What Exactly Is It?
As I was ruminating about the subject for this column, my thoughts turned towards terms and phrases we often toss around without having a common understanding of their true definitions. Some terms evoke a feel-good emotional reaction, straying from their deeper meaning into disjointed ambiguity.
I recall a conversation I had with a bank representative a while ago. He said with pride, “this is a community bank.” “Oh, what does that mean?” I asked him. I’d heard the term before, but I really had no idea what it meant besides sounding warm and fuzzy. I was curious. After all, who doesn’t love “community”?
He was perplexed by my question. Nobody had ever asked him before.
He didn’t know the answer.
I googled the definition of “community bank”. La-voila! The FDIC provides an official definition! Their website includes a search field where you can enter a bank’s name and find out instantly if it meets the criteria. Lo and behold, my bank does not even come close to meeting the official criteria, and the reasons as to why were listed clearly. I checked the bank’s website, and they still proclaim to be a “community bank.” Perhaps the Mother Ship Bank doesn’t meet the criteria but the local branch does? In any case, it is misleading.
Back to “Enrichment”
I hadn’t thought much about the deeper complexities of enrichment or its actual definition until I listened to a talk by Kristina Spaulding* at the recent International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) conference in Colorado. I assumed I had a good grasp on what enrichment was all about, but it was eye-opening to delve deeper into the subject and gain a better understanding - especially from someone who holds a doctorate in biopsychology! Appropriate “enrichment” is deeply tied to the brain, to long-term health, cognition and more.
What is “enrichment”?
The Criteria
Activities/experiences must meet the following criteria to be “enriching”:
• Promote positive engagement
• Provide agency**
• Provide animals with appropriate challenges***
• Improve well-being
Enrichment provides individuals with opportunities to engage in behaviors that meet their natural instincts, stimulate their minds, and keep them physically active. The opportunity to explore a variety of environments and engage in activities that promote mental and physical well-being are necessary for good health.
Enrichment is Sustenance. Enrichment is Nutrients. Enrichment is Not Optional.
Much like the required intake of vitamins, minerals, and calories to keep us alive and thriving, enrichment keeps us healthy, no matter the species. A deficiency in one area upsets the overall balance. With our dogs, this instability may manifest itself in undesirable behaviors. As trainers, we see the fallout on a regular basis: dogs whose needs are not met and humans who are exasperated by their dogs' behaviors. The behaviors we see are often normal behaviors without a proper outlet, expressed in the only available direction.
Enrichment
• Promotes resilience
• Mitigates “problem” behaviors
• Reduces abnormal behaviors
• Decreases stress
• Builds competence
• Promotes empowerment
• Increases exploration/
decreases neophobia (in rat studies)
• Increases spatial abilities (in rat studies)
• Decreases cognitive decline in seniors (in rat studies)
Enrichment vs. Busy Work
“It may have reached a point where the term ‘enrichment’ no longer aligns with contemporary animal welfare science thinking” (Littlewood et al, 2023)
We have watered down the concept of enrichment for dogs to the point where it is represented primarily by food puzzle toys. Puzzles are fantastic and can be instrumental at slowing food consumption down and buying us some time, but they need to be calibrated to the individual such that they are challenging. They are still just one small drop in the bucket of enrichment requirements.
“Once a food puzzle has been solved, it just becomes a barrier to getting the food and is no longer ‘enrichment.’” (K Spaulding)
Empowering our dogs to regularly engage in – independently, if possible – species-appropriate activities inherent to their nature (and breed predisposition) provides them with a menu high in nutritional value. Got a terrier? Digging has to be on the menu. Scent hound? Lots of following the nose. Ample sniffing time is a staple in the diet of all dogs. I’m a fan of Sniffspot.com which provides dogs of all types the opportunity to safely explore new environments, each replete with novel stimuli - especially scents.
Of course, we can’t cater to our dogs’ needs 100% of the time, but if they get the proper servings of their daily requirements for enrichment, variety in their lives, in routine, environment, diet, etc., our lives will be enriched, too!
Happy Training!
* Kristina Spaulding, CAAB—Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and PhD in biopsychology—the study of the biological basis of behavior
** Ability to exert control and overcome challenges; to gather knowledge and enhance skills for future use
*** Variation and complexity of challenges is crucial
Diana Logan, CPDT-KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed
Pet Connection Dog Training, North Yarmouth, Maine
www.dianalogan.com | 207-252-9352