Enrichment: tiring your dog out without a longer walk
Ten minutes of sniffing or problem-solving can settle a dog as well as an hour of walking. Here is how to use it.
5 min read · Updated February 2026 · Velora Pets team
A dog who cannot settle in the evening usually needs mental work, not more miles. Sniffing, foraging and problem-solving all use energy that walking does not touch.
Sniffing calms
Scent work engages the part of a dog's brain associated with settling. A snuffle mat with a scattered meal gives ten focused minutes that many dogs find genuinely relaxing — useful before guests arrive or during a thunderstorm.
Make dinner the activity
Feeding from a bowl takes thirty seconds and teaches nothing. The same meal in a treat-dispensing ball or puzzle takes fifteen to twenty minutes of effort. It also slows down dogs who eat too fast, which reduces gulping and the discomfort that follows.
Build difficulty gradually
Start easy. A dog who cannot solve a puzzle gives up and walks away, and once they decide a toy is impossible it is hard to re-interest them. Leave compartments open on the first few goes, then close them as your dog gets the idea.
Rotate everything
Keep three or four toys out and store the rest. Swap weekly. Dogs habituate quickly to what is always available, and a toy that vanished for a fortnight comes back interesting again.
