Boredom helps dogs get up to no good! A lot of mischief happens because pups want attention, but it also happens because they simply want something to do!

Dogs left alone during the day will find ways to occupy themselves. Without the proper mental, emotional, and physical stimulation, our pups are prone to things like destructive chewing, barking, and even self destructive behaviors like obsessive licking or tail chasing. That’s not good for us, our apartments, or especially our dogs!
We want to try to curb boredom before these behaviors start happening. Here are some good ways to make sure our babies are happy, healthy, and…well…occupied!

Pregame
Boredom prevention starts long before you leave for the day. If you’re lucky enough to work from home, you’ll still want to pay attention – adequately occupied pups mean you’ll be much more focused on your work, and not your mischevious little monster!

There’s plenty to do to help mentally prepare your pup for some alone time. Take a few moments to teach a new trick – even a few minutes can help challenge your pup’s brain! Take a nice, long walk or have an energetic play session. In short, use up enough of your pups mental and physical energy that they’re dying for a nap!

Chew toys
Leaving a variety of chews around for your pup is a great way to help keep her active. Bully sticks, antlers–these things taste good and are fun! Remember to rotate through chews – the same one day in and day out is a recipe for boredom!
Let’s face it: everyone likes having toys. They keep us occupied, and the great thing for dogs is that they are doing double duty with chews! They exercise the jaw muscles: important tools! And they are increasing brain function with the task.

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Puzzle toys
A wide variety of enrichment toys exist – from a simple food stuffed Kong to more complex, brain busting puzzles. Endless combinations and possibilities exist – try stuffing multiple Kongs and hiding them throughout your pup’s domain. Under their bed, in a far corner, wrapped in an old towel… get creative!

Leave The Radio or Television On
In the past, we have talked about how dogs respond to rhythm and tone when learning cues. The post How We Cue touches on that, showing us that incorporating the right intonation while being verbal with your pup can affect how we interact! Sounds, rhythm, and tone also have an effect on our dogs when we aren’t using cues. If your dog is showing some signs of boredom, or maybe some separation anxiety, maybe leaving sound playing can help keep her at ease.
A pup’s stress level can be calmed with soft, soothing music. This research shows that uncomplicated music with low tempos helps keep our dogs restful while they are alone.