City dogs can have a tough time of it if their pet-parents aren’t home a lot of the time. Our animals crave socialization and demonstrativeness, and the lack of those things can lead to bad behaviors, physical symptoms of stress, even depression. But if you work full-time, what can you do? You know you’re not going to get rid of your best friend. What else is there?

Animal breeders and technicians have been using a technique on captive animals for many years called enrichment, which is just that: techniques to enrich animals’ lives with everything from scents they would encounter in the wild to alternate feeding techniques that emphasize the use of their species’ natural hunting and seeking senses and instincts. The result is a happier animal with a more wholesome life.