Enrichment

Wolves and wolfdogs in a captive setting need their minds to be kept busy and occupied. Unlike your average dog breed Wolfdogs get bored easily. When they get bored they may become destructive or begin showing signs of stress. 

STRUCTURES: Wolfdogs love to climb and be on top of things. They are very curious and love to know what is going on around them. There are many types of ways to make structures. You can use scrap wood to make platforms or ramps. You could also use old tires to make fun things for them to climb on. Make sure that if your using scrap wood that it is free of old nails or splinters. 

LIVESTOCK TANKS: Many wolves and wolfdogs love being able to cool off  in water during the summer.  Large Steel water tanks filled with water are perfect for this. They can climb in  for a nice, cool dip! Because these can fill up with algae and bacteria during the warmer months you must make sure to keep it clean. Plastic kiddie pools might be okay to use when they are small puppies but they will quickly learn they can tear it apart.

LEASH TRAINING: It is very important that no matter how big of an area they have to live in they still need to be routinely taken out of their enclosure for leash walks. " Smelling the daily news" is a great way for them to keep their minds stimulated and well exercised. You must start leash training as a young puppy. Many Higher percentage wolfdogs do not like leaving their enclosures as they mature and get older. This is their choice but it is still important and beneficial to offer the walks if they so choose to go.

DURABLE TOYS: Because Wolfdogs can be destructive it might be difficult to find toys that they cannot destroy in seconds. Larger rubber toys seem to work best such as Kongs, Kong balls, Jolly Balls. Kongs are especially great because you can fill them with a tasty treat, freeze them and then give to your wolfdog to work on.

SANDBOX: Making a durable sandbox for wolfdogs to dig in is a perfect form of enrichment. It might minimize digging in their enclosure. You can also hide treats in the sandbox as another way to keep busy. I have seen a few really cool ideas using tires to make the sandbox.

TREATS: Making wolfdogs work hard for treats is a great form of mental stimulation. You could make frozen ice treats using a bucket filled with water, add berries, meat or dog treats, freeze it and then flip it over to get the icicle out. Its especially great for the summer time. You can also carve a pumpkin or water melon and fill it with yummy things, then put the top back on and let your wolfdog figure it out. 

SCENT ENRICHMENT: Wolves and wolfdogs love smelling new things and scents to roll in! You can spray different perfumes, essential oils or other scents around their enclosure and let them have fun exploring. You could also use a cardbox with different  scents sprayed on it for them to explore. It will be lots of fun to clean up later!