How To Keep Your Dog From Getting Bored

Effective Ways to Prevent Dog Boredom While You're at Work

Mar 9, 2009

Our busy lives mean our poor dogs are often left to entertain themselves. Here are some helpful tips on keeping your dog happy and ensuring fun times whilst you're out.

It is a fact of life that we all have to work. But leaving your dog at home alone for 8 hours a day can be very boring. It’s a good idea to provide him/her with something to entertain it while you are out.

Games Adaptable for Inside or Outside Dogs

Puzzle and treat toys are great for keeping your dog occupied for longer periods of time. Puzzle toys are generally plastic balls or cubes that allow for the insertion of kibble or other small dry treats.

Your dog will need to knock the toy about to release a treat. Because your dog is rewarded with a treat, it will continue to play with the toy until it is empty. The puzzles will only dispense a couple of pieces of kibble at a time, so this will keep him/her entertained for some time.

Other toys such as the rubber Kong toy that is sturdy and available in a variety of sizes, allow you to spread a treat inside, such as a small amount of peanut butter, which your dog will need to lick out. Although this won’t last as long as the puzzle toys, it certainly does offer some fun and certainly a challenge.

Hiding a treat somewhere in the house is a nice surprise for your dog when he happens upon it. If you do this regularly, the dog will have a great time searching the place for more treats. Make sure not too hide treats in the same place, as you don’t want to make it too easy. Likewise, you don’t want to make it too hard, so that the treat remains unfound, or worse still, is found by ants at a later stage. It is best to use dry treats such as smackos or rawhide chews.

Start off hiding them somewhere basic like the bottom few shelves of your bookcase, and make it a bit trickier as your dog gets wise to your game. For outside dogs, you will need to be a little more creative about where to hide the treats. Don't try the flowerbed or veggie garden, lest your dog gets the impression he or she can find more treats by digging! Perhaps a low window ledge may be a suitable hiding place.

At Christmas time, don’t you get excited about opening presents? Well, so does your dog. Bring a little Christmas time throughout the year by wrapping a treat or toy in gift-wrap and leaving it for him/her to unwrap while you are out. Adding extra tape to the wrap can change the difficulty, or you can throw some treats in a paper bag and allow your dog to find this. (These are only recommended if your dog has opened presents before and is not going to eat the paper).

Tether a balloon or tennis ball to a ceiling fan or the washing line, just out of reach. Your dog will have a blast trying to catch it! This may not be suitable for dogs that have a ‘never give up’ attitude as they may wear themselves out. If your dog is like this, perhaps use this game when you’ll only be gone a short time.

Tips to Reduce Boredom Specifically for Inside Dogs

If you have an answering machine, leave him/her a message. Speak loudly and clearly and be sure to use your dog’s name several times.

If your dog responds to TV, you can try playing a documentary about dogs or wolves (although this is not great if you are trying to save electricity).

Tips to Reduce Boredom Specifically for Outside Dogs

Freeze rope toys or make ice-treats by freezing treats or kibble in ice-cube trays or larger freezable containers. Great for summer as your dog will have to lick the ice-treat before he reaches the goodness within!

Purchase a battery operated bubble machine from a toy store and let your dog chase bubbles. Again if your dog has a ‘never give up’ attitude use this game when you’ll only be gone a short time.

If you have an old kiddy pool or sandbox around, fill it with sand and bury treats and toys inside. Your dog will have enormous amounts of fun, actively searching for his/her treasure. This is not recommended if you have a pet cat, as it will soon become a giant litter tray.

Lastly, whether you dog is an inside dog or an outside dog, always provide a comfy bed or kennel, as one enjoyable thing to do while you are out is to sleep!

(Depending on your household, you may consider getting another pet for company. This is of course a big decision and not to be entered into lightly; however, it can result in a rewarding relationship for both pets).

The copyright of the article How To Keep Your Dog From Getting Bored in Pet Care is owned by Roberta Goli. Permission to republish How To Keep Your Dog From Getting Bored in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Aug 27, 2009 1:33 AM

Guest :

I like this article! Can it work for cats too?