Enriching your dog’s life needn’t be complicated or time-consuming. Scatter feeding is so easy to do. It’s the perfect activity for those days when your head feels overly full or your energy is limited.

As I sometimes get chronic pain flare-ups; scatter feeding (“Hunter Gatherer” card in the enrichment deck) is my go-to activity when I need to give my spaniel a sustained sniffing session without walking miles.

Does your dog typically spend much of their walk racing around? Perhaps wanting to play fetch or chase with other dogs? If so, they may be over-aroused and in need of some calmness in their day.

Scatter feeding can help encourage your dog to slow down and sniff more.

Time spent sniffing interesting smells in the countryside is what a dog walk is all about for your dog.

Sniffing is beneficial for all dogs, helping them to relax and feel calmer, while also being the most mentally stimulating activity they can do!

After all, smell is a dog’s most prominent sense and so sniffing is how dogs explore the world. 

If you have a super-sniffer breed, such as a spaniel or bloodhound, activities that involve nosework are a double bonus as they provide breed-specific enrichment.

Scatter feeding is best done with dry food. If you raw feed and want to do scatter feeding, consider cold-pressed as an option.

You can also scatter feed with small chunks of fresh food such as cucumber, sweet potato, etc.

Dry treats can also be used, though I’d recommend scattering these across a wider area so your dog has to sniff more for those higher-calorie treats. Treats are usually more motivating than your dog's daily dry food, so you can use less treats than you would their food.

Deep belly sniffing is quite the workout for your dog, so could offset additional food.

However, you will need to figure out what’s best for your dog. My spaniel is very active so bonus food and treats aren’t an issue, however, I do typically scatter with a portion of his daily dinner.

A grassy patch is the best area to scatter feed.

Ideally, grass should at least be a couple of inches long to ensure that your dog is seeking the food using their nose rather than their eyes. This is important!

You can scatter feed on a short lawn as a slow-feeding activity, but it won’t provide the same amount of mental stimulation and have the same calming effect as a true sniffing session.

My spaniel typically spends at least 20 minutes foraging his food – I would aim for this as the minimum. Generally, I aim for 30-45 minutes. Experiment with the size of the area you scatter across.

The bigger the area, the longer it will take your dog to find the food.

If you have an active, high-energy dog, and they are finished in 5-10 minutes, try widening your scatter radius.

Foraging is a natural behaviour for dogs so it’s not necessarily something they will get ‘bored’ of – my spaniel has a very happy tail when he’s scatter feeding. He loves it. Never has he turned his nose up!

…But all dogs are different and some may be less interested or motivated to scatter feed and that’s ok.

The enrichment deck has 52 different activities so there may be something your dog prefers to do more often, so go based on what makes them happy!

If your dog seems uninterested in scatter feeding at first, persevere and see if you can encourage them. You can drop in some treats here and there to help increase motivation levels and get them started.

Or, they may be too anxious to scatter in the great outdoors and so you can use a snuffle toy or scatter in your garden where they feel safe.

While it can be beneficial to provide lots of scatter feeding opportunities for your dog throughout each week, variety is also a key component of enrichment. That’s why I created the enrichment deck, so I’m not doing the same couple of activities over and over.

So I personally don’t scatter feed every single meal, but I know some people do and swear by it!

If my dog has been on a long hike with me and is hungry, he has his food in a bowl.

Otherwise, I mix in other games and activities with his food.

Every dog is different and so there are always considerations. It’s important to note that scatter feeding may not be suited to certain dogs.

You may have heard of the term “Ditch the bowl” – intended as a positive movement to encourage dog owners to create more enrichment from their dog’s daily food allocation.

However, a predictable, non-challenging feeding routine is important for some dogs. We need to consider every dog as an individual and adapt to suit them.

Also, see the section further up the page on "safety considerations". This includes information on indescriminate scavenging, which can be an issue with some dogs.

• Shy, nervous and anxious dogs may feel better about consuming their food in a predictable and unchallenging routine (a bowl).
• Dogs in a new home or environment take time to settle in and adjust. If they are uncertain about their surroundings they may feel uncomfortable snuffling for their food.
• Those with unknown, challenging or rescue backgrounds (please discuss scatter feeding and other brain games with your rescue centre or behaviourist).
• Dogs who are prone to eating anything and everything likely don’t need further scavenging reinforcement through scatter feeding. It’s an issue that would be best addressed first with a behaviourist.

This is not to say scatter feeding can’t be a positive and calming enrichment activity for these dogs. Just a few notes to consider! It may come down to timing. It’s best to introduce any new enrichment activities when your dog is feeling happy, confident and secure. This helps to create a positive experience.

Yes, always look at your circumstances and adjust to suit you and your dog.

The Enrichment Deck provides lots of enrichment activity ideas to engage your dog's mind and nose.

Scatter feeding is best done with dry food.

You could look into cold-pressed food, which is more minimally processed and retains the nutrients better than kibble. I use a handful of this here and there during the week to scatter feed.

Many different natural, grain-free treats are available.

Training treats are particularly good for scatter feeding as their small size goes further. You could also break up pieces of air dried treats to use.

