Sensory garden:

 A Sensory garden is a safe place in an enclosed area, where the dog can snuffle and explore in freedom by using all his senses, without intervention of other people (or dogs). 

Advantages:

 
Stimulates the senses 

-Helps the dog to become curious 

-The brain capacity grows as a result 

-Mental stimulation 

-Learning to deal with difficult situations 

-Dog calms down 

-Your dog produces happiness hormones such as dopamine 

- Gives dogs the opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a normal dog's life. A safe place where they can come to learn skills. 

- Helping dog's confidence and help them to socialise (e.g. Rescue puppy mill dogs) 

Enriched environment

History:
In  a more professional zoo you can see that "activities" are offered in certain animal enclosures. For example; Monkeys and gorillas have swings and tires, meerkats have boxes filled with shredded paper, and the big cats have varied things to use as toys. During feeding times, animals are offered their food in different objects to give them more challenge. Sometimes the food is buried or hidden under trees so that they have to search for the food.

Why do zookeepers do this?
They do this to give the animals a better quality of life by offering them an enriched environment. The idea is to give animals activities that require them to use their natural instincts and brains (and yes animals get depressed if they don't have mental stimulation they then go for example walking past the fence in a reciprocal pattern)

Even humans need an enriched environment. We live in freedom and can realize this ourselves and that is why this is self-evident to us. But what if it disappears? Say you wake up one day and you can never leave your house and worse all the things you love are gone, no sports, no books, no phone, no bike, no car, no hobbies, no toys, no music, no sweets etc. All you have left are four white walls and every day you get a plate of beans. It won't last long and you'll also get frustrated and angry. After a while you may start to feel sick and eventually you will fall into a depression.

The same also applies to animals, but it is only recently that it has been discovered that dogs also need enrichment. Living with people can be frustrating, especially when people have no interesting life for dogs to offer other than going around church. Discovering scents is one of the most important things for a dog. All senses need to be stimulated in dogs, such as sight, taste and hearing but they will always use their nose to receive impressions.

Benefits of an enriched environment for dogs:
• Promotes brain growth
• This way they can easily get used to new things
• Dogs can handle difficult situations better
• They can solve problems more easily
• They get curious
• They can use all their senses
• Because dogs are allowed to sniff, they produce calming substances

How do you create an enriched environment?
This could just be old stuff from the attic or that you or someone else might throw away.
In a second-hand store you can buy carpets, baskets, unwashed socks or pants, dog clothes or other things. The nice thing about this is that the smell of people, the domestic environment and perhaps also pets are additionally attached to it. You can do an enriched environment anywhere! Also at home.

In this way your dog can get used to different surfaces, smells, objects, sounds in a positive way. As a result, it may soon be less scary in daily life to deal with certain things. Your dog has now been able to explore things on his own that are new, which he may find exciting but in a calm way, at his own pace and in a safe environment. And very important it is his own choice. In this way, dogs gain confidence and become curious.

Think here also about of the dog's 5 senses like: smell, touch, sounds, visual, taste. Examples can you find in above text and on the pictures. 

Why is Sniffing important - slow down for your dog

Sniffing is important to a dog's well-being and it brings them great pleasure. 
Smell opens up the world to a dog and is an intrinsic need. 

Dogs are supposed to use their nose as much as possible - deny this and they become stressed; allow it and they feel fulfilled. 

They can take in so much information through their nose and sometimes they need  the time to explore all the nuances of what they smell and it's our duty to allow them this time.  

Dogs are not always be allowed to be dogs in this modern world. Many people do not realize how important “sniffing” is for our dogs. 

For example: A lot of the time, when we walk our dogs, we are in a hurry. we walk very fast because we think it's what our dog wants, or we have to go to work. If our dog wants to stop because they want to sniff on some places we get irritated. How many times do we see people pulling away  their dogs away from a smell? How many times do we do it? How do you think the dog feels? 

Sniffing is so important to a dog's well-being and it brings them great pleasure. 

Watch a dog allowed to sniff as much as possible and you will see a contented dog. Smell opens the world to a dog and is an intrinsic need. Dogs are supposed to use their nose as much as possible - deny this and they become stressed; allow it and they feel fulfilled. They can take in so much information through their nose and sometimes they need  the time to explore all the nuances of what they smell and it's our duty to allow them this time.  

Let your dog sniff and explore! Let your dog be dog😊. 

How do dogs see with their nose

Watch the YouTube film above from Alexandra Horwotiz. She explains clearly how the dog nose works and how important this is.
Or click  here to watch it