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Enrichment during board and train
Training blocks in a stay are short, which leaves most of the day for something else. What fills those hours shapes how a dog settles, sleeps and learns. This page explains what each enrichment option is for in a board and train, how they fit around the lessons, and what the research found.
The idea
Enrichment is activity that lets a dog do what dogs are built to do, and in a stay it fills the hours between lessons
Enrichment is any activity or change to a dog's surroundings that gives it a chance to use natural behaviors such as sniffing, foraging, chewing, licking and solving problems, on its own terms. It differs from training in one way that matters: nobody is asking for a particular answer. A dog working a snuffle mat decides how to search it, and that freedom of choice is part of the value, especially for a dog spending a week or two in an unfamiliar building.
In a board and train, enrichment does three jobs. It burns mental energy so a dog can rest properly between sessions, it gives a worried dog something absorbing to do while it gets used to new sounds and smells, and it fills the gaps that would otherwise be spent pacing, barking or watching the door. A dog that rests well between blocks tends to arrive at the next one ready to work, which is the point of planning it.
- Sniffing and foraging: the sniff room, snuffle mats, scatter games
- Problem solving: puzzle games and slow feeders
- Licking and chewing: lick mats, frozen Kongs, pupsicles
- Steady movement: supervised dogPACER treadmill sessions
The menu
Each option on the menu has a job: sniff, solve, lick, chill or move
Dogtown sells the same six items as add-ons for daycare days, Academy days and overnight stays, and the prices below are the add-on prices for those services. Board and train is quoted separately after the consult, and the Foundation week includes enrichment as part of the program, so we confirm at the consult which items go into your dog's stay and whether any are charged on top. The jobs each one does stay the same.
The sniff room uses find-it games and scent work in a quiet space and tires the brain as much as the body. Puzzle games turn a treat into minutes of problem solving. A lick mat suits a mid-day reset, and a frozen Kong or a homemade pupsicle gives a slow, absorbing job that also cools a dog on a hot day. The treadmill gives steady, low-impact exercise when the weather or the dog's arousal makes the yard a poor choice.
| Option | Add-on price for daycare, Academy, overnight | What it is for in a stay |
|---|---|---|
| Sniff room | $7 | Scent work in a quiet room; tires the brain and helps a worried dog settle |
| Puzzle game | $7 | Problem solving and persistence; slows food down |
| Lick mat | $5 | A calm reset after play or a busy training block |
| Frozen Kong | $6 | A long, settled chew in a quiet spot before rest |
| Homemade pupsicle | $6 | A cooling treat for hot days and nervous first days |
| Treadmill session | $10 | Supervised, steady exercise on a dogPACER when the yard does not suit |
At Dogtown
At Dogtown enrichment is matched to the dog and slotted around the training, usually between a block and a rest
The order matters more than the item. After a training block or a playgroup, a calming option such as a lick mat or a frozen Kong helps a dog come down before it rests. Before a session, a short sniffing game can settle a dog that arrives wound up. A dog that has had a big play needs rest more than another activity. Gabby sets the order for each dog, and each daily update tells you what your dog worked on.
The choice depends on the dog. A worried dog in its first days often does best with sniffing in a quiet room, where nothing is asked of it. A busy adolescent may need the treadmill on a stormy day, when the outdoor turf yard is iced or a nor'easter has the dogs inside. A dog that guards food needs its food-based enrichment planned with care, which is why we ask about resource guarding at the consult.
- After a block or play: a lick mat or frozen Kong to come down
- Before a session: a short sniffing game for a wound-up dog
- First days: quiet scent work that asks nothing of the dog
- Stormy days: the treadmill and the indoor floors
- Dogs that guard food: enrichment planned at the consult
The research
Research shows sniffing can lift a dog's mood, and calm activities between training sessions help dogs settle
A 2019 study in Applied Animal Behaviour Science by Charlotte Duranton and Alexandra Horowitz gave pet dogs a cognitive bias test, then two weeks of a daily activity, then the test again. Dogs that practiced nosework, searching for scent, approached the ambiguous target faster afterward, a sign of a more optimistic mood. Dogs that practiced heelwork for the same two weeks showed no change. The authors concluded that more time spent using the nose makes dogs more optimistic.
A 2022 pilot study in the journal Animals, by Hunt, Whiteside and Prankel, looked at ten young dogs housed in pens during an assistance dog training program, a setting close to a board and train. After enrichment activities the dogs showed more relaxed behavior and fewer alert and stress behaviors. Social play and a playhouse produced the biggest change, and food-based toys the least, a reminder that the right enrichment depends on the dog.
Neither study suggests enrichment replaces exercise, and both were small, so they point the way rather than settle the question. The AKC puts the balance plainly in its guidance on how much exercise a dog needs: mental stimulation is not a replacement for physical exercise, but an important complement to it. In a stay, enrichment sits alongside the playgroup, the yard and the treadmill, not instead of them, and the mix is set for each dog.
At home
Bring enrichment home after the stay with a few simple routines
The go-home lesson hands over the training, and the same thinking applies to the hours around it. A dog that came home calmer partly because its days had sniffing and chewing built in will miss them if home offers neither. A few minutes of scent work or a stuffed toy at the times your dog used to get into trouble, after a walk or when you leave for work, does a lot of the job.
Cape Ann's seasons make home enrichment useful. Gloucester closes its beaches to dogs through the summer, Good Harbor from April 1 and Wingaersheek, Plum Cove and Cressy's from May 1, all until September 30 at the time of writing, and July heat and winter nor'easters cut walks short. On those days a sniffing game indoors is a good stand-in. For dogs who need more, a Dogtown Academy day adds enrichment and a training session with our trainer.
- 01
Start with a scatter game: a handful of kibble tossed on a towel or in grass
- 02
Move to hiding a few treats in one room while your dog waits, then say a release word
- 03
Add a puzzle feeder at the easiest setting so your dog wins quickly
- 04
Offer a lick mat or stuffed toy at the time of day your dog tends to get restless
- 05
Rotate the options so each stays interesting
- 06
Supervise anything your dog could chew apart
At Dogtown
Enrichment at Dogtown
Sniff room, puzzles, lick mats, frozen Kongs, pupsicles and the treadmill, for daycare, Academy days and overnight stays.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Is enrichment included in board and train or charged as add-ons?
Will enrichment tire my dog as much as exercise?
My dog guards food. Is food-based enrichment a problem?
What happens in the sniff room?
Is the treadmill used instead of outdoor play?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- Duranton and Horowitz 2019, Applied Animal Behaviour Science
- Hunt, Whiteside and Prankel 2022, Animals
- AKC: how much exercise does a dog need
- Gloucester beaches
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
A stay with more than lessons.
Tell us what your dog loves to sniff, chew and chase. The training team replies within the hour on business days and books the consult with Gabby.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
