After a long days graft, sometimes all we want is to walk through our front door and to be greeted by a waggle tail and a happy face; what we don’t want are shredded cushions, gnawed furniture and chewed toilet paper. If your dog is displaying disruptive, mischievous or naughty behaviour then it could be a sign they’re not mentally stimulated or, to put it simply, bored!
Dogs are very similar to us humans in the sense that they need mental and physical stimulation on a daily basis to help keep them happy and content. So how can you spot the signs of boredom in your dog and prevent chewed and scratched furniture or pacing, panting and excessive licking? Let’s find out, shall we?
What causes doggie boredom?
We can all get preoccupied with daily life and it can become a real challenge to perfectly balance all of our responsibilities, but luckily dogs will soon let us know if they’re feeling left out.
Unexpressed energy can build over time and being left alone for long periods of time, especially in a kennel or if they’re left alone all day long, can cause mental and physical tension. And it’s only natural for that tension to exude itself in one way or another, only unlike us humans, dogs can’t tell us if they’re stressed, unhappy or fed up, and so the tension is displayed in a variety of behaviours, including:
- Chewing
- Digging
- Over excitement
- Excessive licking
- Escaping and running away
- Pacing
- Panting without physical exertion
- Scratching without physical explanation
- Excessive barking
Dogs need physical activity every day and most of them really enjoy socialising with other people and other dogs. In fact, most dogs are bred to work so they enjoy doing different activities. If a dog doesn’t have their daily walk, evening playtime with their owners or is left alone for 4+ hours a day (potentially causing separation anxiety), they can easily become bored and look to entertain themselves (and at the detriment of your belongings).
Boredom doesn’t just present itself in naughtiness, dogs can also appear nervous through excessive barking, excessive lip-licking or constant pacing for example – this could be their way of telling you that not only are they fed up, but they’re missing your attention too. Attempts for affection or play going unnoticed once or twice isn’t a big deal, but on a regular basis it can leave them feeling invisible and distressed.
Beat the boredom
Now you know what to look out for in bored dogs, what can you do beat the boredom itself? Ensuring your beloved pooch is fit, healthy and happy – whatever their age or breeding – should be the #1 priority on every dog owners list. Here’s 5 Rooke’s recommendations to help every dog owner and their suffering canine:
- Physical activity: different breeds have different needs when it comes to exercise, for example small breeds such as Chihuahua’s, Bichon’s or Shih Tzu’s will need a daily walk for around 20 to 30 minutes, whereas larger breeds such as Labradors, Collies or German Shepherd’s will need anywhere between 90 minutes to 2 hours exercise a day in the form of one long walk, several shorter walks or games of fetch and play at home with toys and interaction with their humans.
Exercising your pet pooch helps to keep them happy, healthy and stimulated as they can work off any excess energy they might have whilst enjoying a trip out in the fresh air and one-on-one interaction with you – ultimately reducing the risk of the behavioural problems we’ve already mentioned above as a result of boredom.
Physical exercise will also help to build trust and confidence in the partnership between you and your dog, strengthening your bond. Incorporating at least one walk into a daily routine is important and will be easier the more habitual it gets. And besides, physical exercise is just as good for us as it is for dogs. It’s a win-win really!
- Mental stimulation: whilst we can get stuck into a brain training game, crossword or family quiz, our canine companions will equally enjoy a game of hide and seek, tug of war and puzzle toys!
Engaging their brains and facing challenges will help mentally stimulate your dog and, whilst they’re occupied on the task at hand, they’re keeping their brain active which will also prevent boredom, anxiety and anti-social behaviour.
Activities like hide and seek where your dog has to find you or tug-of-war are a great way to fulfill their social and mental needs while still getting them thinking and using their mind muscles. Participating in sensory games like sniffing for hidden treats will wake up all your dog’s senses – just don’t over do it on the treats!
The brain is a muscle that needs to be exercised like any other, otherwise your pet pooch will find ways to do it on their own that you probably won’t like very much!
- Training: establishing boundaries for your dog will only help them to understand what is and what is not acceptable – dogs are very intelligent and quick learners and will soon understand what is required of them. Training your dog to improve their obedience and manners or teaching them new tricks is good for them mentally and, once boundaries are defined, using positive reinforcement to remind your dogs of what is good behaviour and what is not will also help prevent problematic boredom behaviour.
Training your dog is another great way to keep their brains active and engaged with you and their day-to-day routine. Structure and regime are so important to the emotional comfort of your pet because they want to know the rules of the household so they can work to behave in the way that pleases you most (which is all they want at the end of the day).
Socialisation: dogs are stimulated by new experiences whether that be a new forest to explore or new friends to meet (of the human or fur kind). These are fantastic ways to get their noses sniffing, tails wagging and their brains memorising faces, smells, and scenery.
Playing with others will exude energy and generally fill them with happiness, tiring them out for the time they are at home so they can relax peacefully.
- Toys: last but by no means least, toys are a big hit among dogs and thankfully Rooke’s stock a huge variety of squeaky, fluffy, stuffed and chewable toys your pet pooch will love! But how can toys eliminate boredom within dogs? Good question!
Toys are another brilliant solution for mental stimulation in dogs as they provide entertainment in the most fun way possible! They also encourage physical exertion, mental challenge, interaction with others and they’ll keep your pooch occupied while you tend to other things. All while looking oh so cute!
Dogs love to play, but a bored dog will look for something to play with that they perhaps they shouldn’t have and so providing them with a variety of dog-specific toys will help to keep them out of the bins and right where they should be. You could try hiding and rotating toys over time so when old toys come back into rotation, your dog will have the excitement of a brand new toy!
Dogs get bored just like we do so it’s important to provide them with exercise, training, interactive toys and brain games to keep them busy and entertained, minimising the chances of attention-seeking or destructive behaviour. Dogs of all ages can benefit mentally, physically, and emotionally from these tips and tricks preventing them from making their own fun when left to their own devices, most likely in ways that don’t work for you.
For more tips and tricks on beating the boredom for your dog or to stock up on new toys and treats that your pet will love, pop in store to see us and our friendly, animal-loving team will be more than happy to help you!