How to Avoid the Dreaded Boredom

[DogGoneGood]

How to Avoid the Dreaded Boredom
by Shara Slorstad
2008

While talking about chewing I mentioned that one reason for chewing (other than teething) is boredom. The smarter a dog is the easier it will be for him to become bored. This means that the smarter the dog is, the smarter you will have to be!

Some breeds are genetically programmed to be smarter than others. Most herding and retrieving breeds are high up on the intelligence scale. They require these smarts to be able to do the jobs they were bred to do. Dogs who were bred to do things that are based more off of pure instinct (guarding, for example) or who were bred to simply be companion dogs are less likely to get bored as easily. Regardless, all dogs can get bored and all dogs will relieve this boredom through destructive behaviors.

The two most common behavior problems resulting from boredom are chewing and digging. While you and I find these behaviors destructive and frustrating, our bored dog finds them very entertaining and rewarding. This is why he keeps doing it even after he’s been punished for it. I hear people time and time again tell me how their dog “knows better” and how he looks “so guilty” when he’s caught in the act of one of these destructive behaviors and yet he keeps on doing it. He’s not dumb. Of course he understands he’s not supposed to do it, and that’s why he looks so guilty when you catch him. You’ve taught him that it’s wrong and bad and that he’ll be punished for it (whatever form of punishment you use, even if it’s just a “NO” or “BAD DOG”). The reason why he keeps doing it is because he can’t help himself. He’s bored out of his mind and needs a way to entertain himself. Chewing or digging is entertaining and so the reward far outweighs the consequence for it.

Haven’t you ever been a kid who did something (lets say, you stole cookies out of the cookie jar) because you found it rewarding and that reward far outweighed the punishment you received for stealing the cookies? It’s no different for your dog. He’s not actually a “bad dog”, he’s just a “bored dog”!

How do you cure the boredom? Curing the boredom can be fairly easy if you have the time for it. If you don’t have the time for it your dog will continue to be destructive. Many dogs are surrendered to shelters or given up for adoption simply because their owners don’t have the time required to spend with them to cure this boredom.

There are two ways dogs are relieved of boredom: mental and physical stimulation.

Mental stimulation consists of obedience work and playing. Physical stimulation consists of any physical movement and playing (see how playing is so beneficial to your dog and back yard or couch?).

Dogs become worn out and tired through both physical and mental stimulation. The old saying “a tired dog is a good dog” isn’t a lie in the least. A tired dog is a fulfilled dog who isn’t bored and isn’t going to dig holes in your back yard or eat your couch.

You don’t have to spend 24/7 with your dog to fulfill these needs. Even just 10 or 20 minutes several times a day of these activities can help cure the boredom. Take him for a walk, work with his obedience and play a good game of fetch.

There’s also several toys and puzzles available on the market for your dog to help work his mind even while you’re away! Again, Kong is a good brand for this. Their toys almost always are indestructible with a hollow center that you can fill with treats or food. My personal favorite is stuffing a Kong full of whatever I can find that’s good for dogs and in my fridge. I blend those things together and mush it inside the Kong and then freeze it over night. Frozen Kongs take longer for the dog to get all of the food out and therefore keeps him busy for longer!

There are more and more toys available that are designed to work the dogs brain and keep him busy while you are away. They all work by the same concept; finding food. Dogs will do almost anything for a tasty treat, so if their toy has food hidden in it and the dog has to figure out how to get the food out, he will most likely occupy a good chunk of his day doing so.

The Buster Cube is another great toy that’s purpose is to dispense food as the dog plays with it.

Check your local pet store or online to find more great toys that are made purely to work your dogs mind and entertain him!

If you can’t afford one of these neat toys or they aren’t available to your area, you can try making your own. The problem with most homemade entertainment toys that I’ve been able to come up with is that they are supervise only type toys so they can’t be left with your dog while you are at work. These include kibble or treats in a water bottle (must be supervised to remove pieces of

the bottle that the dog may remove), or treats in a box. You can throw some treats in a cardboard box and let your dog rip it apart to find the treats (keep in mind, this may teach

Your dog that it is okay to eat cardboard boxes). You can even get creative and put several boxes inside one another with treats inside each of them.

Teaching your dog new tricks and creating new games are both great ways to entertain him (as well as bond with him!). The smarter your dog is the more creative you will have to get in coming up with new games so he doesn’t get bored easily with the old ones. If he’s really smart he’ll also learn tricks very quickly so you’ll have to come up with new ones to teach him. The possibilities are really endless if you’re willing to work with your dog.

Exercise is a great way to wear your dog out and keep him from getting bored. Long walks can be great for the both of you! The one thing I forewarn is that puppies under a year of age shouldn’t do any excessive running and especially jumping. Their growth plates haven’t fused yet and if you over do it they can develop serious problems.

Dog Agility is a great athletic sport to do with your dog (again, over a year old is best although you can introduce your puppy to the easy stuff at a younger age. No jumping though). It works both the body and the mind and many dogs enjoy it a lot, and so do the owners!

You can look for clubs in your area that may have the equipment and facilities needed to participate in specific dog sports like Dog Agility. These places are a great place to learn about the sport and how to train your dog for it. Also if you plan on getting into something like Agility and you don’t have either the money for the equipment or a big back yard to do it in a club can give you the opportunity to be able to practice on their equipment.

No matter how you choose to spend time with your dog, teach him and exercise him, it’s important to do all three. If you don't do these things your dog will become destructive and unstable.

The more you work with him the better dog he will be.