There’s nothing to do… I’m sooo bored! Sounds like the average kid, but it’s really what many of our pets are thinking.
Sadly many of our fur kids are just plain bored out of their minds. So they find things to occupy themselves, which we often don’t like because the things they choose to do usually involves destroying our stuff or disturbing the neighbors. I know most think their dog is fine because he has a yard to run around in, or he gets a walk around the block almost every day. I don’t know about you, but if I were locked up in a yard or house almost all day... everyday, I would go stir crazy in about a week. Is it really any wonder that many dogs chew on furniture, dig up the garden, bark all day, go bananas when they see a leash, freak out in the car, etc.
BTW, your dog really isn’t doing those things to get back at you; he’s just being a dog! Dogs live in the moment, so punishing a dog for doing what comes natural to him is cruel because, unless you catch him in the act of doing whatever, and maybe not even then, he won’t understand why he’s being punished. He’ll just know you’re mad at him, so when he cowers, he’s not feeling “guilty” he’s feeling fear of you! It’s up to us to provide our dogs with the training and tools they need to learn to live with us and in our homes. Here are a few suggestions of things you can do with and for your dog to give him those tools.
Exercise:
While good nutrition and the proper amount and type exercise are important to maintain a healthy animal, both physically and behaviorally, you can give dogs too much of both. Some people will tell you that a tired dog is a good dog, however an overly tired dog can be a sore, stressed, and grumpy dog. By all means, please exercise your dog well daily, but make sure to keep it within your dog’s current physical limits. Keep in mind that, like us, an older dog or one who’s been a couch potato for the past two years won’t have the stamina to run for very long. Even a healthy, active dog can be over-exercised, especially on very warm days. Young dogs, who’s skeletal and muscle structure are not fully formed, can suffer lifelong injuries from too much strenuous exercise. Also too much exercise can have the opposite effect of what you’re hoping for, you may end up with an even more hyper, reactive dog. This is a nice article, which explains why this sometimes happens: http://www.4pawsuniversity.com/fetch.htm
Good Training Can Work Wonders:
Mental exercise is just as important as is physical exercise for all of us. Our fur kids are intelligent; they want and need to use their brains and to learn new things. Positive Reinforcement Training, such as clicker training, is a great way to help your dog, cat, or any other pet, use his brain, as well as, learn new and better behaviors to replace those you don’t really like. When you make training fun and rewarding for both yourself and your dog, it makes learning easier, helps build better communication between you, and strengthens the bond you share. To learn more about Positive Reinforcement Training, Animal Behavior, and Pet Nutrition, see our Resources Page for a list of books, links and other things: http://pawsitivepawsabilities.com/Resources.html
Let’s face it; most people really know how to train an animal. The average person probably wouldn’t know how to train a cat to jump onto a pedestal, ring a bell, and do it every time and only when they said, “Ding Dong.” Often when people try to train their dog, they end up yelling and yanking on him, the dog gets frightened, and everyone ends up stressed out and frustrated. That’s why it can be very helpful to hire a trainer; just make sure to choose one who uses positive reinforcement! To find a trainer, check out the following links:
http://www.sandiegodogtrainers.com
http://www.karenpryoracademy.com/find-a-trainer
Dog sports such as; agility, freestyle, or rally obedience can be great ways to train and exercise your dog at the same time. Just make sure your trainer, club or group uses positive reinforcement training and methods. Cats can do agility too… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3uy5x110p0
Get Your Dog Out and About:
Most dogs love to take walks, go for car rides, and just get out into the world and have a good sniff. Well-socialized dogs usually like to meet new people and other dogs, and they enjoy having new experiences. Whenever possible, I take my dog Jesse James with me where ever I go. We visit our friends and most of our clients together, we go out to eat at dog friendly restaurants, I take him to parks, beaches, pet stores, etc. We even travel together, although not often enough J
Take your dog on daily walks, at least two, but go in different directions, around new blocks, and explore your neighborhood with your dog. You might be surprised who you’ll meet or what you’ll find while you’re out with your dog. Allow your dog to sniff and do dog stuff too, remember… it’s really his walk. You can also hire a pet sitter or dog walker to take your dog out for long walks, to parks or beaches, and/or play with him while you’re away during the day. Or you might look into taking your dog friendly dog to a good doggie daycare. You might find that coming home to a well exercised, happy dog and undamaged house is worth the money.
Many dogs love a car ride; even a quick trip around the block will make a lot of dogs very happy. A trip to the park or a pet store can be a huge treat/reward for good behavior. Find pet friendly places, go to events for dogs, just get out and enjoy life with your dog.
Use Food to your advantage:
Besides using food during training, try making some changes to the way to feed your dog his regular meals. Most dogs love to search and work for their meals. Scientific observations of feral dogs have shown they spend most of their waking time looking for food. The search for food stimulates the mind and senses; it also expends energy! When we put our dog’s food in a bowl and they scarf it down in less than two minutes, they are missing out on their instinctual need to find their own food. Why not use their food drive to your advantage and provide your pets with fun and intriguing ways to use their natural instincts?
