Grocery Shopping with a Dog Trainer
During every new client appointment I lead and new class I teach, I discuss canine mental enrichment. I encourage folks to portion out part of their dogs' meals and use it for short (30-second to 2-minute) training sessions throughout the day. I also encourage feeding the dogs' remaining portions out of food puzzles.
Some cleverly designed food puzzles will only hold kibble. If your dog has mastered these and you're looking for something to keep your dog busy for longer periods of time, consider using food puzzles that can be stuffed and frozen. Kong and Westpaw are two companies with food puzzles which can be stuffed with a variety of food and frozen. Giving your dog frozen stuffed food puzzles buys you time to finish your coffee or tea, use the bathroom without your furry chaperone, and eat dinner in peace.
There is an art to stuffing a food puzzle that will keep your dog engaged. Variety is the spice of life! Layer a variety of food throughout the puzzle. Put a layer of your dog's usual food in the bottom. After that layer, think beyond the pet aisle at the grocery store.
Shop the produce aisle. Use dog-safe fruits and vegetables such as carrots, green beans, bananas, and blueberries. These will add variety without a lot of extra calories.
Browse the baby food aisle! Many baby foods are now packaged in easy-to-dispense pouches. These make filling food puzzles a breeze. (By the way, they're also a great way to reinforce loose leash walking with gloved hands.)
The baking supply aisle isn't just for bakers. Canned pumpkin is an excellent filler which provides fiber and flavor without excess calories.
Even the canned goods aisle has something to offer. Stock up on cans of fish, chicken, and even vienna sausage! Your dog may enjoy working through some green beans to get to some canned salmon!
The deli aisle delivers. Look for braunschweiger and rotisserie chicken. Braunschweiger is wrapped like a sausage. Poke a hole in the end and squeeze it into the food puzzle. (Like with the pouched baby food, I've also squeezed this into my dog's mouth with my gloved hands on chilly walks.)
The dairy aisle doesn't disappoint. Yogurt and cheese are great additions to a stuffed food puzzle.
Finally, treat yo' self and stroll down the chips and salsa aisle in search of canned cheese. This is easy to squirt into a food puzzle and seal off its opening. It's also another good treat option for walks on cold days.
Remember to always check the ingredients before giving your dog human food. Reach out to your veterinarian or a canine nutritionist with questions regarding your dog's diet.
I hope this inspires you to think outside of the pet supply aisle. Have a good puzzle recipe that your dog loves? I'd love to hear it!