Q: "Temple" my adult mutt, is a sweet and loveable girl. However, she has started to show some destructive behavior lately. My veterinarian suggested providing more enrichment for her, such as kongs with frozen treats or using a Buster cube to dispense treats. But since she is already overweight, how can I offer enrichment without making the problem worse?
A: Environmental or behavioral enrichment is a terrific way to stimulate bored/under exercised dogs (that may well be the issue behind Temple's destructiveness).
Fortunately, there are many ways to introduce enrichment without introducing unwanted calories. The easiest approach is simply to put some of your dog's daily ration into the enrichment device or activity. For example, if you normally give Temple three small treat bones a day, give her only one and use the other two in enrichment, such as a kong. You could also use them in many other ways besides toys. For example, many dogs enjoy a game of hide and seek - where you hide the treats and they come into the room to find them. More ideas are presented in this document from Texas A&M University.
But don't limit yourself to food-based enrichment either; there are many calorie-free approaches to providing enrichment. A few examples:
- Canine aromatherapy: using scents to create trails or liven up an area. Spices, hunting lures or even other animals can be used to create an olfactory playground.
- Water play: providing a kiddie pool with toys or objects that float and others that sink.
- Canine sandbox: fill that same pool with sand to allow your dog to dig or to find a new toy or novel object hidden under the sand.
As long as you keep safety in mind, you are only limited by your imagination!
The Animal Behavior Institute continues to grow and develop at a rapid pace; several new classes have been developed for the 2008-09 academic year. Therapeutic Riding is now available for the first time in our Animal Assisted Therapy program. This class will cover the use of horses in therapy, planning and maintaining safe standards for all activities, creating lesson plans, and preparing for the unmounted components of the NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) Registered Instructor certification exam. 
Do you want to join the growing ranks of aquarium professionals? Our popular Zoo & Aquarium Science program has been expanded to accommodate your interests with a new specialization in Aquarium Science. This program is being run by Elisa Bobrin, our aquatics veterinarian, and marine mammal trainer Pete Davey. It offers specialized coverage of the management of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals in captivity: everything from water quality and the physical environment to husbandry, nutrition and training. The 15 credit certificate program includes:
We are delighted to welcome our newest faculty members to the Animal Behavior Institute: Anne Reynolds, Chris Waldron, and Kristen Lewis. Anne has developed the Therapeutic Riding course offered this fall. She is currently the Executive Director of