Enriching your dog’s life
Boredom and excess energy can result in a variety of problem behaviours. This makes sense because most dogs were bred to lead active lives with a specific purpose, such as hunting, farming, or protection. For example, retrievers and pointers were bred to find and fetch birds. Scent hounds, such as beagles, were bred to locate rabbits, foxes, and other small prey. Collies, cattle dogs, and sheepdogs were bred to herd livestock.
Thus, most dogs are bred to be active and use their brain for problem solving. However, in today’s society our dog is often left alone to sleep all day while we are away at work. When we come home, we serve them free food in a bowl. No effort required from our dog! This can result in dogs who are extremely bored, overweight, and have too much energy. A perfect recipe for problem behaviours to develop as bored dogs tend to create their own form of amusement... usually something that we don't find so amusing (e.g. shredding the couch cushions or digging up your favourite flower)!
Don’t worry - you don’t need to quit your job, take up duck hunting, or find a flock of sheep to keep your dog out of trouble! However, it is important that you find ways to exercise your dog’s brain and body. Environmental enrichment can help keep your dog busy and prevent boredom, which in turn can lead to less problem behaviours!
Here are some really easy enrichment ideas you can make at home:
Hide treats in an empty toilet roll and fold the ends over for your dog to open
Put a few treats in a cardboard box with some scrunched up newspaper or old sheet
Fill an empty ice-cream container with water and dog treats. Freeze it - you now have a long lasting treat that is perfect for summer!
Use a kids clam shell pool and fill it with sand. Hide some treats and toys for your dog to find. Not only will this keep your dog entertained, it can also save your flowers as you are giving your dog an outlet for his/her digging instincts in a more rewarding (and suitable) area.
Scatter your dog’s food in the garden instead of serving it in a bowl. You might think that it seems cruel, but your dog will thank you for it as he has lots of fun searching for the kibble in the grass!