If you feed your dog kibble, try throwing some, or all, of it out in the back yard for him to search for. At first he may look at you like you’ve suddenly lost your mind, but many dogs will have a great time, often spend hours, and use a lot of energy sniffing out that last piece of kibble.
Hide his food and some treats around the house/yard for your dog, or cat, to look for. When you first start, make it easy for the fur kid, so they don’t get frustrated and give up. Then, as they catch on to the find it game, you can start to make it more difficult for them to find the treats.
Food Carrying toys are also a great way for a dog, or cat, to work for his food, and work out his brain at the same time. Some people I know only feed their dogs in Kongs and other food toys. IMPORTANT: Always supervise your dogs while they’re using any food carrying toy! There are a wide variety of these types of toys available at pet stores or on the Internet. What they all have in common is that you put food (always healthy and human grade, but that’s another topic) inside and the dog, or cat, has to work to get it out. You can also make your own, and save some $$. Here are a few ideas to try, but be creative and send me your ideas.
Paper Towel Cores: When you’ve finished off a roll of paper towels, save the cardboard core and put your dog’s food and some smelly treats in it. Fold over both ends a couple of times, then give it to your dogs to figure out how to get his food out. You can do the same thing with TP cores.
Cardboard Egg Cartons (not Styrofoam): Put some smelly food, like small bits of hot dog, along with some of your dog’s food in the cups, close the top and let your dog try to get the food out.
Paper Bags: Put fun things like; food, toys, raw bones, bully sticks, etc. inside a brown paper bag. Roll the top over a few times to close the bag and give it to your dog. Some dogs will toss the bag, some will patiently unroll it, and some will tear the bag up. Every dog has his or her own bag opening technique. BTW, large paper bags make a hiding toy for cats; just make sure to remove any handles.
Water/Soda Bottles: Before you recycle your water or soda bottle, reuse it. Cut some holes in the bottle, put your dog’s food inside and let him roll it around, paw at it, or whatever to get the food out. Always pick up the bottle when your dog is finished. This is a video of one of my clients playing with a food bottle I made for him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohu5QBMB4NQ
Some of the commercially available food carrying toys I really like:
Kongs: These are great toys! They come in a wide variety of sizes, types and styles. Make sure to get one that is the right size and type for your dog. You can fill Kongs with a wide variety of things, along with his meal, to keep them interesting for your dog. Try stuffing a few Kongs ahead of time, then put them in the freezer. When your dog needs something to occupy himself for awhile, you will have a pre-made Kong for your dog. Also frozen Kongs last longer! For ideas on what to put in them, check out their website. http://www.kongcompany.com
Busy Buddies: This is a Trademark name for a variety of food carrying toys made by the Premier Company. Among my favorites are the Tug-a-Jug, Twist ‘N Treat and Squirrel Dude. They are available at many pet stores, but you can get them from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=busy+buddy+dog+toys&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=3031768191&ref=pd_sl_ub2zm313v_b
TreatStik: This is an easy to use toy and it’s also fairly durable too. http://www.treatstik.com
Treat Balls: There are several varieties of treat balls available. The following links will show you a couple different types. Make sure any ball you give your dog is too big to be swallowed!
http://www.dogtoys.com/amazeaball1.html
Give Your Dog a Raw Bone:
Dogs need to chew! It’s not that they just like it; they need to do it. Chewing relieves stress, and it gives you dog something to think about and manipulate. A good long chew can really tire the average dog out, because they use a lot of energy while chewing. Chewing, especially raw bones, helps keep his teeth clean, and his gums and jaws healthy.
Always make sure the chew is large enough so your dog can’t swallow it whole. Throw away bones and chews when they get too small. If he is able to break large pieces off (big enough to cause a choking problem) remove it and don’t give him any more of that specific chew or bone. If a chew or bone gets sharp edges, also take it away. When you give your dog any chew, always supervise him while he is chewing on it.
Recommended Chews:
Raw (never cooked) Bones including: Marrowbones (beef, bison, ostrich, venison, etc.), knucklebones (not for heavy chewers), chicken necks (not for gulpers), chicken thighs, chicken backs, turkey necks, beef or bison ribs, etc. Avoid weight bearing bones.
12” Bully Sticks: Most small dogs can chew a 12 inch stick, I think the 6 inch ones are a waste of money.
Antlers: Literally deer antlers, they are very hard, last a long time, but not all dogs like them.
Unbleached Pressed Rawhides: Make sure to get pressed rawhide, not the kind with knots at the ends, or rawhide strips.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie:
Dogs need a lot of sleep, like sixteen hours per day. Often, like us, they don’t get as much sleep, as they really need. Also, like us, an overly tired dog can be stressed, grumpy, and over reactive. When a dog is out in the yard all day, where he can hear people, dogs, skateboards, etc., constantly pass by it might be difficult for him to rest. Or if you have an active household, with kids coming and going a lot, your dog might not be getting the rest time he needs. Provide your dog with a comfortable, quiet, and cool place to sleep. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, when you find your dog sleeping… don’t bother him, no matter how cute and cuddly he looks. You probably don’t like it when people wake you up for no good reason either.
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