One of the things that really struck me while traveling through Europe was how much the dogs seemed to be part of their families' lives.

I talked last week about seeing dogs everywhere—walking through cities, riding public transportation, sitting at cafés and simply going places with their people.

But there was another part of this that stuck with me after I came home.

The dog at one of the homes where we stayed didn't seem to be something they had to fit into their schedule.

She was considered when they made the schedule.

Where are we going?

How long will we be gone?

Can the dog come?

When will she get her exercise?

What does she need today?

It was very intentional.

And it got me thinking about something I hear from dog owners all the time:

“I think my dog needs more exercise.”

Sometimes they do.

But sometimes I think what our dogs really need is a bigger life.

Exercise and enrichment aren't the same thing

When a dog is restless, barking, chewing things, following us around or generally driving us crazy, one of our first thoughts is often:

I need to tire this dog out.

So we throw the ball another 47 times.

Take a longer walk.

Send them to daycare.

Try to physically exhaust them.

Exercise is important. Dogs absolutely need opportunities to move their bodies.

But physical exercise is only one piece of meeting a dog's needs.

Dogs also need opportunities to:

• Sniff
• Explore
• Think
• Learn
• Experience new things
• Make choices
• Spend time with us
• And yes—rest

That's where enrichment comes in.

And enrichment doesn't have to mean buying another puzzle toy on Amazon.

Sometimes enrichment is just going somewhere with you

This was probably my biggest takeaway from watching dogs in Europe.

The dogs weren't necessarily participating in elaborate enrichment activities.

They were experiencing life.

Walking through a different neighborhood.

Riding a train.

Sitting quietly while their person had a coffee.

Sniffing somewhere new.

Seeing people go by.

Going along to visit someone.

Experiencing different sounds, smells, surfaces and environments.

All of those things give a dog's brain information to process.

For the right dog, simply being included can be incredibly enriching.

And I think sometimes we've gotten away from that.

Are our dogs becoming more home-bound?

Our lives aren't necessarily designed to include dogs everywhere we go.

We go to work.

The kids go to school.

We run errands.

We go to restaurants.

We drive to activities.

And the dog stays home.

That's not automatically a bad thing.

Plenty of dogs are perfectly happy spending a good portion of their day snoozing at home.

In fact, some dogs would MUCH rather stay home than accompany us into a busy environment.

But other dogs spend almost their entire lives moving between the house and the same neighborhood walk.

And then we wonder why they seem bored.

Sometimes the answer isn't another mile around the block.

Maybe it's something new.

Before you add more exercise, ask a different question

Instead of immediately asking:

“How do I tire my dog out?”

Try asking:

“What hasn't my dog experienced lately?”

Maybe today's walk doesn't need to be longer.

Drive five minutes away and walk somewhere different.

Let your dog spend ten minutes sniffing instead of trying to cover a mile.

Take your dog along when you're going somewhere appropriate.

Sit on a bench together and watch the world.

Do five minutes of training.

Hide part of dinner around the house.

Let your dog investigate a cardboard box.

Go visit someone your dog enjoys.

Take a slow walk through a dog-friendly store.

None of those activities need to take hours.

Sometimes different is more valuable than more.

But your dog gets a vote

This is really important.

I'm not suggesting that because I saw dogs happily going everywhere in Europe, we should start bringing every dog everywhere here.

Some dogs would hate that.

A busy patio may be wonderful enrichment for one dog and completely overwhelming for another.

One dog may love exploring a new town.

Another may be happiest sniffing through the woods.

Another may prefer learning tricks in the living room.

Another may genuinely love a quiet afternoon sleeping on the couch.

Enrichment should enrich the dog—not just satisfy our idea of what a dog should enjoy.

Watch your dog's body language.

Do they seem curious and relaxed?

Can they eat?

Can they settle?

Are they choosing to explore?

Can they disengage?

Or are they scanning, panting, hiding, freezing, barking or desperately trying to leave?

The dog gets a vote.

And more isn't always better

There's another side to this conversation that I think is really important.

We have become so aware of enrichment that some owners now feel guilty if their dog isn't being entertained constantly.

You don't need to create a cruise director's activity schedule for your dog.

Dogs need downtime too.

Being able to settle while nothing interesting is happening is an incredibly valuable skill.

The goal isn't:

How many things can I cram into my dog's day?

It's:

Does my dog have an appropriate balance of activity, mental stimulation, connection and rest?

That's a very different question.

Think about your dog's week—not just today's walk

One thing I've started thinking about since coming home is looking at our dogs' lives on a slightly bigger scale.

Instead of worrying because you didn't take a huge walk today, look at the week.

Did your dog:

Move their body?

Have opportunities to sniff?

Use their brain?

Practice some skills?

Experience something interesting?

Spend meaningful time with you?

Get enough sleep and downtime?

Have opportunities to do things they genuinely enjoy?

If the answer is yes, you're probably doing much more for your dog than you think.

And if the answer is no?

You don't have to completely reorganize your life.

Add one thing.

Take tomorrow's walk somewhere different.

Spend five minutes training before dinner.

Let your dog sniff instead of rushing them along.

Bring them with you somewhere they'll genuinely enjoy.

Maybe the goal isn't a tired dog

We've all heard:

“A tired dog is a good dog.”

I understand what people mean.

But I'm not sure that's the goal I want anymore.

I don't necessarily want an exhausted dog.

I want a dog whose needs have been met.

A dog who has had opportunities to move, think, sniff, explore, connect—and rest.

A dog who has a life that makes sense for that dog.

Watching dogs in Europe reminded me that enrichment doesn't always need to be something we add to an already overflowing schedule.

Sometimes it's about looking at the life we're already living and asking:

“Is there a way my dog can be thoughtfully included in more of it?”

Not everywhere.

Not every time.

And not if your dog would rather stay home.

But maybe occasionally.

Because sometimes your dog doesn't need another hour of exercise.

They just need a little more life in their life.

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