Best of Bloomington Dog Boarding, Dog Daycare, Dog Grooming, & Dog Training
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The five types of enrichment naturally overlap because a single activity often engages multiple aspects of a dog’s well-being. For example, a romp in the ball bit is a scent-based foraging activity: foraging behavior satisfies nutritional and occupational needs, navigating through and walking on top of balls satisfies sensory and physical enrichment needs, and the social interaction with the caregiver during this activity satisfies the social enrichment need. Enrichment mirrors how wild canines experience the world using body, mind, and senses together. Satisfaction of all five enrichment types are nurture a dog’s physical health and emotional stability.
nutritional
What
Stimulates natural feeding instincts though problem-solving, exploration, & sensory engagement.
How
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Barckuterie Boards
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Ball Pit
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Chews & Treats
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Kongs & Topples
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Slow Feeders
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Snuffle Mats
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Puzzles
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Photobooths
WHY
Nutritional enrichment engages dogs’ natural foraging instincts, mental focus, and reducing boredom-related destructive behaviors.
OCCUPATIONAL
What
Engages dogs in purposeful tasks that mimic natural working behaviors.
How
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Agility
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Ball Pit
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Bubbles
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Fetch
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Flirt Pole
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Fear Free Training
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Puzzles
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Snuffle Mats
WHY
Occupational enrichment provides purpose and mental stimulation to reduce frustration, restlessness, and destructive behaviors.
PHYSICAL
What
Promotes fitness and health through varied movement, exercise, and play.
How
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Agility
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Climbing Structures
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Fetch
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Flirt Pole
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Group Play
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Nature Walks & Hikes
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Splash Pads & Pools
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Wobble Board
WHY
Physical enrichment releases energy, improves fitness, thus preventing boredom-related behaviors like chewing, digging, & hyperactivity.
SENSORY
What
Stimulates dogs’ senses through diverse smells, sounds, textures, and sights.
How
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Ball Pit
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Barkcuterie Board
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Fear Free Spa
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Group Play
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Music
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Natural Light
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Scent Space
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Storytime
WHY
Sensory enrichment fulfills curiosity, reduces stress, and prevents overstimulation that leads to anxious or destructive behaviors.
SOCIAL
What
Builds social skills and confidence through positive interactions and relationships
How
WHY
Social enrichment builds confidence and decreases anxiety-driven behaviors like barking, chewing, and separation distress.
Is your dog mentally
& physically Fulfilled?
We are Bloomington, Indiana's only Fear Free enrichment-based facility meaning we simulate activities dogs would encounter in the wild to satisfy their physical and mental needs using only science-based positive-reinforcement dog training methods.
Enrichment is a fundamental canine need that supports a dog’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Just like proper nutrition and exercise, enrichment provides essential stimulation that allows dogs to express natural behaviors, build confidence, and reduce stress or boredom. Incorporating enrichment into pet care services through agility, problem-solving activities, scent work, or group play ensures that dogs lead balanced and fulfilled lives. Every responsible pet care program views enrichment not as an optional luxury, but as a vital part of comprehensive and humane animal care. Our Hybrid Camp & Solo Camp programs provide the best balance of all five enrichment types. Learn more about the five types of enrichment and how we fulfill specific physical and mental at Scout's Honor.
The 5 Types of Enrichment
Transforming our Industry
Meet our Co-Founders:
Allison Jacobs & Kristen Perrus
Allison's dogs, Scout and June, were kicked out of daycare at the facility Kristen managed. Kristen explained to Allison how dog daycare worked: there were sometimes 30 dogs in each play yard with one human to supervise the whole pack. The dogs at daycare were getting less stimulation than Allison was giving her dogs are home. Kristen explained to Allison that she tried to get her boss to allow them to incorporate enrichment into daycare, similar to zoos, but they thought it wasn't worth the extra expense.
Allison and Kristen grew to become close friends while Allison grew her in-home pet sitting business. They volunteered for a non-profit dog rescue together fostering, training, and rehoming over 70 dogs together.
In August of 2020 Kristen quit her job out of frustration: she couldn't make an impact on the well-being of the animals in her care under boss. Kristen drove to Allison's house afterwards to discuss what she was going to do next. Allison and Kristen decided to use their excess free time the pandemic provided them to expand Allison's in-home business together into facility services.
Allison and Kristen's business model quickly gained international attention. They pushed the dog daycare industry forward by taking better care of animals and the humans caring for them. In their time outside of Scout's Honor, Allison and Kristen speak at international conferences educating their peers on the benefits of enrichment for animals, business, and employees.
Want to learn more?
"At Scout’s Honor we do things differently,” says Allison Jacobs, owner of Scout’s Honor Pet Retreat in Bloomington, Indiana. “We focus on individualized animal enrichment and on the people who are taking care of the pets. This all goes together hand in hand.”
“Not only did we see the need for personalized pet care, but we also saw a need for our employees to be paid adequately and receive the benefits they deserve,” explains Allison. “We often hear that a trade-off for working with dogs is that you don’t get health insurance, paid time off, or other basic benefits you could get if you worked at places like Wal-Mart or Target. We have seen that push some amazing employees in other pet care businesses out of the industry. We knew that if our employees received adequate pay and benefits, we could retain them and grow them into experts in pet care. That was a big drive for us, helping make animal careers for people instead of just giving them a job."
Sources
Thank you to the doctors, scientists, veterinarians, and zoologists for documenting the positive effects of enrichment in animal handling for the past century. The sources listed below were used to better the lives of animals, better the lives of animal caretakers, create this webpage, create our staff training programs, and so much more.
