5 Brilliant Ways to Prevent Dog Boredom - Bored Dog Solutions

all dog posts dog boredom

5 Brilliant Ways to Prevent Dog Boredom - Bored Dog Solutions

Comment  

In this article, I share with you some interesting and exciting ideas that will help ensure that your dog never becomes bored, and if implemented, will also enrich your lives together. 


It's vital that dogs are provided with plenty of mental and physical stimulation to ensure that they remain happy, healthy and well-adjusted. They are social creatures and you must regularly interact with your dog and avoid leaving them on their own for too long.

If a dog becomes bored they are likely to exhibit nuisance and destructive behavior, such as excessive chewing, digging and barking. For more information on how to tell if your dog is bored please read 'Do Dogs Get Bored?'

Whether you need to provide your dog with entrainment while you are out, curb their boredom-induced destructive behavior or you simply want to make their lives more fun, there are plenty of activities and ideas that you can introduce to them to enrich their lives. 

Please note, if you are using treats for training or play, then you need to include them in their required daily calorie intake. You do not want to overfeed your dog.  

Photo Credit: Jamie Lantzy

1. Take Your Dog on Stimulating Walks

Long walks provide lots of physical stimulation and leave your dog tuckered out. A sleepy dog who has released all their energy is far less likely to start displaying destructive behavior, such as chewing and digging, or barking for no good reason. 

Walks also provide plenty of mental stimulation as they have to engage their brain and all their senses are invigorated by the variety of smells, sounds, sights and tastes that they experience. They may also meet a few other dog friends to interact and play with along the way. 

My dog walking tips:

• If you work during the day then come home on your lunch break to take your dog for a walk, or inquire in to a dog walking service.

• You should be aiming to take your dog out on an hour's walk a day. However, some high-drive dogs will need more, and some dogs, such as puppies or those that are elderly, will need less.

• Vary your walks and don't always take the same route. If you always leave the house and turn right, surprise them and turn left for once! Find new places in your area to explore. 

• At the weekend plan long and exciting hikes to various locations. The exercise will be great for both of you! 

• It's important that your dog gets time of the lead so that they can run at full pelt, enjoy themselves and experience freedom. Make sure that you are in a safe place to do so and that you have mastered the recall command first.  

• Do you have other friends with dogs that you can invite along? These social interactions will enrich your dog's life. 

• Take toys with you such as the Flippy Flopper Frisbee for dogs, which stays in the air a long time, allowing your dog to catch it. It is also made from rubber and nylon, which is soft on their mouth. Another favorite of mine is the Chuckit! as it allows me to effortlessly throw a ball much further than I could without it (my dog doesn't get that disappointed 'is that it' look), he gets a lot more exercise and I can use it to pick the ball back up without getting slobber all over my hands.

• While you are on your walk practice some obedience training, such as the 'stay' and 'come here' command.

Chuckit! is a 5-star item available on
Amazon

Flippy Flopper is a 5-star item on
Amazon

 

  

2. Play Mind Games

Taking your dog on lots of stimulating walks is great but to really enrich a dog's life you have to stimulate their minds too. I really recommend that you try out some dog mind games. The video below by Nick Benger shows four simple games that you can play with a dog and all you really need are some healthy treats and, for one of them, a towel.

1) Hide and seek
2) Hide a treat in a towel
3) Which hand is the treat in?
4) Find the treats around the room 

3. Dog Puzzles and Interactive Toys

Trixie, available at Amazon, make wonderful dog puzzles that are designed to combat boredom. Most of them involve your dog carrying out some basic problem-solving skills in order to access their reward, such as a food treat. As you are hiding all the treats teach your dog to 'wait' and then tell them to 'go find it!' Make sure you give them lots of praise when they are getting it right so that it is a positive social interaction. 

Interactive games should only be played with under your supervision as some of them contain small pieces. 

Mover Toy by Trixie, available on Amazon, involves
hiding treats under cones, in drawers and under sliders

My dog also really enjoys Hide-A-Squirrel, available on Amazon, which involves hiding squirrels in a 'tree trunk' so your dog can seek them out. The squirrels have squeakers making them extra tantalising! Also, there are no food treats involved so you don't have to worry about overdoing it on the calories. 

   

Most dogs go crazy for this incredibly affordable game
from Amazon, it will keep them entertained for hours

4. Training Sessions 

Regular training sessions help prevent boredom and allow you and your dog to have some one-on-one bonding time. As you practice your teamwork it will help strengthen your relationship. Training is a great way to get your dog to use their brain. There are different types of training, such as obedience, tricks and agility. Keep the training fun and varied to maintain their interest.

Obedience Training: Obedience training will not only be mentally stimulating for your dog but it will help instil and improve their manners. 'Sit', 'stay', 'come', 'down', 'leave it' and 'heel' are some popular commands. Don't forget to practice your training not only while you are at home but out on your walks too. I am a fan of the dog trainer Victoria Stilwell as she puts a big emphasis on positive reinforcement and her techniques are very successful.

Victoria Stilwell: Train Your Dog Positively 
is a 5-star rated item on Amazon.

Tricks Training: Teaching your dog tricks is fun and more lighthearted than obedience training, so it's good to switch between the two. 'Roll over', 'shake', 'bow' and 'play dead' are just a few of the tricks that you can teach your dog. 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog, is the clearest, biggest and best trick training book I have ever bought, with tricks for every skill level.

101 Dog Tricks is 5-star rated item available
on Amazon

Agility Training: For those who are really seeking a challenge and a new hobby, that both you and your dog can enjoy together, try agility training. Your dog will learn how to tackle various obstacles, such as tunnels, jumps and weave poles. You can either join an agility club or get an Agility in the Bag starter kit, as well as The Beginner's Guide to Dog Agility book, and start training your dog at home or in the park.

