These suggestions are not too difficult and some might need some assistance if your dog hasn’t met them before but they’re great from an enrichment perspective and will keep your skirting boards intact ;)

Snuffle mat 

If your dog is a sniffing machine like mine is, hide a few varieties of foods (fruit, nuts, dog treats…) in the snuffle mats and away they go! 

Build a dig pit

If you have a garden and build a small area where your dog can dig. Hide a few treats or toys in the pit for your pet to find and watch them work away.

Lickimat / lick mats

An oldie but a goodie. I’m sure you’ve heard of lickimats by now and how they have a calming effect on dogs. Instructions are very simple: take your dog’s favourite spreadable and spread it on the mat and give it to your dog to lick. Evoila! And if you'd like it to last longer, freeze the lickimat for an hour or so.

Puzzle feeders

You can find a variety of puzzle feeders online or in your local pet shop. There are many different levels of difficulty available to keep your dog occupied for a while. If you have a dog that likes to chew, make sure you take the puzzle away at the end. 

Cardboard box

This one is my dog’s favourite as it’s so easy to make and dogs can destroy the whole lot. Make sure the box is free of any clips, staples, stickers etc. Put a few treats inside, stuff it with some scrunched newspaper to make it more difficult for them and then loosely close it so your dog needs to work to get in for the treats. It’s great for sniffing and tearing things apart which they will absolutely love.