If the thought of leaving your dog home alone fills you with guilt, or if you return to chewed furniture, noise complaints, and a highly distressed pet, you are not alone.
Our relationship with our dogs has shifted drastically over the past few years. With the rise of working from home, we are spending more time with our pets than ever before. But this constant companionship has created a hidden epidemic: a generation of dogs who simply don’t know how to cope on their own.
Enter The Enricher, a first-of-its-kind automated pet-tech device designed by Australian certified dog trainer Grant Shannon. As the founder of Dogs Connect, Grant saw firsthand that standard puzzle toys weren’t cutting it for dogs suffering from severe separation anxiety. We sat down with Grant to discuss why canine anxiety is skyrocketing, the problem with traditional treat dispensers, and how his new invention is giving both dogs and their owners their freedom back.
The Post-Pandemic Pet Problem
While taking our dogs everywhere with us feels like a bonding experience, it often deprives them of a crucial life skill.
“Our lives have changed dramatically over the past few years. More people work from home, take their dogs everywhere, and spend much more time together than ever before,” explains Grant. “While that’s wonderful in many ways, it also means many dogs have never really learnt how to be comfortable on their own.”
When a dog lacks the confidence to be independent, separation anxiety sets in. Owners naturally want to soothe their pets, but being together 24/7 inadvertently reinforces the problem. “The biggest thing I tell people is that we need to teach our dogs that it’s okay to be independent,” says Grant. “We naturally want to spend as much time as possible with them, but if they’re with us every minute of the day, they never learn that being alone is safe.”
Why Standard Treat Toys Fall Short
For years, the standard advice for pet owners leaving the house has been to leave a stuffed treat toy at the door. But as anyone with an anxious dog knows, that distraction is fleeting.
“Treat dispensers certainly have their place, but they only solve the first few minutes after you leave. Once the food is gone, many dogs are left with the same feelings of worry or loneliness,” Grant points out.
Through his work at Dogs Connect, Grant met countless families who felt entirely trapped in their own homes. “They couldn’t leave the house without worrying about their dog, and many dogs were barking, pacing, chewing furniture, or becoming incredibly distressed as soon as their owner left. I realised the advice we were giving was good, but the tools available weren’t keeping up. Everything happened in the first 15 or 20 minutes, and then the dog still had hours left alone.”
The Science of Problem-Solving
Realising that a 15-minute distraction was a band-aid rather than a cure, Grant engineered The Enricher. Unlike standard feeders, it features four independent, pre-set timed compartments that release different enrichment activities—like puzzles, snuffle mats, and toys—spread throughout the day.
This concept of “independent variation” is crucial for canine cognitive behavioural therapy.
“Dogs thrive on using their brains,” Grant explains. “Every time they sniff, search, solve problems, or work out how to access an enrichment activity, they’re engaging in natural behaviours that help them feel calmer and more fulfilled.”
By staggering these challenges across several hours, the device breaks up a long, lonely day and redirects the dog’s anxious energy into a rewarding task. “When a dog is genuinely focused on solving a challenge, they’re no longer spending all of their energy worrying about where their owner has gone. Problem-solving taps into their natural instincts, builds confidence, and gives them a sense of achievement.”
A Non-Medical Alternative to Pet Anxiety
With canine anxiety reaching record highs, there has been a noticeable increase in veterinarians prescribing anti-anxiety medications to pets. While Grant acknowledges that medication is sometimes necessary for severe cases, he believes that many dogs simply need the right environment to learn independence.
“The Enricher is designed to support that learning through structured mental stimulation and positive experiences while owners are away,” he notes.
Priced at AUD $379, it functions as a one-off investment in a dog’s long-term mental health. “My goal has always been to help owners address the cause of the problem wherever possible, rather than only managing the symptoms.”
For Grant, the ultimate reward is seeing the transformation in both the pets and the people who love them. “Owners regularly tell us their dogs are calmer, settle more easily, and are much more relaxed when they’re left at home. For me, the biggest success isn’t just reducing anxiety—it’s giving both dogs and their owners more freedom and confidence.”
To learn more about cognitive enrichment or to purchase the device, visit The Enricher and explore Grant’s ongoing behavioural work at Dogs Connect.
