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Preventing Boredom and Frustration in your dog
(Scotty Valadao - Dog Behaviourist - Founder FOTD
As a behaviourist I find that a large majority of behaviour problems arise out of sheer boredom and frustration, and just supplying your dog with some appropriate entertainment while you are out , can go a long way to reducing behaviour concerns and keep your dog happily stimulated.
What is crucial is to ensure that the activities you supply are safe, and that in the case of any chew toys, they are of high quality and are checked daily for wear and tear to prevent accidental chewing off pieces and swallowing same.
I cannot fail to mention that in addition to leaving appropriate toys, walks and social interaction are crucial. If your dog has separation anxiety, rather get professional assistance - just leaving some chew toys is unlikely to solve the issue.
Our dogs often spend a good deal of time alone especially if their person has a full time job, so lets look at leaving some entertainment for them, rather than leaving them up to their own devices.
Toys such as ropes, ball, stuffy toys etc can only really provide entertainment when somebody is throwing the ball, pulling the rope and so forth – apart from these times, toys such as these really do not give a dog the stimulation it needs.
Dogs chew naturally. and not only does this give them something rewarding to do, it keeps them busy. As the mouth is connected to the limbic section of the brain which governs emotions and is the seat of all learning – chewing helps a dog to de-stress – think of a dog with separation anxiety – it will chew and destroy as the chewing action makes it feel better. A point to bear on mind, is that if there is more than one dog, neither dog should be prone to resource guarding, and it is better to always provide about 3 or more chew toys, so that there is a choice, which makes it less likely for one dog to want to take the other dog's toy!
Many dogs, when first given a stuffed chew toy, they don't really know what to do with it. So start off by putting some kibble and treats inside - by doing this the dog will associate that good things happen where a chew toy is provided. Gradually add in more and more, and
don't stuff too solidly initially. Once the dog understands, then you can pack the goodies tighter inside.
What is important, is that when you come home, you take the chew toy away. If the chew toy is only provided when you are going out, it will assume a much higher value to the dog.
Once the dog is used to them, they can be frozen – instant Konsicles and the coolness helps the dog to keep cool, and brilliant for pups that are teething.
What is crucial is to ensure that the activities you supply are safe, and that in the case of any chew toys, they are of high quality and are checked daily for wear and tear to prevent accidental chewing off pieces and swallowing same.
I cannot fail to mention that in addition to leaving appropriate toys, walks and social interaction are crucial. If your dog has separation anxiety, rather get professional assistance - just leaving some chew toys is unlikely to solve the issue.
Our dogs often spend a good deal of time alone especially if their person has a full time job, so lets look at leaving some entertainment for them, rather than leaving them up to their own devices.
Toys such as ropes, ball, stuffy toys etc can only really provide entertainment when somebody is throwing the ball, pulling the rope and so forth – apart from these times, toys such as these really do not give a dog the stimulation it needs.
Dogs chew naturally. and not only does this give them something rewarding to do, it keeps them busy. As the mouth is connected to the limbic section of the brain which governs emotions and is the seat of all learning – chewing helps a dog to de-stress – think of a dog with separation anxiety – it will chew and destroy as the chewing action makes it feel better. A point to bear on mind, is that if there is more than one dog, neither dog should be prone to resource guarding, and it is better to always provide about 3 or more chew toys, so that there is a choice, which makes it less likely for one dog to want to take the other dog's toy!
- High on our list are toys such as the Busy Buddies, Kong’s and Peanut Stuffer. The reason for this is that they can be stuffed daily with different things (see link to recipes below) and are the safest for dogs to chew on. It is recommended that these are checked daily for wear and tear. http://www.friendsofthedog.co.za/50-ways-with-a-kong.html
Many dogs, when first given a stuffed chew toy, they don't really know what to do with it. So start off by putting some kibble and treats inside - by doing this the dog will associate that good things happen where a chew toy is provided. Gradually add in more and more, and
don't stuff too solidly initially. Once the dog understands, then you can pack the goodies tighter inside.
What is important, is that when you come home, you take the chew toy away. If the chew toy is only provided when you are going out, it will assume a much higher value to the dog.
Once the dog is used to them, they can be frozen – instant Konsicles and the coolness helps the dog to keep cool, and brilliant for pups that are teething.
- Another toy I love is the Foobler Pop Shot Time Delay Puzzle Toy. This is brilliant as you can stuff 1/4 cup of kibble or treats, and has a timer you can set to between 30 seconds and 3 minutes. As the timer goes off it makes a noise to get the dogs attention. The dog can also easily move the Foobler around with its paws - really great interactive toy, plus very sturdy.
- If you have an area that is tiled, then take a really hard plastic, or metal container which is circular in design and place this on the tiles with some kibble underneath. Your dog will have great fun pushing this along the tiles to get to the treats below – you can do more than one of these. Some dogs may first have to be shown how this great game works before you leave the dog at home with it.
- Many owners have used empty water bottles that dogs can chew on, even making holes in the side and putting in treats for extra stimulation - dogs love the crunchy/popping sound these make. However, we really do not recommend, as if the bottle breaks, there are often sharp edges and these can create a real hazard, as can the plastic top of the bottle - this could cause a life-threatening gastrointestinal obstruction.
A much better option is to purchase a top-quality Bottle Crunching type toy. This is a water bottle which is covered with a protective sleeve that fits snuggly around the bottle. The majority of them have a Velcro strap to close securely. Even though the bottle now has a covering, all the great crunchy noises that dogs love can still be heard. We have come across a few brands where the protective cover is of a fabric that also makes a crunchy noise, doubling the experience. - Treat dispensing ball type toys. These are also great and come both in a round shapes, or some of them have small hexagons on they. An added bonus is that the dog get to move the ball around, or, with the round type, they will roll as the dog pushes it.
- Scenting – it is very easy to teach your dog to follow a simple scent trail saying ‘findies’ or similar and at the same time toss a treat just in front of the dog and gradually build up the distance and the difficulty as the dog cottons on. As the dog becomes proficient in this (and on average it does not take long) start to make the trail harder and you will eventually be able to hide treats all over the garden which will keep your dog happily doing what it does in nature – scenting and scavenging for food.
- Pull Toys – by hanging a rope and small tyre from a tree or making a bracket against the wall of your house, you can keep your dog happily playing at ‘pullies’ while alone in the garden when you eventually leave them there – this should hang at about the same level as the dogs mouth, or slightly higher – see what is best for your dog and just because small breed does not mean they do not like it – you will just use appropriate toys such as a soft toy or rope. You will have to get involved initially to show your dog what to do and then you can leave alone to play. Rather buy the tyres that are sold in Pet and Vet shops as apart from Hot Rod/ Drag tyres, the majority of tyres contain metal. You should also check this on a daily basis for wear and tear.
- Digging Pit – these can provide hours of entertainment but do remember do need to be restocked daily. Here is a link to find out how to go about it. http://www.friendsofthedog.co.za/digging-problems.html
- Puzzle Toys are often recommended for dogs left during the day and are brilliant for mental stimulation. However, these are not cheap, and many have small covers to hide the treat which can be chewed upon, swallowed, lost, or even ingested. If you are going to consider leaving a Puzzle Toy, then ensure that the above cannot happen.
- Even consider the services of people that will walk your dog for you – just remember to do your homework and make sure that the person has the knowledge and experience required to do this and that they are recommended.
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