Boredom Busters for Pets

Update in the Time of Covid-19 

(April 2020 Update)

If you find yourself ordering online more often, you may also find your recycling bins overflowing with cardboard boxes and other packaging.  These cardboard boxes can be re-purposed for cheap and easy enrichment games for your pets!  Just hide toys, treats, and food inside and let them tear them apart.  It may be a bit messy, but better the cardboard box than your favourite pair of shoes! 

Boredom Busters for Pets 

Originally posted October 21, 2015

With winter coming up you may find it harder to get your pooch out for a walk, especially if you work long hours and it's cold and dark when you get home.  If you haven't already, you may want to consider hiring a dog walker... :)

But for those evenings when your pet is bored and getting into trouble (chewing inappropriate items, barking, meowing, or whining out of boredom, or displaying attention-seeking or boredom-related behaviours) here are some things to keep him busy and having fun (fun that's not at your expense!).  

Stuffed Kongs

One of the simplest ways to keep your pet busy is to fill a Kong or other hollow, fillable toy with kibble, treats, or canned wet food and give it to your pet to chew on and play with.  To make them last longer keep a couple prepared in the freezer ready to go whenever you need them.  They're so great for busting boredom, we have an entire blog post dedicated to Kongs!

They come in a variety of sizes, for cats and small dogs, as well as "regular" and "Xtreme" for bigger chewers.

Interactive Toys

Similar to the Kong toy, there are a large variety of interactive toys available online or in retail pet stores.  Kong wobblers, the Kong Gyro, food puzzles, or buster cube to name a few - Anything you can hide treats or food in that will allow your pet to have fun, use his brain, and get a reward for keeping busy with something productive rather than getting himself into trouble.  

You can even use an egg carton or muffin pan, hide treats under a dozen balls, and let your pet nose around until he has found all the goodies.  

Toys

Of course, our dogs are very social creatures and love interacting with us.  Spending time playing ball, tug-o-war, or any game our dog loves to play is a great way for us to have fun, get a little exercise, and bond with our pets.
For strong chewers, very durable toys can provide an outlet for that need to chew without sacrificing your favourite pair of shoes.
Cats love chasing things that move: cat charmers, catnip toys, small balls with bells inside, etc.   Some cats love cuddles and pets while others prefer their scratching post or a nice window perch so they can watch the world go by, know your pet's preferences and bond with them with activities you both enjoy.

The ASPCA has a great article on free and extremely low-cost cat enrichment ideas: https://www.aspcapro.org/resource/saving-lives-behavior-enrichment/5-free-or-darn-close-feline-enrichment-ideas and the Best Friends Animal Society has a wonderful article on Feline Enrichment: https://bestfriends.org/resources/cat-enrichment

"Clicking" for Calm

Yes, you can teach your pet the skill of relaxing!  Teach your pet a “bed” or “settle” cue and reinforce your pet for resting quietly on a bed.  You can capture this behaviour by catching your pet being calm.  Lay on the couch reading a book or magazine, wait until your pet gets bored and lays down nearby, then quietly walk by and drop a treat between his paws without saying anything.

Your pet will learn that getting into trouble or incessantly demanding you play with him are not the ways to earn your attention or get a reward, but settling quietly and being patient are how he earns the things he wants.  Better yet, wait until your dog lays down quietly, then calmly attach his leash and take him for a walk, or bust out your pet's favourite toy.  That’s the ultimate reward for calm.  

Positive Training 

Training is not just for behaviour issues!  Positive training is another great way to exercise your pet’s body and brain, to have fun, and to bond while working and playing together.  Check out Karen Pryor’s website for different clicker games you can play with your pet that encourage him to use his creativity and have fun, for example, “101 Things to do with a Box”.  And yes, cats can benefit from training too!

You can also try out fun dog sports such as agility, rally, skijoring or kick-sledding, disc dogs, fly ball, and so many more.  Hire a certified professional trainer to work with or simply take a positive reinforcement style training class that focuses on fun and relationship building.

When I returned to training after having my baby I wrote a blog post about the experience.  Training really does give you a better appreciation for your dog's abilities, and even a short training session can be great exercise for your dog's body and brain.   

And last but not least... 

Walks!

The best way to get your dog exercise is to get outside and walk or run.  Allow your dog to sniff and explore his environment.  Using his eyes and especially his nose to investigate and learn about the world around him is the best enrichment your dog could have.  If your walks are no fun because of behavioural issues with your dog (for example reactivity or pulling on leash), join a class that specifically covers these topics or engage the help of a certified professional dog trainer.  

You can try to find an enclosed space (such as outdoor rinks during the spring and summer when there is no ice in them) where you can toss a ball or just let your dog run out some of his excess energy.

If you find your work days or too long or your schedule is too busy, consider hiring a professional dog walker, a pet sitter, or a trusted friend to help you out, you'd be amazed at what a change regular exercise can have on your dog's behaviour.  For help in getting the most from a dog-walking service, take a look at this blog post.  

When your pooch is climbing the walls or getting into trouble, remember chewing, digging, barking, whining, howling, running, jumping, etc, etc. are all very normal dog behaviours.  They're not doing it to drive you crazy, they're doing it for fun or as a way to release pent-up energy.  Give them an appropriate outlet for these necessary behaviours and you'll both be happier for it :)

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