grass or mild weather required. Scout eats her food more quickly out of this than she would when we scattered kibble in the grass, but it’s still a calming activity that involves plenty of sniffing.
Using a designated puzzle toy or treat dispensing ball
Instincts this satisfies: Chewing, problem solving
How often we feed this way: About twice a week
Scout has a few puzzle enrichment toys:
A Starmark Tetraflex ball that dispenses food as she rolls it along the ground
An Outward Hound advanced twister puzzle toy that reveals kibble when she successfully pulls levers & pushes the top flaps to the side
A classic Kong we can stuff with regular food and treats
In general, giving our dog her meals in puzzle toys isn’t as relaxing as scattering her food—she has to think more about what she’s doing—but she seems to thoroughly enjoy herself especially if she hasn’t gotten much stimulation lately.
(You can see a full list of our favorite dog products with links to purchase in this article.)
Dividing into parts for a food search
Instincts this satisfies: Sniffing, searching
How often we feed this way: About 3 times a week in our house, less now in our van
We love food searches. It’s been so fun to see Scout’s confidence and enthusiasm grow! While we’re far from nosework experts (and in fact are the opposite when it comes to any formal protocols) our heeler always has a good time smelling out her meals.
The below video shows our process visually. In short, we:
Divide her food into multiple small parts
Ask her to hold a stay while we hide one part at a time out of sight
Release her to go find it
Repeat until her meal is gone!
Adding extras like broth or toppers
Instincts this satisfies: Scavenging
How often we feed this way: About 5-10 times a week
Since dogs are scavengers who would naturally eat a range of different things, we try to add variety to Scout’s meals as much as possible. The bulk of her nutrition comes from her kibble—we don’t want to throw anything out of balance—but she thrives when we include things like:
Bone broth (especially when we hydrate her meal for a few hours or overnight)
Sardines
Eggs
Dog-friendly fruits and vegetables (berries and bell peppers are her favorite)
Depending on what we mix in, we might give her these meals simply out of a bowl or include them in a puzzle toy. Kibble soaked in broth then frozen in a kong is a particular favorite!