Teach Your Pup to Paint!

Enrichment activities are fun, stimulating projects that perk up your pup’s senses and keep them sharp! One fun enrichment activity is teaching your pup to paint! While getting them to hold a paintbrush would take quite a bit of training, there’s an easy way for your pet to create a one-of-a-kind painting that you can treasure forever. 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

• A canvas – Inexpensive, small canvasses can be purchased at your local craft store. Thick, matte card stock should work fine if you have that.
• Paint – Look for non-toxic, washable paint. Kid’s finger paint works perfectly. You can also buy pet-safe paint at your online pet store. 
• Plastic wrap OR plastic zip close bags – The bags work best if you can find a size large enough for the canvas you have. Otherwise, plastic wrap works fine – you just may need to secure it with tape to keep it in place.
• Peanut butter – Don’t just grab a jar off the shelf and toss it in your shopping basket! Look at the label. If it contains xylitol, put it back – xylitol is toxic to pets. We strongly recommend getting unsalted, sugar-free peanut butter as this is the healthiest option and less likely to cause gastrointestinal distress.

Now, let’s get ready to paint!

Step One

Squirt paint wherever you want on the canvas, making sure it’s enough for your dog’s tongue to move around. 

Step Two

Carefully cover the canvas with plastic wrap, securing with tape if needed, or place in a plastic zip bag. 

Step Three

Gently drizzle or dollop peanut butter onto the plastic. If your dog isn’t into peanut butter (yes, those dogs do exist!) you can try squeezable cheese or meat treats instead. 

Step Four

Let your artist get to work! You may need to hold it in place with a few fingers if it starts sliding all over the place. If you’re worried about stains, place some newspaper down first. We recommend doing this on a hard surface, on an old rug or even outside. 

Important: Keep an eye on your dog while they are painting, making sure they don’t bite through the plastic. 

When they are finished painting, carefully remove the plastic and let the paint dry overnight. Now you have a beautiful keepsake and a happy pup. This enrichment activity isn’t just for dogs – you can do this with cats and tuna water, horses and molasses or applesauce, or even chickens and feed. Get painting, and enjoy!

Check out the video tutorial here.