Mythbusters: How long should enrichment take your dog?

I always knew it wasn’t fair to ask my dog to relax if I hadn’t tired her out, but for a long time I never thought much about the type of tired. As long as she wasn’t bursting with energy at the end of the day? Cool! Good job, team!

Then I realized there's a difference between "feeling tired because you just had the most stressful work shift imaginable" and "feeling tired because you exercised your brain and body in satisfying ways." Scout and I became happier when I stopped simply wanting her to be tired and started prioritizing her fulfillment.

Here's what that has to do with enrichment. It's easy to think that more is better, because the longer our dogs spend on an activity the more tired they are after finishing it. So many dog parent conversations center around how much time enrichment tasks take our pups to complete. (What are the longest lasting chews? How can I make this food-dispensing toy take longer? My dog solves DIY puzzles too fast!)

But does time spent really matter?

It depends. While most dogs love a long-lasting chew or puzzle, effective enrichment should above all be about how satisfied your dog feels afterward. Here’s how to know if your best friend is tired, frustrated, or actually fulfilled.

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Different tasks have different impacts

Activities that allow our dogs to express natural instincts fulfill them (satisfying tired) —while activities that ask them to suppress those instincts are more likely to drain them (unsatisfying tired). Both have their place in training and daily life! Just be thoughtful about what you do most.

• Common instincts include sniffing, chewing, digging, chasing, and spending social time with other pets or people.
• Some dogs like to be challenged more than others. Every pup is an individual, but this often falls along breed lines: High-energy working breeds feel fulfilled accomplishing challenges, while dogs bred first and foremost as companions might get overwhelmed more easily.
• The more likely your dog is to engage in an activity when left to their own devices, the more likely it's fulfilling one of their needs. A personal example: My cattle dog loves to chase. If she's in a yard by herself, she'll go after birds and squirrels. So we prioritize play that allows her to act on this urge! She rarely chews things on her own, though, so we don't prioritize chewing enrichment as much.
• How that affects enrichment length: Ten minutes spent chasing fulfills Scout more than ten minutes spent chewing. Time isn't everything!

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Genuine fulfillment leads to genuine relaxation

When our dogs are fulfilled, it’s easier for them to properly relax.

Of course, being able to self-regulate without complete physically and mental satisfaction is a valuable skill. We never know when we might find ourselves in a situation where it isn’t possible to meet our pups' every need—like fasting before a vet appointment or being stuck in the car on a road trip! As much as possible, though, we should offer our dogs some sort of enrichment before asking them to lie quietly at our feet during a work call or ignore squirrels outside the window or deal with all the other chaos of our modern human world.

The line between "tired" and "fulfilled"

A tired dog and a satisfied dog might look similar at first glance, but the feelings aren't automatically one and the same.

• A dog who is just physically or mentally tired but doesn't necessarily feel fulfilled. They can still be anxious, overwhelmed, and unruly. (Have you ever hung out with a toddler who missed their nap? Yeah, it's a bit like that.)
• While a tired dog might quickly look for ways to burn more energy (like chewing, pacing, or barking), a fulfilled dog is more likely to feel at peace and fully relax.

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So... how long should enrichment take your dog?

Unfortunately there's no magic formula for an enrichment activity's perfect length. (That's just not how life with dynamic living creatures works!) The ideal duration depends on the type of activity, your dog's personality, and their previous experience with enrichment.

In general, you want to avoid extremes. On the short end: If your dog finishes a chew in two big bites, chances are they didn't get much out of it. On the long end: If they're still laboring over their breakfast puzzle an hour later, odds are they're feeling frustrated and in need of a break.

Some enrichment length guidelines:

• If your dog finishes an activity quickly and still has excess energy, consider increasing the difficulty.
• If that doesn't work, offer them time to rest. Sometimes an overstimulated dog appears to need more when really they need less!
• If your pup gets frustrated or gives up on enrichment, simplify the task.
• Keep enrichment activities shorter for puppies and elderly dogs.
• Intersperse short, intense enrichment activities (like fast-paced training sessions or difficult puzzle toys) with longer, easier opportunities for fulfillment (like sniffy walks or other time outside).

And if your dog can spend ages on enrichment activities but still struggles to relax? You might not have found the outlets that really make their heart sing. Read more about finding your dog's favorite enrichment activities in this piece, and browse a longer list of suggestions in our 101 Enrichment Ideas guide!