Our Favorite Dog Safe Scents
Did you know that scents play a big role in your dog’s life? All… Day… Long…
So one thing I love to do with my dogs is include dog-safe scents in their enrichment activities. When you do this, you can not only improve their experience but change it up each time.
I have been having so much fun doing this at my local dog bar, Boo’s Ice House and Dog Bar, with the Summer Sensory Zone.
Anyways,
Just make sure they are safe for your dog (and other household pets too).
Check out this guide on how to use scents with your dog.
- Scent Enrichment Activities
Here are some of my favorite ways to incorporate scent into activities with my dogs and in my subscription box for you and your dog.
Scented Puzzle Toys
- Materials: Puzzle toys, cotton balls, essential oils (diluted to safe levels).
- Instructions: Add a drop of a dog-safe essential oil to a cotton ball and place it inside a sealable container to avoid your dog eating the cotton ball. Then place it into a toy. The scent will encourage your dog to interact with the toy.
Scent Trails
- Materials: Scented cotton balls or diluted essential oils, treats.
- Instructions: Create a scent trail by dabbing a small amount of diluted essential oil on cotton balls and placing them along a path (in a container). Hide treats along the trail for your dog to find, stimulating their sense of smell and encouraging exploration.
You can also do this activity by making a trail with food, but to give your dog a new experience, try using a new food they have not had before.
Relaxation Stations
- Materials: Soft bedding, lavender essential oils (diluted).
- Instructions: Create a relaxation area with your dog’s bedding and add a few drops of lavender oil nearby (not directly on the bedding). This helps create a calming environment where your dog can unwind.
Interactive Chew Toys
- Materials: Because of your dog ingesting something, I don’t tend to recommend adding essential oils to chews. Instead, you can buy toys like Himalayan Yak Chews that add ingredients like Turmeric or Ginger.
- Instructions: These scents can invigorate your dog and provide an extra layer of enrichment while they chew.
Scent Work Games
- Materials: Small containers or boxes, various scents, treats.
- Instructions: Place a small treat inside containers and add a different scent to each one. Let your dog sniff out the containers to find the treat, enhancing their scent discrimination skills.
Are you a subscriber? Check out the past enrichment guides for more detailed information on introducing your pup to scent work.
Comfort Items
- Materials: Favorite toy or blanket, vanilla or cedarwood essential oils (diluted).
- Instructions: Add a drop of vanilla or cedarwood oil to your dog’s favorite toy or blanket. These comforting scents can help your dog feel secure and calm, especially in new or stressful situations.
Safety Tips
- Dilution: Always dilute essential oils before using them around dogs. Typically, a 1% dilution (one drop of essential oil in a teaspoon of carrier oil) is safe.
- Supervision: Monitor your dog’s reaction to new scents. Discontinue use if you notice any adverse reactions. Remember, just like us, your dog may not like the smell and look to avoid it.
- Avoid Direct Application: Do not apply essential oils directly to your dog’s skin or fur.
Creating a Routine
Dogs love routine and thrive when their lives are consistently enriched, but don't worry on the days that things just get away. It happens to all of us. However, these are some great ways to add in some engaging activities throughout the week. The Canine Brain Games Enrichment Box was designed to help you keep your dog mentally and physically stimulated at home.
