K9 connectable are amazing food enrichment toys for your dogs.  With K9 connectable, you can have as little or as many connectables as you like, each one connects with the other, creating 100s of different shapes, designs and difficulty levels.  

When they first appeared, I ordered 3 just to see how they would be for my dog, now, I have about 9 different ones, and what I find great about these, is how much enjoyment my dog gets out of them. You just fill them with your dog's favourite food and connect them all together. The connector points have these little ridges on them, so you can set the difficulty level, with the first ridge being the easiest. Which is ideal for when you first introduce these to your dog.  

They are great boredom busters. As they encourage problem-solving, and critical thinking as dogs figure out how to get the food hidden within the toy.   

Encourage physical activities by chewing and moving the toy around. We also often use them to play fetch games. What I also love about these is how strong and sturdy they are, and granted, my boy isn't an obsessive chewer, we have had the first 3 for about 7- 8 years, so they haven't done too bad really.  

So, if you want to give your dog something to do, or put that chewing energy into something more practical, I highly, highly recommend K9 Connectable. 

What is a sniffer walk? 

​A snifari walk is a casual on-lead stroll, usually on a long lead, that allows your dog to sniff where it wants for as long as it wants.  

Benefits? 

  Snifari walks tap into what a dog does best, allowing them to do what a dog is meant to do, hunt, but this will enable them to do so, in a much more calm and controlled way, so as not to over-excite them. Leave that for the sports. When a dog is busy sniffing, they are separating the scent particles and identifying the smells, some they’ll recognise, others they won’t, and the ones they do recognise, they’ll be focusing on that scent, and filtering out the other scent. Fascinating at what goes on inside their little nose. They'll also most l; likely want to follow the scent trail another natural dog behaviour. This is something that most pet-owned dogs don’t get to do regularly, we control so much of their lives, what they eat, when they eat, when they go for a walk, where they go for a walk, what speed they walk at, what they can sniff at and for how long. and by giving a bit freedom back of making their own choices, can help improve behaviour, reduce anxiety and increase calmness.  

Sniffari walks don't have to take up the whole of the walk. When I take my boy on our daily sniffari walk, we just do, on average, 30 minutes of doing what he wants to do. We walk to a nice, wide-open space, and then let the line out. He chooses where to walk, when to stop, when to walk, and how long he wants to sniff something. During this time, I rarely communicate with him unless necessary. After all, it’s his walk.  

When your dog comes back to check in, praise them. And only ask for things from them when needed. 

Garden adventure- aka sensory garden for dogs 

Did you know that you can turn your garden into an adventure for your dog?                                   

It doesn't have to be expensive or take up the whole garden just a few dog-safe plants such as lavender, chamomile, marigolds and thyme, planted in a corner or along the border with a little path for easy access all around or enough space for your dog to lay down amongst them, is just as enriching as if you were to go all out. With tunnels, a sniffing area, different floor textures such as gravel, rubber, slabs, pebbles, sand, a paddling pool, sandbox, ramps, or a maze filled with the things listed and then some.   

Adding a variety of textures, such as grass, sand, mulch, etc., enhances their tactile experience. Adding a variety of plants not only smells good but can have great medicinal benefits. Lavender is well known for calming, while chamomile can help relieve minor pain. 

 Creating such an environment for your dog provides fantastic mental stimulation and body awareness. These gardens provide a stimulating environment that encourages exploration, play, and relaxation, catering to the natural instincts and needs of dogs, which can help reduce stress, reduce boredom, enhance bonding and boost both mental and physical exercise.