Have you seen those dog memes showing a dog that has gotten into the trash, or destroyed a couch or shredded a door, clothing or just about anything the owner didn’t want destroyed?
Well that is the sign of a board dog.
How do you keep an active dog busy so he doesn’t destroy your precious house?
As much as we’d love to spend all day with our dogs sometimes you need some time away. Jobs, school, vacations, shopping all these things take us away from our pets so we need a way to keep them busy when we are away.
Here are a few ideas you can try. (If you are looking for even more ideas try this article from ifitbringsyoujoy.com.
1. Puzzle Toys
Dogs love solving puzzles, well not the ones you may be thinking – but I’m sure they would love to chew a 1000 piece puzzle (or at least a few of the pieces so you can’t finish it)
What we are talking about here are dog toys designed to keep your dog mentally stimulated. Mental stimulation is just as important as physical play in keeping a healthy dog.
Puzzle toys do not need to be purchased from the store (although there are plenty great puzzle toys to choose from). You can easily make your own by cutting a hole in a tennis ball and putting a few treats inside. Your dog will spend hours trying to get at that treat.
2. Iced Treats and Toys
As long as we are on the topic of treats why not make some out of ice. Yes, ice. As strange as it sounds dogs love ice. And it is just as easy to fill up an ice tray with a sneaky inside treat. You dog will love playing with the ice to get to the treat.
If you want to be really creative you can even freeze a favorite toy inside a block of ice so he has to take his time getting to the toy. Granted this type of frozen treat is best for outdoor dogs so you don’t end up with a puddle on your new carpet. But it could also be used if you door dog has a play area on the kitchen or basement floor that isn’t covered in expensive hardwood or carpet.
3. TV Time
Okay, okay we’ve all heard it isn’t good to watch too much TV. It rots the brain, yada yada yada, at least for us humans. But dogs can benefit from a little TV time now and then to give them a break from endless games and healthy play time. Hmmm, wait that doesn’t sound like a very good idea after all.
But in reality it doesn’t hurt to distract your dog with a little TV time now and then when you really need a break. I wouldn’t suggest you leave the TV on all day while you are at work, but it might be something you could try now and then.
4. Get Another Pet
Okay, not everyone wants a house full of pets, but sometimes dogs love company. One of the best ways to keep an active dog busy is to let him play with another dog (or heaven forbid a cat).
Visiting a dog park is another option if you really don’t have the room for another pet. It is easy to sit under a tree and read a book while your dog plays with the other [park patrons.
You see there are many ways to keep an active dog busy if you just put a little time into creative ideas.
