A dog that shreds the post, empties the bin, or paces and barks at nothing is often described as "naughty." More often, they're bored. Dogs evolved to spend a big chunk of the day hunting, scavenging and problem-solving for food. Give them a bowl that empties in nine seconds and a long quiet afternoon, and that unspent energy has to go somewhere.

Dogs are wired to work for food

There's a quirk of animal behaviour called contrafreeloading: given the choice between food that's free and the same food they have to work for, many animals — dogs included — will choose to work. The working is the reward. That's why a food puzzle can hold a dog's attention long after a full bowl would have been forgotten.

Sniffing is the biggest lever of all. A dog's nose is its primary sense, and letting them use it is both absorbing and calming. In one study, dogs that were given nosework sessions became measurably more "optimistic" on a behavioural test than before (Duranton & Horowitz, 2019). And when researchers gave kennelled shelter dogs foraging-style enrichment during a stressful morning, it reduced the stress-related behaviours they'd otherwise show (Herron et al., 2023).

The four kinds of enrichment worth having

1. Snuffle mats — foraging made easy

A snuffle mat is a dense field of fabric strips you scatter kibble into. The dog has to nose and hoover through it to find every piece, turning a 10-second meal into 10 minutes of the exact sniff-and-search behaviour that settles them. It's the single easiest way to add foraging to a normal day.

2. Lick mats — the calming one

Licking is a self-soothing behaviour; the slow, repetitive action helps a dog settle. Smear a lick mat with something soft — wet food, plain yoghurt, a little pumpkin — and it becomes a quiet 10-minute wind-down. Handy for nail trims, thunderstorms, or a calm end to the evening.

3. Food puzzles & dispensers — problem-solving

Rolling and tipping toys that release kibble as the dog works them add a layer of problem-solving on top of foraging. Start on the easiest setting so a frustrated dog doesn't just give up, and let them win often.

4. Nosework toys — hide and seek

Plush "hide the treat" toys let a dog dig and nose objects out of pockets — a tidy, low-mess way to run a search game indoors on a rainy day.

How to use it without overfeeding

  • Feed through it, don't add to it. Measure out the day's food and deliver a chunk of it via mats and puzzles. It's the same calories, more engagement.
  • Start easy, then raise the bar. Early wins build the habit; difficulty can climb once they're hooked.
  • Rotate. Two or three toys on rotation stay novel far longer than ten left out at once.
  • Supervise, and match the toy to the chewer. Soft foraging toys are for foraging — a determined chewer needs durable rubber, not plush.

Enrichment isn't a replacement for walks or training — think of it as the third leg of the stool. But for the specific problem of a bored, under-worked dog rearranging your living room, ten minutes of sniffing for dinner does more than most people expect.