Animal Welfare League
Contact Us
Donate
Adopt
Cats
Cats
How do I adopt a cat?
I've lost my cat
I've found a cat
Cat advice
Farewell your cat
Board your cat with us
Foster a cat or kitten
Rehome your cat
Adopt a cat
Dogs
Dogs
How do I adopt a dog?
I've lost my dog
Found dogs
I've found a dog
Dog advice
Farewell your dog
Board your dog with us
Foster a dog or puppy
Rehome your dog
Blog
Adopt a dog
Help for your pet
Help for your pet
Pocket pets
Board your pet with us
Farewell your pet
Find a vet
Find a lost pet
Rehome your pet
Support Us
Support Us
Donate online
Monthly Donations
Donate items
Gifts Fur Good
Leave a gift in your Will
Do your own fundraising
Volunteer for us
Shop online
Shop at our thrift shops
About us
About us
Who we are
Our team
Work with us
Contact us
Policy and position statements
Pet projects
For the Love of Pets

Search term

Cats
How do I adopt a cat?
I've lost my cat
I've found a cat
Cat advice
Farewell your cat
Board your cat with us
Foster a cat or kitten
Rehome your cat
Dogs
How do I adopt a dog?
I've lost my dog
Found dogs
I've found a dog
Dog advice
Farewell your dog
Board your dog with us
Foster a dog or puppy
Rehome your dog
Blog
Help for your pet
Pocket pets
Board your pet with us
Farewell your pet
Find a vet
Find a lost pet
Rehome your pet
Support Us
Donate online
Monthly Donations
Donate items
Gifts Fur Good
Leave a gift in your Will
Do your own fundraising
Volunteer for us
Shop online
Shop at our thrift shops
About us
Who we are
Our team
Work with us
Contact us
Policy and position statements
Pet projects
For the Love of Pets
Contact Us Donate Adopt Search
Blog
Common unwanted behaviours and how to address them
How to help your kitten settle in
How to help your puppy settle in
3-3-3 things to remember when adopting your new best friend
Four reasons to adopt an older animal
Five reasons to adopt a pet from Animal Welfare League
Five things to consider before adopting a pet
Your pet will love these healthy (and yummy) DIY treat recipes!
Back to blog

Let your dog play with their food

Looking for ways to keep your dog busy? Meals are the pawfect opportunity.

Instead of handing food straight into your pooch’s bowl, make mealtime fun and interesting. Your dog has natural hunting and scavenging behaviours, and using toys and games are a great way to put these to use.

1. Scatter feed

One of the easiest ways to make your pet work for their food – scatter it around an area or space. Spreading their food around a safe, secure yard is especially enriching as your dog will need to snuffle through the grass to find it.

If you don’t have a yard, scatter it around a room that you don’t mind getting messy, and then pop some safe obstacles in there, too.

2. Use treat dispensers

There are lots of toys that will keep your dog busy while they figure out how to get their food. Instead of putting extra treats in these toys – pop your dog’s dinner, lunch or breakfast inside.

Mix it up! Using the same toy over and over is boring. Keep your dog guessing by rotating these toys every few days and even by using various toys in one meal time.

PETstock has a vast range of toys and treat dispensers for your pup. Click here to visit their site.

3. Make a puzzle

You can make a puzzle for your dog with household items. And by putting their meal inside, they’ll be keen to figure it out.

Making a puzzle toy is as simple as popping food inside toilet rolls, cereal boxes, shoe boxes, egg cartons and even pizza boxes. Increase the difficulty by putting some scrunched-up newspaper inside too.

Take puzzle-making to the next level and click on the links to make an extreme enrichment box.

4. Play hide-and-seek

Hide your dog’s food all over the house and a secure yard. Then, encourage them to go and find their food.

Once Fido’s got the hang of this, you can start making your hiding places even trickier.

Remember to mix up your hiding places and to keep them safe.

5. Use a clam pool

Fill a clam pool with sand, toys, scrunched newspaper or tissue paper and then hide your dog’s food in amongst everything.

Top tip: fill the pool with water on hot days, and this will help to keep your pooch cool, too.

Animal Welfare League

Animal Welfare League of South Australia Inc (AWL) brings together lost and abandoned pets and caring humans to create happy homes where everyone feels loved.

Contact
Animal Care Centre
1-19 Cormack Road,
Wingfield SA 5013
10am - 3pm
Tuesday - Sunday

Edinburgh North Shelter
4 Hewittson Road
Edinburgh North SA 5113
10am - 3pm
Thursday - Sunday
P: 08 8348 1300
E: support@awl.org.au
Cats
How do I adopt a cat?
I've lost my cat
I've found a cat
Cat advice
Foster a cat or kitten
Dogs
How do I adopt a dog?
I've lost my dog
I've found a dog
Dog advice
Foster a dog or puppy
About us
Who we are
Policy and position statements
Our team
Contact us
Work with us
Pet projects
Become a member
For the Love of Pets
Support AWL
Donate online
Sponsor a pet
Donate items
Leave a gift in your Will
Do your own fundraising
Buy lottery tickets
Volunteer for us
Shop at our thrift shops
Help for your pet
Rehome your pet
Board your pet with us
Farewell your pet
Find a lost pet
Blog
Pocket pets
Find a vet
ACNC Registered Charity
ACNC Registered Charity
© Animal Welfare League of South Australia Inc
A member of Companion Animal Network Australia - CAN
08 8348 1300
support@awl.org.au
Made with Mango Chutney
Made with Mango Chutney
website made with love from mango chutney