Combat your dog's boredom and keep your shoes

Have you ever walked in your front door after a long day at work to find dog bed stuffing everywhere? Just as we get bored, so do our dogs. Unfortunately, sometimes when our dogs get bored, they chew up their bed or their toys, or worse, they turn to our favorite pairs of shoes for comfort.

There are some ways to combat your dog's boredom. "Boredom Busters" can be anything safe that your dog enjoys that keeps him or her occupied. This would be something you would reward your dog with in addition to a daily walk.

One way you could combat your dog's boredom would be hiding toys, chews, or treats in your house or in your yard. When your dog is bored and plunders for things like treats and toys, it gives him "appropriate" things to look for and find; things that are his.

Another way you could help your pup with boredom is to fill a kiddie pool with dirt. Poke holes in the bottom of the pool so that it doesn't hold water. Then, stock the pool with doggie prizes, like toys. This will satisfy your dog's natural need to hunt and find retrieve things.

You could also hang a ball from a string. Then tie that string from a low tree branch, or something else low enough where your dog can play with it, and it "plays back". Just like children enjoy playing tether ball in grade school, this exercise works the same way for your dog.

Playing fetch with your dog is also a good boredom buster. The key is that the fetch game has to be controlled. Use the toy and the game as a reward for obedience.

If you have some energy to burn, you can have your dog chase you, then you can chase him. It's almost like a game of tag.

Your dog will also enjoy a game of "hide-and-seek". But keep in mind, this game requires two people. One person occupies the dog until the second person finds a good hiding spot and gets situated. Then, the person hiding calls the dog once as the person holding him lets him go.

You can also keep your dog occupied by offering him or her strong chew toys like bully sticks, Kongs, cow hooves, and hollow bones.

You can learn about even more ways to combat your dog's boredom at Smeraglia's Puppy University. You can visit them online at http://pup-u.com/index.php .

Smeraglia's Puppy University
8449 County Road 64
Daphne, AL 36526
Phone: 251-621-1981
Email: info@pup-u.com

Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday: 7:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm