Bored Furry Friend? Exemplary Ways to Recognize Boredom and Provide Help

We humans have jobs that keep us away from home for most of the day. Sometimes boredom can rise to inescapable levels. And that’s when you get the gist of just how bored or lonely your furry friend might be while you’re gone.

Bored dogs can prove to be a problem for owners. Yes, you heard that right. The lack of exercise and mental stimulation may leave the dog looking for something to do, which you as the dog’s owner will certainly not approve of. So a question that should trigger in your mind is: Why does your dog get bored?

Well, dogs are intelligent animals. And some breeds like Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Poodles are more intelligent than the others. Thus, they need stimulation. Know that the presence of stimulation prevents boredom, gives wings to the dog’s personality, and helps them get rid of stress.

How to Help Dogs Ward Off Boredom?

If you’re witnessing a continuous decline in your dog’s lively personality, it is vital to research ways to alleviate the problem. Scrolling through the internet you might come across some ways of doing that. Let’s get going with discovering what these are:

Give Your Dog Plenty of Exercise:

Believe it when they say that a tired dog is always a good dog!

Bored dogs have a lot of saved-up energy. Give them some physical activity, and they might end up spending the rest of their day taking a nap.

It can be hard to find time before work. But can you imagine yourself waking up full of energy and sitting all day without a cell phone, TV, or exercise? Well, dogs need at least a 45-minute run or walk in the morning. By doing so, you’ll be sure that your dog doesn’t experience boredom.

If you think that’s slightly difficult to do, then it may be wise to schedule your dog for daycare a few times per week. Mental stimulation and socialization of a doggy daycare will engage the dog and keep him or her busy.

Make Mealtime Fun:

One of the best ways of keeping your dog entertained is by turning their mealtime into a game. Experiment with a slow feeder dish, or stuff some peanut butter into a dog licking mat, or let your furry friend knock around a treat-dispensing ball filled with part of his dinner. Also, this will help return his anxiety level to acceptable levels.

You can also consider giving food-stuffed toys to him in the morning for hours of entertainment.

New Toys, Mommie!

The same old toys get boring after a while. Expert pet owners say that dogs may exhibit a feeling of neophilia or may look forward to getting new toys. Know that dogs prefer soft and squeaky toys.

Thus, one of the best things you can do is mix up their toy stash in order to keep them interested. You could also hide and rotate their toys so that even old toys seem brand new again. Consider hiding their toys around the house or in the yard. By doing so, your furry friend will be too involved in searching for their playthings, and being bored will no longer be a possibility.

The Bottom Line

Yes, dogs get bored, too. But finding ways for them to escape boredom and monotony are many. You can try some puzzles with treats or some new toys to keep your dog engaged.

After all, mixing up your dog’s routine helps in keeping them happy and stimulated, and also the entire family happy.