What’s in the box?
A meal delivered in a bowl might be tasty but is often gone in a minute. Feeding in a food bowl doesn’t encourage other dog behaviours associated with eating. Delivering your dog’s meal in a cardboard box can be messy but hugely beneficial.
What to do
Grab an empty box out of the recycling. Throw in some of your dog’s dinner, close the box and offer it to your dog. If this is too tricky to begin with leave the box open, or if this is too easy for your dog add some scrunched up paper, so they need to search harder for the food.
The inner tube from toilet rolls are another option. Pop some food inside and pinch the ends closed.
Behavioural Benefits:
Brain work – how do I access the food?
Shredding – some dogs get really into shredding boxes to access the food.
Sniffing – they will use their nose as they try and figure out what is inside.
Supervise your dog with this one to make sure they don’t eat any of the box once the food is over.