Enrichment can also come in the form of food variety. Add in different food items for extra enrichment. This could include small chunks of other dog-safe food such as cucumber, cooked sweet potato, pieces of boiled egg, scraps of meat, etc.

I use a combination of all of these and factor it into my dog's overall food intake.

It's best to scatter feed in an area where your dog feels safe. A snuffle toy would be a good indoor alternative.

If you have a scavenging problem with your dog, it's best to avoid scatter feeding, or at least discuss this with a qualified behaviourist first.

They can help you with your dog so that perhaps scatter feeding is something that can be beneficial in the future. But right now, focus on getting on top of that concern.

Possibilities could include creating a boundary by including a “go snuffle” cue along with a designated snuffle toy.

However, if you dog also eats non-edible items, such as socks, then don't use snuffle toys.

Or, if your dog chews all their toys, scatter feeding on the grass would be the better option over snuffle toys.

You can train your dog to snuffle instead of chew. See: How To Introduce Snuffle Toys

If your dog struggles to snuffle, you may find that a large, heavy-bottomed (rubber) snuffle mat is helpful.

While large dog can pick up a snuffle mat, it’s much harder to do so than a smaller and lighter snuffle ball that they can shake.

Always supervise your dog with snuffle toys and safely remove if they try to chew them.

If they are always trying to chew, look into providing more appropriate edible chews, such as raw bones.

Once they have a healthy outlet for chewing, you may find they become far less interested in chewing their toys or your items!

Many dogs will happily scatter feed together, however this is not always the case!

As ever, it's individual. If you are questioning this, there's likely a reason. So best trust your gut and conduct enrichment activities separately if you think there could be conflict with food aggression and resource guarding.

Consider timing; is now the right time for enrichment activities or do they need more time to settle in and feel safe in their surroundings?

If you think scatter feeding or other brain games and enrichment activities would be beneficial, you could do it with a treat allocation.

This way, it’s an optional activity with extra rewarding treats rather than them having to engage to fulfil hunger.

Ensure they can receive their main food within a predictable routine and without being challenged.

Light or shadow chasing can be the result of highly active brains, anxiety, frustration, pain, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or lack of physical and mental stimulation.

If your dog is a shadow/light chaser, it would be best to consult with a vet or qualified behaviourist. They can assess your dog for pain and OCD.

If the shadow/chasing is due to boredom and lack of mental stimulation, then scatter feeding could be extremely beneficial.

Not only is it a mentally stimulating yet calming activity, it directs the focus away from the eyes and engages the nose.

Increasing mental stimulation through brain games and relieving frustration through easy enrichment (such as chewing) can help dogs overcome this.

Again, seeking qualified help will be the quickest route to identifying the cause and helping to resolve it as it can be a challenging issue.

If your dog is confident, just uninterested, you could try using food that is more appealing to them or pointing it out. Some dogs need extra guidance when getting started - encourage your dog and show them that hidden treats await.

Not all dogs are 'super sniffers', so scatter feeding may not be their top choice activity so think about what your individual dog finds enriching.

Dogs who get overstimulated outdoors are sometimes chronically under-stimulated. (I.e. They feel bored at home and their walk is the only highlight of the day.) This creates a great deal of excitement around the outdoors. So more frequent outings could help them, along with brain games and enrichment.

Sometimes we’ll do a sniffy loose leash walk to a grassy area, scatter feed and then walk home. This serves as a short but fulfilling outing.

Please note that you should find a quiet area away from other dogs to prevent any conflict.

These scatter sessions promote sniffing and are calming, so can help to reduce arousal levels. For some dogs, the environment may always be more interesting than food, and that's ok.

Sniffing itself is stimulating and rewarding, so you don't always need to incorporate food.

However, you could try light scatter feeding as a calming activity when out on walks. I use a handful of training treats as bloat can be an issue if you feed too much during exercise.

You can always do scatter feeding at home to add extra sniffing to their time to their day.

If your dog never accepts food outdoors and seems tense, this could be overexcitement or anxiety. You'll likely be able to tell which it is. Helping your dog feel more secure in new environments can benefit them enormously, and a force-free trainer or behaviourist can help you.

As with any chronic behaviour issues, please seek professional guidance. If you are dealing with an anxiety issue, scatter feeding outdoors may not be helpful.

Some breeds, such as sight hounds, may be less sniffy than those dogs bred to have their nose on the ground. It’s ok if your dog is not particularly interested in scatter feeding.

Try to find out what games they enjoy or are motivated by.

Sometimes, a dog will need a little more help or encouragement to take part in an activity. You can start by scattering on short grass in a smaller area encouraging them to “find it” and praising them enthusiastically when they do.

You can also drop the odd ‘jackpot’ treat to add motivation.

If a dog is overstimulated or anxious, they likely won’t accept food. So start in an area they feel comfortable, such as the home. You could use:

• Snuffle toy
• DIY snuffle boxes (cardboard boxes with scrunched-up packing paper or old towels)
• Hard floors (kitchen etc) - while they won't be using their nose as much, they'll still gain confidence by finding the food.

If your behaviourist thinks scatter feeding outdoors is appropriate, they may suggest sticking to your garden or private field hire. This can be a good way to ensure your dog will not be disturbed.