Most (if not all) dog parents have to leave their homes for some time every single day to go to work; leaving their pooch home alone to basically come up with his very own unique brand of entertainment just to pass the time. Personal history, training, and breed – all play a vital role in determining how these little furballs will fare on their own.
How to Keep Your Dog from Getting Bored
- Wear them out with exercise. The best thing you can probably do for your home-alone pooch is to supply some good but hard exercise first thing in the morning. Determine the kind of physical activity and its duration depending on your dog’s age, body type, state of health, fitness, and the weather outside. The purpose of making your pet dead beat is for him to get home and flop down straight on his bed just to snooze. For most dogs, trotting, off-leash running and sniffing are ideal since they provide not only varied physical stimulation but mental spur as well.
- Keep them busy with games. Another means to keep your pooch preoccupied is by putting away his food bowl and replacing it with food-dispensing toys instead. Some toys can be stuffed and others release dry food piece by piece once your pet knocks or pushed them around. Since some of these toys (i.e. KONG, Tug-a-Jug, etc.) offer variable difficulty levels, you can try to frustrate your little fur-baby just enough to keep him engaged and active. Remember that successful foraging is generally most dogs’ idea of a fun time.
- Make some doggie popsicles. To follow the trend of homemade entertainment for pets, you can start creating doggie popsicles by pouring some chicken broth into a container and then tossing in some pet treats. Once you have made what looks like a small porridge of doggie happiness, place it in the freezer overnight. Before leaving the next morning, runs some warm water over the container to loosen up the popsicles then pop it out. Leave it to your pooch and he surely will have some busy time consuming for a while.
Just like with all treats and toys, always monitor your little fur-baby before leaving him all alone for the day with any of the delights mentioned above. To ensure safety, it is crucial for you to watch your pooch at first when he is interacting with any of the toys or treats. Also, to prevent any complications, see to it that you only use the appropriate size and strength for the KONG and Tug-a-Jug. Lastly, it is not recommended for you to leave your pooch alone outside. Even assuming your fence is tall enough and dug deep enough to keep him from escaping, always bear in mind that dogs left alone outside are vulnerable to intruders. Yes, it is normal for most pet owners to be concerned about their dogs when they leave the house, but with proper care and effort, you can definitely easily keep your little friend entertained and happy while you are away.
