Did you know that boredom and excess energy are the most common reasons for dog behaviour problems? Help combat dog boredom with these helpful tips from our experts!
Tips from Dr Katrina Warren
Exercise your dog! 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 behaviour, such as chewing and digging, or barking for no good reason. If you don’t have time yourself, consider hiring a dog walker.
Create a treasure hunt! Most dogs enjoy using their nose to find food. Leave a trail of kibble around your garden or house to get your dog active and using their senses.
Tips from DOGUE Staff
Training! 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. Try the Wonderdogs tricks and training book!Make playtime fun! You wouldn’t want to play with the same thing every day would you? Then you shouldn’t expect your dog to continue to love the same toy that they've had for months. Give Fido a toy to play with for a few days and when he grows bored of it, replace it with another one. Check out some of our favourite boredom buster toys here!
Give your dog a job to do! Dogs are bred to complete tasks such as hunting and herding. When they aren’t able to fulfill these types of duties, they can get restless. Engage your dog in a game of frisbee. Take him for a long walk, hike, or swim. Find jobs that fulfill your dog’s breed. If you have a retriever, for example, nothing will leave him more satisfied than a hearty game of fetch with the Chuck it!
Tips from a DOGUE Customer
Diesel is a Labrador cross and he constantly needs both physical and mental stimulation to keep active, happy and keep him from destroying the house. Some tips that we use all the time and have really helped to keep Diesel calm and out of trouble are:
Take your dog on new adventures! If you walk the same route each day, change it up! Take them to a different park or around a different neighbourhood. They will be constantly stimulated with the new smells and surprises along the way. Even a quick run to the mailbox, a stopover at a friend’s house or the local cafe will keep your dogs' mind active.
DIY Boredom Busters! There are fantastic solutions for dog boredom that can be easily created from things around the house. Challenge your dog by placing treats inside a waterbottle, they'll spend hours trying to get the treats out and they'll love the crinkly sound the bottle makes, even if it drives you a little bit insane. Another favourite is placing treats inside a muffin tin and covering the muffin tin holes with tennis balls.
Make meal time a challenge! Instead of just giving them their food each day, make them work for it. Consider purchasing a mind challenging feeder like the maze bowl or interactive dog bowl. We bought the Interactive dog bowl to both slow down Diesels eating and to make him use his brain at meal times.
Licks and sniffs,
DOGUE