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If only
our dogs had thumbs to twiddle so that we might notice…they are bored
By Cynthia
Edgerly, BS, CDBC
(Originally written for the Press Banner, a San Lorenzo Valley Newspaper)
At first
glance it might appear that our dogs live wonderful lives; most are well
fed, well groomed, provided adequate shelter and medical attention. Our
dogs certainly appear to be happy and healthy - yet reports of behavior
problems seem to be at an all time high. The big question is why?
Many behavior
problems and anxiety disorders in dogs today are the result of simple
boredom. While nearly every living creature on earth has a long list of
activities that must be completed on a daily basis, domestic dogs lie in
wait. They wait for us to fill their bowl with kibble then polish it off in
2-minutes flat. They wait for us to come home from work only to find we’re
often too tired to play. They wait for permission to join us anywhere,
anytime because there is little else for dogs to do. And while our dog’s
enthusiasm and interest in all that we do can be a very endearing quality,
it probably stems more from a lack of outside stimulation than love. I’m
not saying our dogs don’t love us – I’m just saying that I get a very
enthusiastic greeting from the shelter dogs I visit each week and we hardly
know each other. Speaking of animal shelters – if you have a couple
free hours a week please consider volunteering at a local animal shelter.
There are far too many animals in our shelters and far too few volunteers to
keep them well exercised.
Signs Of
Boredom
-
Dog is
destructive – destroys things indoors and/or outdoors.
-
Self-mutilation - dog excessively licks or chews its paws, legs or other
body parts. They will often lick so much they create large open wounds.
-
Dog
excessively mouths, barks, jumps, runs the fence, paces or eats stools.
-
Dog has
alone anxiety - exhibits destructive and/or excessive behaviors when left
alone.
-
Dog is
depressed – shows little or no interest in activities or interaction.
Boredom Prevention
Ideas
- Stop feeding your
dog from a bowl. Feed meals from a Buster Cube, TreatStik, Havaball,
Kong, Roll-A-Treat ball or other enrichment device.
- Give your dog old
water bottles or milk jugs made of either cardboard or plastic. You can
increase the dog's interest by putting food items inside. (Always remove
the plastic rings and the plastic caps before allowing dogs to play with
these items.) Many dogs will also play with 5-gallon water jugs.
- Take different
routes when walking your dog so he can experience novel smells, sights and
sounds.
- Provide lots of
chewies. Nylabones, bully sticks and
compressed rawhide are considered safe for most dogs.
- Get a child's wading
pool and fill it with water so your dog can splash around.
- Get a second pool
fill it with sand then bury things your dog likes in it.
- Satisfy your dog's
need to hunt and forage by letting him play "Find It" games. Hide his
kibble or treats around the house or yard and send him out to find them.
- Play games like
fetch, frisbee, tug or hide-n-seek with your
dog. Did you know there's an automatic fetch machine for dogs? See
www.buygodoggo.com
- Train obedience
skills,
tricks or sports. A half hour training session (using a positive training
method such as clicker training) generally tires a dog out longer than an
hour long walk. There is lots of great info on the internet about
how to teach some really fun tricks!
- Rotate toys so they
stay new and exciting. Some known dog favorites: Hide-a-Squirrel,
The Chuckit Ball Thrower, Tug N Toss Ball Toy, Fleecy Cleans Tug Toys,
Petstages Dog Toys, Teaser Balls and treat dispensing toys.
- Give your dog a
massage or Ttouch.
- One idea that works well for ball-crazy dogs is to
hang a tether ball from a cable strung across the dog’s kennel or between
two trees. The tether ball should be hung at nose level and should be
attached to the cable with some type of roller so that it moves easily.
Encourage your dog to chase the ball a few times, praising excitedly when
he pushes it down the cable. Soon he will play this game all by himself,
sometimes exhausting himself in the process! For added safety,
particularly with short or young dogs who can wrestle the ball to the
ground, encase the hanging cable/rope in a length of PCV pipe before
attaching the tetherball.
- Get your dog together
with other dogs and let them play. You can make individual play
dates, host parties or take your dog to a location where other dogs get to
play off-leash.
- Fill an ice-cube tray
or Tupperware bowel with water, add dog treats and freeze. Pop the
ice out and provide outdoors on warm summer days.
- Leave
classical or new age music on when you leave the home. This is very
relaxing for most dogs.
- Consider hiring a
dog walker or taking your dog to a daycare facility a couple days a week
if you are regularly gone more than 6 consecutive hours/day.
- Hang rope or inner
tubes from a branch or other item in the yard for the dog to play tug
with.
- Some dogs will play
with old tires either loose on the ground or hanging from ropes.
- Blow bubbles and watch
your dog dance around in hot pursuit. You can even buy bacon and
chicken flavored bubbles just for dogs.
-
When possible, take your dog along when
visiting friends or running errands.
-
Jog, rollerblade, skateboard or bike with
high energy dogs that never seem to tire.
So there you have
it - a whole smorgasbord of ideas to choose from. Take as many as you want
- they're free - they're fun - and your dog will love you for it!
Cynthia Edgerly, owner of
Bingo! Dog Training in Watsonville, California, is a Professional Dog Trainer & Certified Dog
Behavior Consultant. To contact Cynthia please go to her website:
http://www.bingodogtraining.com
or Phone: (831) 768-9308 or (408) 335-8745.
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