If your dog is bored, they will often create a way of entertaining themselves.
Unfortunately, this can mean they choose to do something that is less than ideal for their
owners. Dogs can create ‘games’ like, digging holes, chewing furniture, harassing wildlife,
barking loudly, or trying to escape the backyard. All of these are counterintuitive and not
great for pooch behaviour.
TOYS FOR BORED DOGS
Toys are an excellent way to keep your dog entertained. For bored dogs you can use food-
based reward treats. One of the most popular are the Kong branded toys. Kong has made
a name for itself as being the best in treat-dispensing toys. You can fill these with a mix of
treats (peanut-butter mixed with liver treats is perfect) and freeze them for a longer chew
time.
TOYS TO KEEP DOGS OCCUPIED
If your dog has heaps of toys but is still bored, it’s likely that they are used to and no longer interested in them. They have lost their fun and appeal. If you’re lucky your dog has a favourite toy they just love! But, for most dogs they simply enjoy something new and shiny! However, this doesn’t mean you’ll need to visit the shop every few days. Instead, buy about 15-20 toys and keep most of them in an opaque sealed box. After a day or two, rotate the toys out, stick to around 5 toys at a time. Your dog will think these are new each time!
HOMEMADE TOYS FOR BORED DOGS
When making a homemade dog toy, keep one thing in mind – your dog loves you! Take an existing article of your clothing, the more worn out the better. Tie it up into a series of knots and twists, you can even cut it in a few places to make strips. This will make a perfect ‘rope’ toy that your dog can run around loving and ‘killing’ all afternoon.
KEEP YOUR DOG OCCUPIED WHILE AT WORK
Keeping your dog entertained while you’re away can be especially difficult, as most toys should be monitored while your dog plays with it. If it is a warm day you can try the frozen bottle trick. This is any old plastic bottle that is filled with water and has been frozen overnight. You can insert some liver treats to make it extra special if you like. Your dog will enjoy licking and chewing on it for hours! However, before giving it to your dog take any small plastic parts off the bottle as these can easily be swallowed.
TOYS TO KEEP DIGGING DOGS OCCUPIED
If your dog is into digging when you’re away, there are a few tricks you can do to stop them. If they are digging up the garden, you can get some dog repellent to spread around or lay chicken wire on the ground to stop them. Then give them a place to dig instead. Buy an old children’s swimming pool (those blue clam shells are perfect) and fill it with sand. If you bury a few treats, a pig ear is excellent for this, your dog will go crazy having somewhere fun and enjoyable to dig without the prospect of getting in trouble later!
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