Behavior – Dogtation

Dog Enrichment: A Balanced Daily Menu of Sniffing, Chewing, Training and Rest

Enrichment is not endless stimulation. Build a day that lets dogs use natural behaviors while also practicing recovery and calm.

Barking can signal alarm, excitement, frustration, fear, attention-seeking or boredom. The solution depends on the reason.

Shadowing can be normal social behavior, learned attention-seeking or a sign that a dog has not yet learned to relax independently.

Licking can be social, attention-seeking, exploratory or self-soothing; context tells you more than the behavior alone.

Read the whole dog—posture, movement, face, tail and context—rather than relying on one signal such as a wagging tail.