City living often means limited space, but that doesn’t have to mean limited enrichment opportunities for your dog.
With a bit of creativity, you can provide mentally stimulating activities that keep your dog engaged and fulfilled, even in a small apartment or busy neighborhood.
By tapping into your dog’s natural instincts—especially their favorite parts of the predatory sequence—you can design enrichment that satisfies their needs in meaningful ways.
What is Mental Enrichment?
Mental enrichment refers to activities that engage a dog’s brain, encouraging problem-solving, exploration, and decision-making. Just like physical exercise, mental stimulation helps prevent boredom and frustration by allowing dogs to use their natural instincts in productive ways. This can include sniffing, foraging, problem-solving, or learning new skills—giving them an outlet for their intelligence and curiosity.
Benefits of Mental Enrichment
- Encourages species-typical behaviors like sniffing, shredding, or hunting in safe, structured activities.
- Reduces boredom and destructive behaviors by providing a productive outlet for energy.
- Strengthens problem-solving skills and encourages independent thinking.
- Builds confidence in dogs, especially those prone to anxiety or reactivity.
Understanding the Predatory Sequence
The predatory sequence describes the instinctual steps a dog might follow when hunting. While most pet dogs aren’t hunting for survival, aspects of this sequence still shape their play and exercise preferences. The sequence includes:
- Orient (Locate/Point Towards)
- Stalk
- Chase
- Grab-Bite
- Kill-Bite
- Dissect
- Consume
- Parade/Carry
Different breeds and individuals tend to favor specific steps. For example, herding breeds often thrive on orienting, stalking, and chasing, while terriers enjoy grabbing, biting, and dissecting. Recognizing your dog’s natural tendencies can help you choose the right exercise for them.
High Intensity Mental Enrichment Ideas
Chewing (Grab-Bite, Kill-Bite)
Chewing is a deeply satisfying activity, particularly for dogs that enjoy the Grab-Bite and Kill-Bite portions of the predatory sequence.
- Edible chews: Bully sticks, beef tracheas, duck or turkey necks, pig or cow ears.
- Non-edible chews: Split elk antlers (reduces risk of tooth fractures), marrow bones, hard rubber toys, Benebones, or Nylabones.
- Avoid rawhides due to the risk of obstruction.
Destroying or Dissecting (Dissect, Consume)
Dogs who really enjoy the dissecting part of the sequence will particularly like activities that mimic that.
- Toys & objects to shred: Stuffed animals, cardboard boxes, egg cartons, shredded paper.
- Reusable “unstuff” puzzles: JW Pet Hol-ee Roller toy stuffed with fabric strips or toy stuffing. Add treats, or not.
- Safety tip: Always supervise to prevent ingestion of non-food materials.
Stalking & Chasing (Orient, Stalk, Chase)
For dogs who love the thrill of the hunt, these activities let them stalk and chase safely:
- Food-dispensing toys like the Tricky Treat Ball or Kong Wobbler.
- Chasing games: Soccer ball, CollieBall (for those with access to more space).
Learning a New Skill (Problem-Solving & Confidence-Building)
Teaching new skills through luring, capturing, or shaping exercises provides excellent mental stimulation.
- Try free shaping games: Let your dog interact with an object (e.g., a box) and reward creative behaviors.
Low Intensity Mental Enrichment Ideas
Sniffing & Scavenging (Orient, Explore, Forage)
- Scatter Feeding: Sprinkle kibble or treats in a blanket or towel, or grass, and leaves if you have it, to find.
- Towel Roll: Place treats inside a towel and roll it up for them to unroll.
- Decompression or Sniffy Walks: Allow your dog to sniff freely during walks, taking in urban scents at their own pace. A long leash can help if space allows.
- Urban Hikes: Seek out trails, greenways, or larger city parks for longer, relaxed strolls.
- Renting a Sniffspot: Allowing your dog to investigate and explore a new space is also a great idea. You can rent a private backyard using Sniffspot.
Digging & Foraging (Dissect, Search, Explore)
- Create a Digging Box: Fill a shallow container with shredded paper and bury treats inside. Or, if you have an outdoor space, fill a small box with sand and let your dog go to town! The iDig can also be a good substitute.
- Egg Carton Puzzle: Hide kibble or treats in an empty egg carton. Start with the carton open, making it more challenging by closing the lid once your dog figures out how to get the snacks out.
Observing (Orient, Calm Focus)
- Window or Stoop Watching: Allows a dog to observe and process the world in low-stress way.
- Park Bench Time: Let your dog observe and watch people, dogs, or traffic go by.
