Let’s face it: your dog can’t do any of those pastimes. Nor can he take himself for a walk, go to the gym, or call a friend for a chat.
Think of all the activities you do to keep yourself entertained. Your dog can’t do any of it. No wonder our dogs, when left alone for long periods of time, chew on the nearest item. Shoes? Sofa? Kitchen cabinet?
And then when we are home, our dogs pester and whine and demand our attention.
There is a relatively simple fix for the dog boredom problem: long-lasting food-based puzzle toys.
Of course, everyone already knows to put peanut butter in a Kong. Let’s be a bit more creative!
At your next grocery store visit, stroll down the baby food aisle. Think pureed fruits and vegetables, simple and with no added sugar or salt. Sweet potatoes, carrots, bananas, applesauce are some options. Fill the Kong with one of these and freeze it overnight. Your dog will let you know which flavor is his favorite.
Fill a Buster Cube with some of the dry kibble from your dog’s meal, and let him figure out how to get each morsel to fall out. This toy needs to be played with on carpeting or even outside because it can be pretty noisy. The Cube can be adjusted to make the kibble more challenging to extract.
The Tug-a-Jug is similar in concept to the Buster Cube – and rivals it in noise level – except that the method of kibble retrieval involves pulling on a rope. If your dog loves to tug, this is the toy for him.
Once dogs get used to the Kong Wobbler surprising movement – and some dogs find it just too startling – they will enjoy making it tilt and sway so that kibble tumbles out.
Other food-based puzzle toys you can create yourself include:
“Paint” a melamine plate with peanut butter and let your dog lick it clean. This is a fun activity for dogs that always seem to be hovering near the dirty dishes in the dishwasher;
Hide kibble or treats throughout the house, and tell your dog to find them;
Toss dry kibble all over the floor. This has the dual benefits of keeping your dog busy and slowing down those dogs that tend to wolf their meals.
There are lots of other interactive toys for dogs available, and more are coming on the market every day. Check your local pet supply store, Amazon or Chewy.com for choices in sizes, colors, and durability.
And from a training standpoint, be sure to give your dog a toy only when he is calm, quiet and sitting politely. Frenetic pacing, barking or jumping for a toy, in my book anyway, makes the toy disappear!