Dogs suffer when they are bored. Some occupy themselves in this situation and nibble on furniture or shoes. Others become aggressive or depressed. An active occupation with the four-legged partner, on the other hand, fills him up and promotes the bond with his human. Dog owners should therefore regularly deal with their dogs. This article provides tips on how to keep your dog busy.
Keep the dog busy: How much work does a dog need?
Dog owners don’t have to keep their dogs busy all day. The four-legged friend needs rest periods and is also busy alone in between. The frequency and duration of employment depend on various factors such as:
- dog breed
- age of the dog
- number of dogs in the family
- weather
- housing situation
How can you keep your dog busy?
Several walks a day contribute to utilization. Adult dogs should be walked at least twice a day, at least an hour once. Additional play units in the house and when going for a walk ensure perfect utilization.
Agile dog breeds and young dogs from the age of about six months require a relatively large amount of activity. Older dogs, puppies, as well as large, slow-moving, and very small breeds, need more rest and smaller activity units. On hot summer days, dogs should not exhaust themselves too much, but spend more time dozing in a shady spot.
If the four-legged friends live with one or two dogs, they spend a lot of time together. As such, they require less intense activity than a single dog. A flat offers dogs less variety than a house with a garden. Therefore, dog owners should go for a walk more often in this situation and plan more time for playing together.
Several short employment units a day are ideal
Any activity such as play, exercise, and brain work should be done with the dog in mind. If the dog doesn’t enjoy a game, its owner should make it more interesting or replace it with a different one.
The dog should also not be overwhelmed. Concentration and nose work strain him. Several short activity units of five or ten minutes are sufficient for many dogs in addition to daily walks. Ideally, the play or training program ends before the dog becomes overwhelmed. Typical behaviors of overwhelmed and underwhelmed dogs are:
- Frequent yawning
- Tapping and jumping movements
- Intense sniffing in one spot
- Dig
- Failure to obey commands
- Jump and grab
- Intense licking and nibbling
- Frequent shaking and scratching
- Extreme panting
- Barking for no apparent reason
Dogs show a variety of these symptoms. At the latest at the first signs, it is advisable to stop the activity.
Can a dog get bored?
Dogs get bored when they are under-challenged. Between walks and rest periods they need challenges best. If they don’t get it, they are dissatisfied.
Do dog games encourage dominance?
There is an opinion among dog owners that regular games with the dog can disturb the hierarchy. According to this view, the dog follows commands solely out of respect for its owner. Thanks to extensive behavioral research, it is now known that dogs follow people when they develop an intense bond with them. He fulfills the tasks assigned to him not out of respect, but out of intrinsic motivation. Regularly dealing with the dog is the basis for a close bond.
Jane Rooney and John Bradshaw, the British researchers, confirmed in a study that playing with the dog does not increase its dominance. However, the research team observed increasingly dominant and aggressive behavior whenever the dog started the game. Ideally, humans will ask the dog to play much more often than the other way around.
How much brain work does a dog need?
In order to promote the intelligence and cognitive abilities of the dog, it needs regular brain work. Short daily exercises of a few minutes are sufficient for this.
Keep your dog busy – outdoor activities
Not every dog is suitable for dog dancing or agility. However, outdoor activities during the walk make walking the dog more exciting. We have collected some examples of how you can keep your dog busy:
Practice commands
Walking the dog is the ideal opportunity to practice commands from normal training such as “here”, “stay” or “heel”. For the stay exercise, the dog is given the command “sit” at one point, followed by “stay”. The owner now walks a few meters further without turning to look at the dog. After a few meters, he turns around and goes back to the dog. If the dog sits patiently, he will be praised extensively and given a treat. It is enough to do this exercise once or twice during a walk. Over time, the distance to the dog will continue to increase.
The stay exercise can also be combined with calling. The owner moves away from the dog and then gives the command “Here”. The dog happily runs to its owner and again receives a lot of praise and maybe a treat.
Play hide and seek
The dog owner hides treat by the wayside in the grass or under bushes and gives the dog the command “Search”. This game is a welcome change, especially for dogs who love nose work.
In the second variant, the person hides behind a tree or bush. From the hiding place he calls the dog, which now has to find its owner.
Fetch
If you don’t have a garden, you can use the meadow in the city park for fetching. The following rules are important when retrieving:
After throwing the toy, the dog remains seated until given the command to fetch.
The dog returns the toy without delay or detours.
When the dog reaches the owner, it puts the toy down at its feet without being asked.
Tug of war
Tug games are always a welcome change to keep dogs busy. Knotted ropes from pet shops or self-made are ideal for this. The owner calls his dog and waves the Zergel in front of his nose. The dog grabs it and the human and dog pull on the rope from both sides. Sometimes the dog wins, sometimes the man. Tug games can be excellently combined with the “off command” and are interesting both in the apartment and outside.
Can you keep your dog busy in the apartment?
You can and should keep your dog busy in the apartment. Search and sniffing games, cuddling units, small training units, or teaching tricks are suitable for this.
Dog busy: indoor activities
Between walks, it makes sense to keep the dog busy in the house as well. This is especially true in bad weather with shortened walks.
Puzzle game with learning effect
Various games with treats can be used to increase the dog’s patience and concentration. At the same time, the dog learns that it shouldn’t eat everything that’s on the ground. First, the dog sits or lies down. Then a special treat like a piece of sausage or cheese is placed on the floor. As soon as the dog gets up to take it, foot or hand covers the treat accompanied by the command “No”. The dog is returned to its starting position. This is repeated until the dog patiently stays in place for a few seconds. Only then does he receive the command “Get it” and may take it. The exercise is intensified when the treat is on the dog’s paws.
How long should you keep the dog busy?
Type, duration, and frequency of employment depend on the age, character and breed of the dog. At least two to three times a day, dog owners should spend 10 or 15 minutes with their dog between walks.
Dog busy with search games – work for the nose
Nose work is extremely taxing and tiring for dogs. If you want to keep your dog busy and busy, you should try the following search game:
- pick up a strongly scented tea bag (chamomile or peppermint).
- Give the dog a treat several times from the same hand to familiarize him with the smell
- then the teabag is placed in a tin or an open bag
- the can in one hand and the treat in the other hand are shown to the dog
- as soon as he nudges the can with his nose, he gets the treat
- in the next step, the can is placed a little further away and the dog is given the command “search (chamomile or peppermint)”.
- later the can be removed further and further away and hidden
as soon as the dog finds the can, he gets a reward
Two cans with different tea bags form a further escalation of the game. Search games are also possible with hidden treats or your favorite toy.
DIY toys for indoor games
Hidden treats in sealed cardboard rolls or egg cartons are ideal for keeping the dog busy. A special challenge is a small box with several cardboard tubes, only some of which contain a treat.
Snuffle Mat DIY
Treats are great for hiding in a snuffle mat. Inserts for sinks are suitable as a basis. They have large holes or are shaped like a plastic grid. Strips of fabric from an old T-shirt or trousers can be knotted in the holes and grids. After equipping the sniffing carpet, he is placed in front of the dog with the command “Search”.
