10 Dog Enrichment Activities Under $10
Did you know you can do many fun things with your dog at home for under $10? I love finding great deals on store bought dog enrichment activities and I make a ton of DIY dog enrichment ideas that help my budget and make my dog happy!
If you’re new to dog enrichment, adding in dog enrichment activities has many benefits for dogs like:
- Providing a ton of mental stimulation for your dog
- Preventing bored dogs and destructive behavior in dogs
- Reducing stress and anxiety in dogs
You can make and find so many boredom busters for dogs for next to nothing, and in this post I’m sharing some of my all-time favorite dog enrichment ideas of my own and from some of my fellow dog enrichment bloggers!
P.S. Want even more enrichment ideas for dogs? Grab my FREE Mini Dog Enrichment Book for 5 awesome enrichment activities for dogs your pup will love!
Ok, let’s get into these 10 dog enrichment ideas for under $10!
DIY Tennis Ball Treat Dispensing Dog Toy:
What’s something most of us dog parents probably have? A tennis ball! Did you know you can make a DIY treat dispensing dog toy using an XL tennis ball? Did you also know it can hold at least one whole cup of large breed kibble? This XL KONG tennis ball is $7.94 on Amazon, bringing it under $10 with tax!
Get the full tutorial here + two more DIY dog enrichment ideas using tennis balls!
DIY Dog Busy Box
This next enrichment ideas for dogs costs as much or as little as you want it to! Honestly! This dog enrichment activity can be absolutely free. Say hello to the dog busy box. This idea uses your dog’s toys, recycled items like toilet paper rolls, packing paper, and more!
The main way this activity costs something is if you want to add any store-bought dog puzzles. Some of my favorites are the Nina Ottosson Dog Tornado Puzzle or the Trixie Rod Board Beginner Dog Puzzle! What I also love to put on the bottom is a dog snuffle mat! Adding in dog snuffle toys take this scenting game for dogs to the next level! I actually made my own dog snuffle mat and have a great tutorial on how to make your own DIY Snuffle Mat For Dogs. I’ll also add my helpful YouTube video below the image here if you’d like to check that out too. It’s one of my most popular videos!
Get the full tutorial here + more ways to slow down fast eating dogs!
Yogurt Container DIY Dog Treat Dispenser
This next dog enrichment game is one of Annie’s favorites! Depending on where you get your yogurt will determine how much the total cost is, but most standard yogurt containers cost around $4-$5! You can also use any other similar container. I’ve also used the feta cheese container we get at Sam’s Club and that costs around $7.24!
This is a fantastic boredom buster for dogs and if you’ve been looking for bowls to help your dog eat slower, why not try this DIY dog enrichment activity instead?! You’ll get a two for one! Get the full tutorial here.
Dog Lick Mat
If this is the first post of mine you’ve ever found and you like this next dog enrichment idea, you’re going to have so much fun going down the rabbit hole on my dog enrichment ideas and healthy dog treat recipes blog sections! I love love love dog lick mats! One of my favorite brands is Lickimat, but there are a ton of dog lick mats out there.
A regular Lickimat costs $8.99. They do have XL Lickimat sizes as well but those cost around $16.99 which is above the price point for this particular post! One of the many benefits of lick mats for dogs is that they help dogs to reduce stress and anxiety. When dogs lick, that’s their way of naturally letting go of that tension and stress. If you’re like, this sounds awesome, first off YAY! Ha! Second, I’ll link one of my most popular posts, 3 Easy Dog Lick Mat Ideas so you can get some initial ideas of what to put on a lick mat.
P.S. I also made my own Lickimat cookbook! Get 20+ easy-to-make dog lick mat recipes in my new What To Put On A Lick Mat: The Ultimate Dog Enrichment Cookbook (only $5.99)! This cookbook is a digital download so you can prop it up on your phone or iPad as you’re making tons of healthy dog lick mat ideas for your pup!
Muffin Tin Puzzle Game
This next dog enrichment idea is one I’ve done with my dogs for forever and it’s an idea that I got from my good friend Tori over at Wear Wag Repeat! Say hello to the muffin tin puzzle game for dogs! This is a fantastic DIY dog brain game for dogs of all levels, ages and sizes. If you’ve never done any kind of dog enrichment activity before, I personally think this is a fantastic place to start.
Get tons of helpful tips and learn how to set up the Muffin Tin Dog Enrichment Game here!
Dog Lick Painting
This next dog enrichment idea is one I’ve actually never tried before but after writing this post, I think I might just have to! I’ve always wanted to, I just keep forgetting to do it, ha! My friend Tori at Wear Wag Repeat shared this awesome dog lick painting enrichment idea that’s so simple and inexpensive to do! At the time I’m writing this as well, the cost for an 8X10 canvas at Michaels is $2.97!
Fun fact about craft stores, things are always on sale and there’s always a coupon for something! Keep your eyes peeled on their promotions and apps so you can score great deals and make multiple dog lick paintings!
Get Tori’s Dog Lick Painting Tutorial here!
Dog Bubbles
I loved playing with bubbles as a kid (still do because I’m just a bigger kid now, ha!) and did you know there’s dog bubbles now?! I actually first tried catnip bubbles with my cats a year ago and when I saw how much they loved it, I thought, I wonder if they make dog bubbles and they sure do! One of my favorite brands is BubbleLick. I’ve actually met the team before and they’re super nice! You can shop their dog bubbles online at their website or through many pet retailers! PetSmart has the banana flavor!
Shoebox Scenting Game For Dogs
Have you recently purchased a new pair of shoes or ordered something from Amazon that came in a small-medium-ish sized box? You can reuse that box to create an easy and fun scenting game for dogs! You can use your dog’s food or treats and really the only cost here is the treats if you buy new and of course the price of the shoes (but we’re finding steals and deals here so I just know you found a great deal on a pair you’ve been wanting!).
Get the full tutorial plus get two more scenting games for dogs here!
Stuff A Cup Dog Game
One idea I got from the Woofsie Mental Enrichment Dog Games Pack was a game called stuff a cup! For this activity you grab a few cups (don’t use ones you don’t mind getting a few chomps out of, ha!), add some of your dog’s food or treats and stuff with toys! This dog enrichment activity teaches them to solve the puzzle to get to their treat! This dog enrichment idea costs next to nothing and you can use existing toys and treats/food or you can get new toys or treats (the only cost!).
Learn all about Woofsie’s Mental Enrichment Dog Game Pack here and get a discount!
Treat Tumble Dog Puzzle
This last dog enrichment idea is one that I use as part of my dog’s dinner all the time when I want to skip the bowl! The treat tumble dog puzzle from Nina Ottosson and Outward Hound is a great beginner level dog puzzle for dogs of all ages and sizes! It does come in two sizes: small and large. The small is $7.99 and the large is $10.49 (I know I know, it’s slightly over $10, but I didn’t want my large doggos to be left out!).
Want even more dog enrichment ideas and activities? Check out some of my favorite and most popular dog enrichment posts below:
- 3 DIY Puzzle Toys For Dogs Using Containers
- Woofsie: 50+ Enrichment Ideas For Dogs
- DIY Snuffle Mat For Dogs (video tutorial included!)
- 3 Summer Dog Lick Mat Treat Ideas
- 3 Easy Dog Lick Mat Ideas
- 3 Dog Enrichment Activities Using Toilet Paper Rolls
- 3 Easy Summer Frozen Dog Lick Mat Ideas
- Teach Your Dog To Talk With Hunger For Word Dog Voice Buttons
- 4 DIY Enrichment Activities For Dogs Using Egg Cartons
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