Dog Enrichment Secrets Part 2: 30 Day Enrichment Challenge + Free Planner PDF #315
Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett
DogsThat
4.8 • 679 Ratings
🗓️ 29 October 2025
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Visit us at shapedbydog.com
What might look like digging, chewing, or shredding is often a dog's way of saying, "I need more enrichment." In Part 2 of our enrichment series, I'm sharing how to build a 30-day plan that meets your dog's natural needs for curiosity, challenge, and balance. You'll get over 30 meaningful ideas to build confidence, support calm focus, and strengthen your connection so your dog feels happy, relaxed, and fulfilled.
In this episode, you'll hear:
• How digging, shredding, chewing, or turning everyday objects into games of their own are our dog's self-created enrichment.
• A quick recap of Part 1 of the enrichment series and how using our dog's natural instincts builds engagement.
• The main categories of enrichment and how each fulfills different needs.
• How engagement-based enrichment helps dogs stay focused and joyful.
• What social enrichment looks like in everyday life and how to make it positive.
• Ways to safely meet your dog's instinctive drives through play and activities.
• How fitness enrichment builds both confidence and physical balance.
• The role of curiosity and challenge in keeping enrichment meaningful.
• Simple sensory enrichment ideas that bring calm and relaxation.
• How to use the free 30-Day Enrichment Planner to create balance, variety, and fun.
Resources:
1. Download Your Dog's Enrichment Blueprint - https://dogsthat.com/enrichment-blueprint/
2. Podcast Episode 314: Dog Enrichment Secrets Part 1: Using Your Dog's Natural Instincts To Build Variety And Engagement - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/314/
3. YouTube Playlist: Dog Training Games with Susan Garrett - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy2TzttCtZVFwzwMGayAsaYe&si=dL01iM0YSBLEWUWV
4. YouTube Playlist: Target Training for Dogs with Susan Garrett - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy3ylCyQ2bJQSCwo_ERiVHj3&si=p7xGeNlYA0xg-2hm
5. Podcast Episode 68: 3 Easy Tricks Every Dog Should Know - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/68/
6. YouTube Video: Susan Garrett's Perch Work Dog Tricks (Pivots and Spins) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6sj6fTJnFc
7. Podcast Episode 281: How Vito's Thinking Games Will Transform Your Dog Training - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/281/
8. YouTube Video: How to Train Your Dog to Leave It with No Command: Susan Garrett's ItsYerChoice - https://youtu.be/GGJkfrMje2k?si=ktVPU8o4UP1jTfa0
9. YouTube Playlist: Crate Games and Crate Training for Puppies and Dogs with Susan Garrett - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy2cs1uKBQTpAY-LUARQhzT7&si=LRcMwJuXJ19qq6mb
10. Podcast Episode 302: The Recall Myth: Why Your Off Leash Dog Isn't Coming When Called And How To Fix It - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/302/
11. Podcast Episode 89: Why Dogs Should Not Tug: The Truth Revealed - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/89/
12. Podcast Episode 180: Taking Your Puppy To A Café Or Restaurant: Socialization Success - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/180/
13. Podcast Episode 121: How To Stop Dogs Jumping Up On People - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/121/
14. Podcast Episode 145: 10 Ways To Teach A Dog To Lay Down And How To Shape It Without Luring - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/145/
15. YouTube Video: DIY Puppy Bombs: Easy & Affordable Enrichment Toy for Puppies - https://youtu.be/UBveJe2C2dA
16. *Flirt Pole - https://geni.us/flirt-pole
17. *Snuffle Mat - https://geni.us/snuffle_mat
18. Nina Ottosson Food Puzzles - https://www.nina-ottosson.com/products/all-products/
19. *West Paw Zogoflex Toppl Treat Dispensing Dog Toy Puzzle - https://geni.us/toppl
20. *KONG Classic Stuffable Dog Toy - https://geni.us/kong-toy
21. Podcast Episode 74: Yes, Susan Garrett's Dogs Sniff On Walks - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/74/
22. YouTube Playlist: Exercising Your Dog's Body and Mind: Tips and Games with Susan Garrett - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphRRSxcMHy1ISzbaoCNh0NyLg3qgDG58&si=iV1H-X-QNyxd04zj
23. *PETGEEK Treat Dispenser - https://geni.us/petgeek-dispenser
24. *KONG Wobblers - https://geni.us/kong-wobbler
25. Podcast Episode 191: Get Your Dog To Calm Down With This Common Sense Protocol For Relaxation - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/191/
26. YouTube Channel: DogsThat - https://www.youtube.com/@DogsThat
27. *If your dog loves wood, Susan's dogs love this chew: SPOT Coffee Wood Dog Chew Toy - https://geni.us/wood-chew
28. Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube - https://youtu.be/aBuG1z2oLos
*Amazon Links Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Susan only recommends products she uses herself, and all opinions expressed here are her own. The link above is an affiliate link that, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you decide to buy from it. Thank you!
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hypothetical scenario, have you ever heard of a dog shredding pillows or your couch or digging holes or chewing on wood, |
| 0:11.1 | particularly baseboards or maybe even drywall? Your first thought might be, man, why do I have the naughty puppy? |
| 0:19.1 | Man, why is my dog being such a pain in my ass? And the truth is, |
| 0:23.5 | it's your puppy creating their own enrichment activities. It's your puppy telling you, |
| 0:29.6 | I have emotional, instinctive, and social drives that I need to meet. And they're not being met for me. So, I'm taking it upon myself to create |
| 0:40.9 | my own program. Today, I'm going to help you create your own enrichment program so that your |
| 0:47.1 | dog doesn't have to create one for themselves. Hi, I'm Susan Garrett. Welcome to Shape by Dog. |
| 1:02.8 | You know, it's kind of ironic that people have this litany of problems that they have with their puppy or their dog that gets that dog labeled as a problem dog or a |
| 1:12.6 | problem puppy or a, you know, a stupid puppy or a puppy that doesn't listen. And in actual fact, |
| 1:18.9 | it's all about creating enrichment for their own environment. If you were with me on part one of |
| 1:26.0 | our enrichment series, we talked about how there |
| 1:29.7 | are different activities that can help meet the needs of your dog through enrichment, |
| 1:34.7 | things that are enriching the dog through cognitive functioning or socializing or sensory |
| 1:42.1 | enrichment or, yes, instinctive enrichment. |
| 1:45.7 | In that episode, I gave you some homework to watch your dog, study what your dog does, |
| 1:51.3 | and see what is it that gets your dog excited. |
| 1:54.5 | In this episode, we're going to go through 30 different types of enrichment activities. |
| 2:03.6 | And each one of those probably could branch into 30 more. So you're going to have the potential of hundreds of activities that you can decide |
| 2:10.3 | if this is something your dog would like or even test them on your dog. And your dog will tell you |
| 2:15.4 | if it's something they like. Keeping in mind that true enrichment |
| 2:18.8 | creates variety for the dog. It gives the dog autonomy to make choices, that it gives the |
| 2:25.2 | dog some level of challenge and it creates some balance for them in their life. You want these |
... |
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