Minimize your dog’s bad behavior because he is bored
I was at a training session in Plantation yesterday and they were telling me that their dog just can’t sit still and is always bugging them. I asked my client what was going on before this bad behavior began and he said, “Nothing, I might be working on my computer for a while and my dog is over in the corner. He seems fine, just staring at me or looking out the window. All of a sudden, he gets up and starts nudging me and whining.”
The reason that I am bringing this up in my blog today is because it is a situation that I have heard many times over my years of dog training. Let’s not focus on the obvious issue of bad behavior, but why your dog started that bad behavior. He was sitting by himself with nothing to do for a long time and finally said, “This is enough”. Without anything else to engage, he comes to you to break his boredom.
If you are busy, you don’t have the time to work on that bond. You must think of another way to eliminate that boredom that eventually causes the inappropriate situation requiring action that you cannot supply at the time. You must set up a scenario where the boredom does not have a chance to become established.
Here are some suggestions for keeping your canine companion entertained and out of mischief.
- Empty 12 Oz. Water Bottle: These are the greatest. The next time you finish with some bottled water, don’t throw the bottle away. Take off the cap, the ring around the cap, and the paper. Give it your dog. They love the tactile feel of crunching the bottle and the sound that it makes. The sound isn’t that loud, so it won’t bother you and it isn’t heavy, so it won’t hurt the walls if your dog bounces it off a wall or window. Most dogs will play with the water bottle for yours. When it starts to get a little worn out, simply switch bottles. Free, quick, and easy!
- Scatter Feeding: Turn feeding into a treasure hunt. Scatter a variety of foods (such as whole carrots, peas, broccoli, beans, celery, and apples) around an area. This gives your dog something to forage for as well as some nutritious food to chew on (rather than your furniture. Please remember that you shouldn’t use raisins or grapes because these are very harmful to your dog. Please check out our Dog Poisons for more information.
- Buster Cube: This award-winning dog toy is a great distraction. Fill the toy with dry kibble or other goodies. As your dog rolls it around on the ground, the kibble falls out from multiple compartments. This motivates your dog work for his food, keeping a brain-active dog busy for hours.
- Kong Toys: This durable rubber toy has a hollow center that can be stuffed with goodies such as kibble, dried liver, cheese, or peanut butter. I recommend that you use unsalted peanut butter. Cover the Kong Toy hole without filling the entire toy. Your dog won’t be able to get the food all the way in the back and may become frustrated. Now, freeze the toy. Your dog now has a “Kongsicle”. Get several Kongs so you can simply rotate them from your dog to the freezer. One more note, Kong Toys are all made in the USA. No part from any of their toys is made in China.
All you have done here is to proactively give your dog something to do to eliminate or extend the time before he becomes bored. This allows you to get the things you need to accomplish in peace and quiet. Please remember that this is not a replacement for play time with you. To maintain your relationship, interactive play time is very important also. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact us at The Best Dog Trainers in Plantation and South Florida.
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