Canine Enrichment for the Real World

Making It a Part of Your Dog's Daily Life

by Allie Bender, CDBC, and Emily Strong, CDBC 

This book is a must-read for dog guardians who want to go beyond basic exercise and truly enrich their dog’s life. The book dives deep into the science of enrichment, explaining how to meet your dog’s physical, emotional, and behavioural needs through structured activities and thoughtful environment design.

Written by certified behaviour consultants, this book goes beyond trendy enrichment ideas and provides a holistic, evidence-based approach to improving your dog’s well-being. You’ll learn how to give your dog more agency in their daily life, foster natural behaviors, and create a balanced routine that keeps them mentally and physically fulfilled.

With insights from renowned experts like Ken Ramirez and Patricia McConnell, this book is perfect for dog lovers, trainers, and anyone looking to better understand their canine companion.

Whether you’re raising a puppy, working with a shelter dog, or supporting a senior dog, Canine Enrichment for the Real World will transform how you approach enrichment.

📖 Key Details

• Authors: Allie Bender & Emily Strong
• Pages: 230
• Publisher: Dogwise Publishing (2019)
• ISBN: 9781617812682

Don’t let the word “enrichment” in the title fool you into thinking that the scope of this book is too narrow or not something you will find valuable. It focuses comprehensively on meeting your dog’s needs and is written in a holistic, science-based, practical, straightforward, and easy-to-understand way. I love this book!
Ken Ramirez, author of Animal Training: Successful Animal Management Through Positive Reinforcement

Canine Enrichment is a deep dive into what dogs really need and how we can provide it. It’s a great book for dog lovers who want to go beyond the standard superficialities of “dogs need exercise.” Just the chapter on agency is worth the price of the book!
Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., CAAB Emeritus, author of The Other End of the Leash and The Education of Will

The scope of this book is ambitious and the authors deliver, navigating the subject of enrichment with depth and relevance. Caregivers will gain critically important perspectives and practical information to improve the lives of their animals.
Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Utah State University, and founder of Behavior Works, LLC

Allie Bender, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA, and Emily Strong, CDBC, CPBT-KA, SBA, are certified behavior consultants who work with all companion animal species. They co-founded and operate Pet Harmony, LLC, and First Train Home.