You are at work. Meanwhile, your dog is sitting at home with no one to play with. Just like people, dogs get bored. Keeping them mentally challenged is just as important as taking them for walks and exercising them. Bored dogs develop destructive behaviours that can cause havoc both in and outside the home. So, what’s the solution to keep them stimulated while you’re at work, or even at home? Here are a few ideas:
Learn a new trick with your dog.
Work on a new trick with your dog. Every time you train your dog in something new, it is giving them the mental stimulation they require. If you’re ready to move past the basic commands (come, sit and drop), look at the internet, read some books, or ask a trainer for ideas for new tricks and ideas.
Play with interactive toys with your dog.
Keep your dog busy by giving them one of the many toys available like this Kong Classic toy [pictured]. It allows you to hide treats and objects inside so your dog is engaged while they figure out how to get the treats out! It’s also great for those dogs who love to chew.
There are many pet puzzle toys and time release feeders available, however, nothing has filled the product gap between the two. Until now. The Foobler enables controlled feeding because it eliminates overfeeding in a single meal, or worse, over-filled bowls left out for continuous snacking. It's a self-reloading puzzle feeder for your dog with a real bell that challenges, stimulates and feeds your dog for up to 9 hours.
Run errands with your dog.
Even a quick run to the mailbox, a stopover at a friend’s house, or picking the kids up will give your dog more than enough to get them stimulated.
Give your dog a job to do.
Dogs can get restless when they have nothing to do. Engage your dog in a game of Frisbee with the Kong Flyer Extreme. Find jobs/exercise that match your dog’s breed. For example, retrievers were used by hunters to find and retrieve small game, so these intelligent dogs needs lots of vigorous exercise like long walks and of course retrieving balls, sticks and anything else. Whereas, terriers were born to hunt, sniff and dig out prey. These quick witted little dogs can easily learn games such as hide-and-go-seek, tag and fetch.
Introduce your dog to new faces.
Every time your dog meets a new person or fellow canine, they are introduced to new sights, sounds, and things to sniff. Think about taking your dog to puppy school, or the grooming place where your dog will see plenty of new faces! You could also take your dog to places like the dog park which will keep provide your dog with plenty to see, hear and smell!
Keep the toys on rotation.
Try and keep the toys fresh for you dog. You would get bored playing with the same toy for years, wouldn’t you? If you have a sizeable toy stack at home, try storing some away and then rotating which toys your dog plays with every few months or so. This will keep it more interesting for your dog. If you’re in need of some new toys, you’ll find there are plenty of new and exciting toys on the market. Check out the iFetch [pictured] – sure to keep your dog entertained for hours!
All of the above products can be found here.