I Am Afraid They're Bored, What Else Can I Do?

[Guest Shermanator]

Sigh. I am afraid that my little girlies get bored. We live @ 30 mi from the nearest bark park, so that is a weekend only excursion. We walk, but cannot go far b/c Echo's leg hurts her, and she'll limp, badly. And start to hop if we go too far. They chew bones, but they are always available to them, so they are not always interested. Same with toys. I have a dispensing treat toy, which Travel could care less about, and Echo sometimes is in to it. I worry they are bored sometimes, and do not know what else to do to keep them occupied. Any thoughts?

[Guest LindsaySF]

Could try some more enticing high-value bones (stuffed ones, raw meaty bones, etc) on occasion. Under supervision only for safety. What about rides in the car? It won't hurt to walk, but they can still see different sights/smells and get mental stimulation.

 

Sometimes I think my dogs are bored because they sleep 22 hours a day and let out pathetic sighs periodically, but then again I think that's just them.

[Guest HHHounds]

I think that you are wonderful to worry about your houndies being bored! I never have thought about it - we have 3 kids in addition to the 3 hounds so there is lots of coming and going so I guess that keeps things interesting....

[krissy]

You can never go wrong with training if they're the type of hounds to be into it. Gives lots of mental stimulation. Summit used to come home from obedience class, eat his dinner and pass out until the next morning. You don't even have to go to class but set aside 5 minutes a day to teach them something. It can be useful (sit, down, stay, etc.) or just fun (shake a paw, bow, etc.). I taught Summit to fetch and now even though he could care less about his toys on a regular basis he goes nuts if I break one out to play fetch. I think he's mostly in it for the treats though.

[GeorgeofNE]

What do you imagine the average pet dog does all day?

 

Sleep, eat, poop, repeat is pretty much it for most dogs, except for when they might play for a few minutes.

 

Remember, they're not toddlers who need to be entertained. And if they WERE bored, trust me, they'd find their own entertainment.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

I was going to say the same thing as George, you will know if they are bored. Bored dogs get into trouble... Inappropriate chewing is the main example of a bored hound. If you don't have bad behavior, your hounds are probably not bored, just enjoying retirement.

[Guest Gemma]

Rotate which toys they have out each day. This maintains interest and can be more enjoyable for them.

[Guest 2dogs4cats]

This gave me a little chuckle. I am pretty sure "being bored" is a human state. In my opinion, if dogs aren't getting into trouble, they're fine.

[Guest mirthlesstroll]

I saw a cute game on It's Me or the Dog - Victoria put a tasty little treat under 1 of 3 cups, and the dog had to find which cup it was hidden under. You can make it easier with disposable plastic cups, or harder with a china coffee mug.

[NHNora]

I think we're short-changing dogs a little here--yes, they are greyhounds who like to sleep a lot, BUT they are still animals with brains! You wouldn't let your kid lie in bed all day, why let your dog do it? Just because they aren't being naughty, doesn't mean they won't benefit from mental stimulation and quality time with their people.

 

I have a dog who's getting a bit older and doesn't want to play as much, so I was thinking of getting back into some training. My younger dog LOVES training, and gets completely wiped out from it too! I don't have time for a class during the summer, so I bought a book called "101 Dog Tricks" by Kyra Sundance. It has some ridiculous TV-dog tricks at the end, but many of them are simple enough that either of my dogs could manage them, and are beyond the "down," "stay," etc. which we've already done.

 

A book that I saw online, but couldn't find in the store seems interesting too:

http://www.amazon.com/Cure-Useless-Dog-Syndrome-Activities/dp/0984053824/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306691437&sr=8-1

[Guest Ashleigh]

This gave me a little chuckle. I am pretty sure "being bored" is a human state. In my opinion, if dogs aren't getting into trouble, they're fine.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth!

[Guest avadogner]

My Augie has been sportingba cast for 6 weeks due to a rebroken hock from his racing days and boredom has been leading to extra talking an barking in the night so I understand. Augie is my busy boy so this has been rough on him. We use Kongs stuffed with high value training treats and lots of bully sticks. He's a 90 lb chewing machine so we only use them at night and when he's starting to get antsy. He decimates the big $7 ones in an hour. They are fully edible and don't upset his sensitive tummy. Our 11 yr old grey is not a chewer and isnt into them sonsheis happy with a Kong.

 

I sit down with him and work on tricks to get his mind busy. He is sweet but no very bright. Still teaching shake after 6 months. Ava pickedit up in one day. Love him to pieces but he is a goofy boy. Rides in the car are a big help too. We also go to the petstore so he can walk a little and get attention from strangers. He thinks strangers are just friends he hasn't met yet.

Hang in there!