Life with an energetic dog can be a lot of fun… but it can also be a bit exhausting (especially during the puppy phase)! Even if you take your pup out for daily walks, they’re still bouncing off the walls once they’ve had a chance to rest for a few minutes after they’ve made it back home. And even if your dog has more typical energy levels, offering them any enrichment you can is great for them. It’s great to give their brains a challenge and keeps them from being bored — a plus, since boredom can lead to mischievous behavior that can wreak havoc in your home.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by using a busy bowl, or a bowl of edible items or treats that’s going to take them a long time to scavenge for and enjoy. These are easy enough to make yourself at home, like the one featured in this TikTok video.
@rachelfusaroShould I make more 30 second recipe videos?! Everything shown on my shop page in bio or http://www.RachelFusaro.com Most of Marlowe’s meals are room temp raw or gently cooked, but boy does she LOVE a busy bowl👇 Remember, the goal is enrichment, not frustration If your dog spends more time trying to flip the bowl, throw it around, gnawing at it desperately – it may be too frustrating Try freezing for less time to make is more enriching I want my dogs to lick, gently chew and appear relatively relaxed while working on their busy bowls And afterwards, I’m looking for satisfied and calm, not anxious and demanding behavior Let me know if you’d like more of these! #dogenrichment #enrichmentideasfordogs #canineenrichment #healthydogfood #dogmomtips #dogbusybowl #busybowlfordogs #dogtips #dogfoodtips @West Paw @SideBySidePet @Open Farm Pet @Diggs @The Bones & Co.
Canine nutritionist Rachel Fusaro took to TikTok to share how she makes her dog a DIY busy bowl, and though it does require having some items on hand that you might not keep at home already, it’s easy enough to make when you do, and should only take a couple of minutes of prep work.
Using an empty dog bowl, she lines the bottom with pet-safe peanut butter, topped with a thin layer of plain pumpkin. Then, she adds goat whip, along with a sprinkling of dried blueberries and freeze dried food. Then, she fills the topple (or small bowl) with her dog’s wet food and puts it in the middle of the bowl, on top of all of the layers. She also added a duck foot, which is good for the dog’s teeth — though this is totally not required if it makes you squeamish!
Then she added bone broth to the layer surrounding the topple, stuck it in the freezer, and a couple of hours later, it was ready to go.
Her dog certainly seemed to enjoy it. Who wouldn’t?!
More busy bowl ideas
There are a lot of different ways to make busy bowls at home, including some super simple options from this list from Dog School. You can always freeze wet and dry food together on the same bowl, or even serve them food as usual with a ball in the middle of the bowl, which will give them a bit of a challenge while also slowing down their eating process.
You can also get creative with the bowl they feed from, like scattering their food throughout a muffin tin or inside an empty toilet paper roll with both ends sealed off so they’ll have to rip them open to get to their food.
However you do it, your dog will be grateful for the entertainment!
