There are lots of things you can do to keep your dog busy. Obviously it depends on if you are with your dog or not-NEVER leave your dog alone with toys or chews unless you are absolutely sure they are safe to be left with them; for example a filled Kong.
Google is a great place to find ideas but here are a few that I have used myself and it shows you do not need to spend a fortune!
- Put a high value treat into a tea towel or similar and tie in a knot, make it loose at first until your dog gets the hang of it then you can make the knot tighter (it needs to be high value for the effort involved)
- Hide treats or a favourite toy for your dog to find, you can play this in the garden in summer too, go one step further and hide yourself! Find a hiding spot and call your dog-improves recall too.
- Boxes are a favourite with my dogs, the bigger the better, (with or without treats inside) just like children mine are more interested in the box than the contents! They have a great time ripping them up, but some dogs will eat the cardboard so if this is the case maybe a different game is in order.
- Plastic containers filled with kibble or treats are great fun if you have a slippy tiled or wooden floor, they slide and spin, spilling the contents out, obviously do not let them chew the plastic.
- Put all all your dogs toys away and only give one or two each day, putting the old ones away again, this way they will be rotated and it will be like Christmas every day!
- Make your dog work for its food. They used to scavenge in the wild so using a food dispenser ball, a kong or hiding it if it is dry food, will not only give them mental stimulation but dinner time is increased from seconds to 20 minutes or more, this can also help with dogs that gobble their food. If it is a nice day why not throw it on the patio or to make it harder on the lawn. I have done this for older dogs as their eyesight and hearing might go but they still have a good sense of smell and they need mental stimulation too.
- Put a treat in your hand and hold both hands out to your dog to choose which one has the treat in it, as soon as their nose touches the correct hand open your hand and give the treat, he will soon get the hang of it.
- Teach your dog a new trick, basic obedience, a game of tug or fetch, it really doesn’t matter what you do, as long as your dog enjoys it and you are spending time together strengthening the bond between you.
Whatever you do with your dog will help him overcome boredom, interact with you and mentally challenge him, leading to less behavioural issues and a happier more contented dog no matter what age they are (my older at is 18 and still loves games) the only limit is your time and imagination.
Big dog, big box!
Pam Kirk Dog Training & 5* Dog Daycare 