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How to stop your dog getting bored

Dogs are very clever animals and like to use their brain or they can get bored.

Sue Ketland image

Sue – Dog behaviour and training specialist

Read time: 5 minutes (9 minutes with the video)

Here we look at the ways dog enrichment, activities and games can help prevent boredom.

Do dogs get bored?

The answer is yes. Just like us, dogs can get bored if they don’t have much to keep their brains engaged. Bored dogs often create their own games as a way to have fun, resulting in certain tricky behaviours.

Good news is, once you provide a worthwhile activity for your dog, they’ll happily keep themselves entertained and out of michief!

Activity toys and food

Dog enrichment comes in many different forms, including activities and food. There are lots of different ways to keep your dog busy and one of these is with food. Before dogs became domesticated they would use their nose to hunt and forage for their food, and most dogs still have a desire to do this. Many dogs get a great deal of satisfaction from food, especially if they have to use their brains to get it.  For every meal, try replacing their normal bowl with one of the following. These can also be given as an extra treat. Start off so the food is easy to get out and teach your dog how to use the toy so that they find it interesting and worthwhile from the beginning.

  • Kong* – place something tasty like dried liver, ham, or cheese into the hole at the top and fill the cavity with your dog’s daily dried food that’s been soaked in water. Leave a titbit out of the opening to provide an immediate payoff and entice your dog to get stuck in.
  • Activity ball* – place all your dog’s dinner in the ball for your dog to knock out.
  • Cardboard box – wrap treats in an old towel or inside a toilet roll tube and close inside a box. Your dog will love finding the treats!
  • Plastic bottle – hide treats inside these but make sure the plastic ring and lid are removed. This is best given to your dog when supervised, just in case they decide to chew the plastic.
  • Scatter feeding – throw your dog’s dinner in the garden or over the kitchen floor for him to sniff out.

 

How to keep your dog from getting bored when home alone

Dogs love the company of their humans and there are plenty of benefits for us too. But there are times when we may need to leave our four-legged friends home alone, whether it’s just popping out to the shops, visiting friends or going to work.

Activity toys are great for when your dog is left home alone and also useful for when your dog needs some time out or a chance to calm down if they’re over-excited. The process of playing and thinking about activity toys will help tire your dog out. We recommend the following:

  • Long lasting chews – like antlers* and pigs ears*
  • Cardboard box – wrap treats in an old towel or inside a toilet roll tube and close inside a box. Your dog will love finding the treats!

Create games for your dog

Think about what your dog was originally bred to do. For example, Terriers were bred to hunt vermin and Labradors to retrieve. Knowing this information will help you when thinking about the types of games they might like to play. Most dogs still possess the desire to perform the behaviours they were bred to do, even if they’re just a family pet. Here are some ideas your dog might enjoy:

  • Digging pit – place soil or sand in a special pit, encourage your dog over by placing treats just under the top layer. If you don’t have a garden, try a ball pool or collect some dry leaves and hide treats under them
  • Paddling pool – great in the summer if your dog likes water, also good for those who like digging if you fill it with ball pool balls
  • Play hide and seek games – start easily and place treats or toys in the same room for your dog to search out. Once he gets the idea of the game you can hide things in a different room for him to find!
  • Scent games – make an object nice and smelly, let you dog sniff it then lay a trail by dragging it along the ground so your dog can search it out and return it to you
  • Trick training – teach your dog basic commands like sit, down and paw and then see how quickly they can do them in a row. Add fun new tricks to keep it interesting.

 

Dog training classes

Dog training classes are a great way to get your dog’s brain working. There are many different classes to try, including:

  • Basic obedience
  • Flyball
  • Agility
  • Rally–O

Finally, remember to give your dog plenty of toys and chews to help keep them occupied. Rotate these regularly to keep them interesting and try different activities each week. Most of all, whatever you do, make it fun.

More enrichment ideas can be found in the book ‘Canine Enrichment’ by Shay Kelly. For more dog behaviour and training advice, read our articles on Ask Woodgreen.

Terrier dog out for a walk

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