You may be wondering, do dogs get bored? Yes! Dogs can become bored easily without stimulation, play and exercise, especially border collies, who are high-energy working breeds.
Dogs who are bored often display signs or use destructive methods to entertain themselves. Cookie, our golden labrador, would curl up on the sofa and stairs in her basement when she was bored. Kilo will jump on me, nip and whine at me if he gets bored. When he’s home alone, he may dump the recycling on the floor, climb like a Ninja, open doors to get into food he shouldn’t be eating, dig up plants or wear slippers. Marcy, Marcy’s friend, had her dog create his own toilet paper challenge. Dogs of all sizes and ages need mental and physical stimulation. They require entertainment and play several times per day.
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Are you a bored dog? You should look out for these signs:
Excessive chewing of furniture, walls, doors, or stairs, whining, jumping up, scratching, and pawingdigginggetting into garbage, or other destructive or unwanted behavior.
Dogs may act out of control if we don’t play or keep them mentally and physically stimulated.
Bristol University’s Dr Emily Blackwell studied 4,000 dog owners to determine if their dogs had any of the 22 behavioral problems. These behaviors include aggression, anxiety, pulling on the leash, whining and not coming when called.
43% of dog owners said that fetch was their favorite game, followed by chase, tugging on toys, and wrestling. The survey revealed that tennis balls were dogs’ favourite toys, followed by rubber balls, soft squeaky toys and rope toys.
Kilo, the pug, doesn’t like to bring to retrieve items and give them back to me. However, he loves to chase toys and grab them, and then tease me. He loves to play tug, fetch, wrestle, chase/football, and find treats. He loves tricks, and we treat them as games. Although he doesn’t like tennis balls, he does love his soft plush soccer balls and other plush toys. He even loves empty plastic water bottles. Although he will play with his toy alone, he prefers to have me join him in playing and chewing.
For inspiration, see this post on Top 10 Indoor Games to Play with Your Dog.
Dogs and humans are two of few mammals that can continue to play well well into adulthood. Playing with your dog can be both fun and healthy. You can keep your dog physically active by playing with them. It’s also mentally stimulating, and can help relieve boredom.
These are just a few ideas to help you increase your play time, avoid boredom, and strengthen your relationship with your dog.
Simple and Quick Ways to Get Rid of Dog Boredom
Play Fetch, especially if you own a working breed.
Play Tug, and then throw in some “drop it!” training
Play “Fighty Face” and wrestle/tickle/cuddles – Kilo loves playing this with my husband after work. Or the game will stop, he has learned to be gentle around his mouth.
Dance with Kilo – Kilo is learning to weave along with me, and loves to dance on his hind legs.
Play with toys together – Kilo and me play football with our plush or plastic bottles. He scores goals when he reaches the sofas at the ends of the house.
Make puzzles and hidden treats games with upside-down cups or tennis balls placed in a cupcake pan.
Kilo enjoys puzzles and he also loves his BUSTER ActivityMat by Kruuse. It comes with 3 levels to keep your dog engaged (it was a gift from Global Pet Expo- Read the Full Review HERE).
If you have enough space and your dogs like disc (Kilo may not be interested, but I know of other dogs who love disc).
Take a walk, or run (where permitted by social distancing).
You can stuff a Kong into a freezer and let it freeze. Kilo will love to chew and suck on that Kong for hours.
Part of your meals can be earned by working. Kilo plays a trick or finds kibble.
Bully Stick Chews- Kilo loves to play. Find a Bullwrinkles Bully Stick, then relax and enjoy some chews.
You can make homemade dog treats with simple tricks such as shutting cupboard doors and using clean dishes. Here’s a simple recipe for Dog Licks Dog Cookie Treats.
Online Yoga and Doga classes
If you have a toilet paper challenge, do your own mini agility in the house or garden.
Learn new tricks and do obedience training – see our posts on trick training as well as some tricks from Kilo in the video.
Larry Kay’s Big Book of Tricks for the Best Dog Ever – read my review here. Roll over, take a bow and play dead are some of the tricks we’re currently learning. At least five minutes per day, we do it at a pace of 5 minutes.
Click here to purchase the book via my Amazon Affiliate Link: The Big Book of Tricks For the Best Dog Ever: A Step by Step Guide To 118 Amazing Tricks And Stunts
You can listen to music, watch funny videos of dogs, or do dog TV. Some music and TV may help with anxiety or boredom.
Also, check out this post: How to Get Active Indoors with Your Dog
Additional Joke Boredom Busters From The Backseat Barkers
Zoom cocktails with friends
Enjoy video games with your friends.
Take on those chores that you have been putting off.
Get to know your dog better and spend more time with them.
For Plus Dog Lovers, if your feeling down or bored, check out our ideas to keep you busy.
Please share your experiences with your dog in comments.
Is Your Dog Bored? These are some signs and solutions. Talent Hounds.
