Don't let your dog get bored again! Five Quick Tips for Enriching Your Dog's Environment
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Boredom is the worst.
When I’m bored, I find myself scrolling endlessly on the internet, shopping for things I don’t need, or deciding that unhealthy snack calling my name from the pantry is what I NEED in my life right now. I’m a sucker for Jolly Ranchers. But it’s not just us humans who fall into bad habits though. Dogs do too.
One of the easiest ways to keep your dog blissfully busy is exercise. Our pack of 4 enjoy long walks in the neighborhood, where they can spend time sniffing the scents left by others, gazing at other humans along the way, or feeling the fresh sun on their backs. However, we don’t always have the time to take them on long excursions, as our schedules are pretty tight. When we are short on time, a few ball tosses in the house can alleviate some of the physical energy that they need to expend. Plus, it turns into a fun game of Risky Business, as they slide across the vinyl-planked floor, trying to chase the ball without hitting a wall, no socks needed.
While physical exercise is important for dogs, they also need to keep their brains busy too! Here’s my quick tips to enrich your dog’s environment to help them stay mentally and physically active - and out of trouble.
Tip #1: Lick Mats
Making your dog work for their food can be fun. Lick Mats are a great tool to keep your dog busy while getting some yummy treats. Licking can release endorphins for your dog that help them feel good and reduce anxiety. You can spread peanut butter (make sure it is Xilitoyl free!) yogurt, or other small bits of treats. These will keep your dog busy for a while to bust that boredom. Most lick mats come with a strong suction on the back so they don’t scoot around while your dog is licking and work well in bathrooms to keep your dog occupied while you bathe them. Don’t forget to leave them plenty of fresh water to wash their treats down with. Pro tip - If you use this, consider using it with some of their regular meals, so the calories don’t go crazy.
Tip #2: Dog Puzzles
Puzzles really keep the brain going and challenge your dog’s mind. I really like Outward Hound’s Nina Ottoson puzzle treat dispenser because it’s a fun challenge that ends with a great reward. It’s so much fun watching our dog’s brain sift through different ways to open the treat slots. For your heavy chewers, I might recommend an alternative. Our bully, Eva (pictured above) chewed the levers off and used her brute strength to access the treats. Not how it was intended but she used some problem solving skills anyways, right? Hulk smash is a tactic in Eva’s mind. Probably best for your less beefy pups if you want it to last.
Tip #3: Free Shaping - Dog Training Game
Families that play together, stay together! I make sure to spend about 10-15 minutes a few times a week practicing skills we’ve learned in training or by playing brain games with our pooches. One of my favorite games and confidence builder for our anxious boy, Neo, is called Free Shaping. This is an excellent activity to build problem solving skills and helps them to rely on their own brain vs. waiting for commands from us to respond. You essentially decide, in your mind, what behavior you want to get out of your dog. Then, you mark each behavior that is closer to the desired behavior. Ever played the hot and cold game? Basically, it’s the same concept. I use the marker, “Yes,” followed by a treat to let him know he’s on the right path. If he engages in behaviors that I don’t want to shape then I ignore.
For example, I put a plastic plate on the floor and my goal is to get him to tap it with his foot. Initially he gives me eye contact, he sits, he lays down, and tries a variety of behavior as he begins to experiment in figuring out what I want. The trick is to NOT give any verbal feedback until he is close to what I want. If his foot accidentally grazes the plate then I immediately say, “Yes,” and treat him. Over successive attempts, he realizes his foot touching the plate is what gets him the goods. The best part of this game is that it completely wears him out and we always end with success. The key is to work in small durations. Over a few days, your dog will have mastered a new problem solving skill and will be toe tapping that plate every time you bring it out. For my anxious guy, he ends the session feeling like a king because he figured out the game. And then I can smother him with mama kisses for being such a smart boy. His favorite part of the game!
Tip #4: Show them the world!
Before I leave the house, I make sure to open the front door shutters and set up a dog bed in front of the window. They get to watch the happenings of the front yard, spy a few cats, and bark hello to other dogs passing by. This seems to keep our dog’s focus outside instead of deciding my couch pillows look good for a day of destruction. They thoroughly enjoy watching our cars pull up and get their tail-wagging motors pumped for our entrance into the house.
Tip #5: Go high-tech!
Of course, in the modern world, leaving to go to work doesn’t have to mean a boring day for your dog anymore. The industry is exploding with high-tech tools and toys that do everything from monitor your dog’s food intake, to watch and speak to them to, yes, enrich their lives! We have our connected Amazon camera so we can keep an eye on our pooches while we are gone. The bonus is that it uses motion detection so we know when they’ve awaken from their 5th nap of the day. We can talk through the camera to let them know we love them throughout the day or stop them from any mischievous behaviors they may have started to engage.
