At Meridian Canine Rescue, we serve meals in busy boxes at least twice per week. The boxes are so easy to customize, and since each one is different, our dogs never get bored. Rachel, our Dog Care Attendant, demonstrates the activity at home with her own dogs.
Change things up each time you make a busy box:
- Boxes, tubes, and/or cartons: Nest boxes within each other, layering food as you go. Grab a paper towel roll, add a little food, then fold the edges up. Scatter some goodies in an egg carton, close it, then add it to the box.
- Food: Use your dog’s usual meal, but add in a few fun surprises. Try plain canned pumpkin, cooked chicken, blueberries, or peanut butter. If your dog is adventurous, play around with textures and temperatures. Cod skin, raw or cooked carrots, frozen peas, and yogurt all get paws up from the MCR dogs.
- Toys: It’s best if they’re easily washable, especially if you’re using wet food ingredients. Grab a few and stuff them into the containers. Not only are the toys fun to play with, but they also make dogs work a little harder to get to the food.
As with all of our Enrichment activities, remember to supervise your pup so that she’s having fun and staying safe. Choose toys and food that are appropriate for her age and dietary needs.