Do you ever run into this problem? You get up, you pour your coffee, you put on your shoes, you get ready for work… it’s going to be a great day. You kiss the pups. You start to head out the door and then you stop because you know that they’re going to whine all day, that they’re going to bark all day, that they’re going to get into things.
You come home and this is the conversation… Was it you Zoey? Zoey why won’t you look at me? Was it you? Were you in on this too? Blip, was it you? If you’re anything like my household of pets, this happens to you. So I thought I’d compiled 14 ways to keep your dog busy while you’re at work.
If you watch my vlogs on a regular basis, you know that I love pets and I also love life hacks and efficiency and effectiveness and just solving problems. So I thought I’d put this together and also I have a little bonus at the end. Let’s get started on this special edition vlog.
First, don’t worry about taking notes on this. I wrote a blog so you can go get all the details. I put it all down below. I even put links to the products if you want to go check them out. Now with some of these tips is going to take a little time in preparation, but to start I’m going to give you a couple that are very simple. You can do in no time at all.
First, turning on the television. It’s really simple to just turn on the TV. Obviously Animal Planet’s a great network or any sort of animal show because if they hear barking or howling. It’s just going to keep them more engaged, but it’s just an ambient noise. It’s kind of like if you leave the fan on at night and it helps you fall asleep. It’s very similar to dogs. It’ll distract them from noises that might be happening outside.
Second tip, Open the curtains or blinds to a back window in your home so that your pooch can watch whatever is going on outside your back door. If you have a small dog or a toy breed, set a cushion or chair by the window so that your pup is comfortably able to see out.
Tip number three, fill a toy with peanut butter and freeze it or throw some treats in there it’ll keep your dog busy for quite a while.
Number four… Alright, now here’s a good one that I came up with to work with the dogs instead of against the dogs. I know that as soon as I shut that door one of my dogs is going on a scavenger hunt. I mean she is checking every corner every nook and cranny of the house to find anything she can get into.
So what I do is I take some pieces of kibble or some little treats and I put them in areas that are safe that she can’t harm anything. She’s going to those areas to find those treats. It keeps her occupied. She continues to check the house and it redirects her to safe areas where she can’t get into trouble. Just be cautious with that one you know if your dog chews your shoes obviously don’t put to put kibble in your high heels, if you wear high heels.
Now number five isn’t for everyone, but you know you’re doing and if your dog has some anxiety a calming treat a day isn’t going to be a bad thing. I like them in soft chews because then the treat is actually calming to them. They’re perfectly safe. Obviously if you have any concerns, check with your vet.
Tip number six – Puzzles. Who doesn’t love a puzzle? If you want to take that scavenger hunt to the next level put treats or kibble inside puzzles. Puzzles can keep them busy for hours.
Tip number seven. OK, now this next one is hands-down my favorite and I’ll tell you why, but first I’m going to tell you what it is. Adopting or rescuing another dog as a companion to your furry friend helps both animals. You give your existing animal someone to socialize with during the day and you save a life.
Reputable rescues will often allow you to foster first, and then adopt the dog of your choice to make sure the animal fits well with your family.
Tip number eight, freeze your dog treats. It takes them a little bit longer in the summertime. It’s really great because it helps keep them cool. But the reason it’s my favorite is it takes almost no work on your part. You’ve got to eat the ice cream, that is if you use an ice cream container. I do for obvious reasons. I think you know why this one’s my favorite. I would specifically recommend Ben and Jerry’s half-baked it just seems to work better and if you need any help with that project let me know I’ll come right over.
Okay, back to the dogs. I’m going to give you tips nine, ten and eleven all in one bunch because I see people getting overwhelmed with this. Hire a dog walker. Take your dog to day care, or schedule a playdate. We like routine and we’re creatures of habit. So what do we start doing right away is we start saying, “I need a dog walker every day” or “I need to take my dog to daycare every day” or “I need to schedule a playdate every day”, but you don’t have to do it every day and you can mix those up. For example, I’ve got a boxer that’s really high-energy and I walk him and I run him as much as I can, but he will always outpace me. So he goes to daycare on Tuesdays, and Thursdays gives him a chance to socialize and play with other big dogs. That way he comes home completely worn out. It’s amazing.
Number 12 focuses on the right chews to give your dog. If you’re going to give your dog a chew on a regular basis, make sure you use some dental chews. It’ll keep them busy. It helps promote clean teeth.
Tip number thirteen… Does your dog have a favorite toy? Sometimes it’s really important to introduce a new toy. Dogs have curiosity just like us, and while they often have their favorite, it’s really important for them to try something new. It will keep them busy. Even if you rotate in one a month, it’ll make a big difference.
Number 14 — The last one is using a water fountain. It’s simple and it keeps them slightly busy, but I like to add this one in because it definitely causes my dogs to get up more often and be more active and drink more water. There’s something about the sound of flowing water that reminds dogs to go drink. I noticed with my dogs they definitely drink more water with a water fountain.
I hope some of those 14 tips are helpful and I also want to know what you’re doing with your dog that works and make sure you leave a comment down below because everyone loves learning about these things and I’m sure you have some great ideas that we all like to hear.
As found on Youtube
