At Intermountain Pet Hospital our mission is Happy, Healthy Pets and Families. We believe in order to achieve good health and happiness, animals need enrichment. All dogs need something to do. Dogs live in a world today that is much different from the world they lived in before becoming domestic pets. Because we have changed the way dogs eat, sleep, and live, it has now become our responsibility to engage them in our world.
Enrichment alleviates boredom! Bored dogs bark, chew, dig and try to escape enclosures. These undesirable behaviors can damage the relationship between pets and owners. Boredom in dogs can also lead to self-destructive activities such as licking or chewing at themselves. Enrichment helps reduce boredom which in turn reduces stress in pets. Enrichment helps dogs learn to problem solve and learn new things more efficiently. It also helps build confidence and wears dogs out physically and mentally so they can get sound rest. Enrichment keeps pets happy which is a key component to lifelong wellness.
Enrichment is mental and physical stimulation that provides positive and fun outlets for normal animal behavior. The concept actually resulted from research started in zoos and other rescue organizations. There are many types of enrichment. Some areas we focus on are food-based enrichment utilizing slow feeders, food-type rewards, and activities such as snuffle mats. Other types of enrichment include olfactory enrichment (the use of certain smells to relax pets), structural enrichment (play equipment in the yard or trips to new environments such as the dog parks), cognitive enrichment (training new tricks and commands, puzzles, etc.), and social enrichment (exposing your dog to other dogs and people regularly).
At IPH L.E.A.P. we provide a unique day camp experience. We don’t just physically tire your pets with all-day play, we also focus on all areas of enrichment to help reduce boredom, stress, and undesirable behaviors. We not only offer group playtime to meet the physical exercise needs of dogs, but we also provide mental enrichment through games, puzzles, sounds, smells, and training. Dogs spend their day in small playgroups rotating through periods of play and periods of cognitive enrichment where dogs get to learn new things and have exciting new experiences. Please come by and tour our L.E.A.P. facility today!