5. Keeping Them Entertained Even When They Are Home Alone

Dogs are social animals and they can easily become bored when left at home alone. Here are my suggestions to help prevent boredom while you are out: 

A Walk Prior To Leaving: Before you go out take your dog on a walk to tire them out. A tired out dog is far less likely to be destructive. Consider hiring a professional dog walker if your dog is to be left on their own for a long period of time.

The Kong: A popular way to keep your dog occupied while you are out is to give them a Kong, which is a rubber chew toy, and smear peanut butter inside it. You also put it in the freezer overnight so that it takes them longer to lick all the peanut butter out. Freezing it is also a great trick for hot summer days.

The Kong is a 5-star rated item on Amazon.

Sound: Leave the radio or the television on so that your dog doesn't feel so alone. You can also buy calming music CD's that have been especially made to play for dogs while you are gone.

While You Are Gone: Music Pets Love
Listen to sample on Amazon.

Feeding: Before you go out try hiding treats around the house for your dog to find, or hide treats in a cardboard box filled with towels that they have to dig through. There are also feeders and bowls that require some problem-solving in order for your dog to access their food and they make meal times more of a challenge. They will turn a 2-minute gobble into a 40-minute brain-engaging experience.

These are my favorite interactive dog feeders: 

StarMark Bob-A-Lot Interactive

Buster Interactive Food Maze Feeder

Northmate Interactive Feeder

For more information on what behaviour to expect if your dog is bored please read "Do Dogs Get Bored?'

Do Dogs Get Bored?

all dog posts dog boredom

Do Dogs Get Bored?

Comment  

Have you ever wondered why your dog is exhibiting a certain behavior, are they being naughty or could it be that they are bored? Has someone told you that dogs don't get bored and you disagree? Read this article to find out exactly what dog boredom means.



Dogs are highly intelligent and social creatures. Without sufficient mental and physical stimulation, social interactions, novelty and variety, they can become bored. Each dog will have their own limits as to how easily they become bored but some, especially high-drive breeds, can become bored very quickly if they are not worked and entertained. 

A bored dog is a stressed dog. Behavioural issues can result from boredom and they are normally destructive. When dogs are bored they make their own entertainment. Unfortunately for you this tends to involve digging up your garden or chewing your favourite pair of shoes.

If your dog suddenly becomes lethargic or depressed do not assume that they are bored. In fact, this can be a sign that they are not feeling well and you will need to take them to the vets. 

For bored dog solutions, ideas and activities please click here.

Photo Credit: BuzzFarmers

Stealing

A dog that steals food off the counter, random objects from around the house and waste items from the bin may be bored. They may be feeling a little lonely and they are seeking some attention. The last time they ran off with your shoe you chased them around for hours, which was great fun! Of course, when stealing food, they may also just be opportunistic.

Excessive Barking

A common reason for a dog to bark excessively is to get their owners attention because they are bored. However, barking doesn't automatically mean that your dog is bored as they will bark for a variety of reasons, including:

• They become excited during play.
• It is a learned behavior; for example, if your dog barks at you because he wants to go on a walk, and you take him on one, he will learn that barking gets you to take him out.
• They are in pain.
• They have obsessive compulsive disorder.
• Alerting their owners to visitors.
• Timid dogs may bark at strangers due to fear.
• Distressed barking due to separation anxiety (more about separation anxiety later on).

However, 'nuisance' barking may develop when a dog is bored, for example, when they are left on their own for an extended period of time. When a dog has nothing to do barking can become the default behavior. They may bark because they are attention seeking and they want you to interact with them. If they are excessively barking then it's important to determine the reason for their behavior, but boredom is certainly a valid cause.

Photo Credit: Alan Levine

Hyperactive

Dogs that are very excitable and have lots of pent-up energy may be bored and in need of some extra mental and physical stimulation. Although exercise is important don't forget that dogs also need to be mentally challenged, such as via training.

Digging

Although digging is a normal behaviour, it can also be a sign of a bored dog that is trying to busy themselves. As well as boredom, dogs dig because they are trying to escape; to bury objects; they are hot and they want to dig a cooling pit; or because they are predisposed to digging due to their breed, such as terriers. If your dog is excessively digging it is important to try and understand the reasons why, and establish whether or not you should be concerned.   

 

Photo Credit: Zeus

Chewing

Like digging, chewing is also a normal behavior. However, it can easily become a problem if they are excessively chewing or chewing items not meant for them. There's a difference between enjoying a dental chew stick now and again, and chewing the cushions every time you leave them on their own. 

Many dogs chew because they are bored, but again, it's not a conclusion you can jump to straight away. Dogs also chew because they are teething, they are exploring their environment, due to separation anxiety (more on separation anxiety later) or because they enjoy it. Many dogs chew as a way of relieving stress and anxiety, which can certainly be a result of boredom.

Photo Credit: Kid Cowboy

Separation Anxiety

A dog who has separation anxiety will often be extremely vocal, chew and may inappropriately eliminate while you are gone. Some of the signs are similar to a dog who is bored.  

However, separation anxiety is a dog's version of a panic attack. If you set up a camera and film them while you are gone you will see that they are extremely anxious, where as a dog who is bored will probably destroy your home in a more relaxed manner. A bored dog usually knows that their behaviour was wrong and they will look guilty on your return, where as a dog who has separation anxiety is less aware that their behaviour was inappropriate. They are so wildly excited when you finally return that they are unaware that you might be angry. Dogs who are generally anxious and nervous are more likely to suffer from separation anxiety, rather than those who are generally calm in nature.

For more information on separation anxiety please click here.


For ideas on how to keep your dog from getting bored please click here.