Want to add fun and excitement to your dog's day while stimulating their senses and their mind? If you answered yes, continue reading my recent blog post on using bubbles as an enrichment activity for your dog.
Remember how much fun you had blowing bubbles out of a wand when you were young? Well, your dog can enjoy that same feeling. Bubbles are a great way to engage your dog in safe and inexpensive play without involving treats. When Lacey was a puppy, I would use the old-fashioned small bubble wand that came with the bottle and blow bubbles in the yard. I loved watching her run around the yard and chase them. I didn’t realize that this was a great enrichment activity until I did some research on enrichment games.
For her first birthday I thought I would splurge and buy her a bubble machine. Okay, so maybe part of it was for me so I didn’t have to keep doing all the work. At first, she wasn’t sure about it, then the more we used it, the more she enjoyed it. Now, when she sees me getting the bubble machine out, she knows what we are going to do and gets excited.
Just look at all the benefits gained from bubble activities:
Exercise – Bubbles encourage your dog to run, jump, chase, and catch, which can help them burn off energy and stay fit.
Mental Stimulation – Bubbles can challenge your dog’s brain, making them use their eyes, nose, mouth, and paws to track and catch the bubbles.
Bonding – Bubble play can strengthen your relationship with your dog while sharing a positive and interactive experience.
Mood Boosting – Bubbles can boost your dog’s mood, triggering their natural prey drive and curiosity. Bonus – you will also get a boost in your mood seeing a happy dog!
When using bubbles for your pup make sure they are non-toxic and harmless for dogs. Some commercial bubbles contain ingredients that can irritate your dog’s mouth, eyes, skin, or stomach if ingested in large quantities. There are dog specific bubbles with flavors like bacon and peanut butter that you can purchase online. Lacey has tried and liked both. You can also make your own. I have not yet tried to make my own but will be experimenting with some recipes I’ve found online.
Dogs thrive when they have opportunities to use all their senses and natural instincts. The best enrichment activities encourage them to act confidently and think through problems to find a reward. If your dog could use more stimulation, try introducing them to bubble play. Let me know how it works for you. I would love to hear from you.
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