Enrichment: How To Mitigate Your Dog's Boredom

No one loves being bored. We love the choice of doing, or not doing, of planning a holiday, working hard at something we love, taking wholesome rest, or being pampered. But it’s not fun to be bored. With no choices. 

Many pups are at home, for hours each day. And yes! They are resting. Dogs rest, or sleep, depending on age, breed and routine, an average of just under 11 hours. But some of them don’t have the choice to step into the yard, take a nap under a tree, snuffle through a treat mat or play with a toy or friend. This is where things can get a little spicy. Fido might be accessing the yard, but if she didn’t get a solid sniff walk in the morning and some healthy, filling food for brekkie, she’s gonna pace, bark and, if she’s really antsy, sooth herself with some good, old-fashioned digging. Or the new puppy that seems ok to be left at home alone, finds that 8 hours without dad is unbelievably lonely – and he starts to chew shoes, bed legs and belts. He might even get frustrated and poo on the rug! 

But what can be done, you ask? Certainly not punishment. Enrichment! Like I said, depending on breed, size and age, your dog might require one lovely sniff walk and a couple of outside trips in a day, or three, solid play/sniff/park/run/toy interactions to feel satisfied. Enrichment helps no matter the dog! It’s a win/win. 

What can you do to help regulate your dog’s nervous system, sleep more soundly, relax when you’re not home or simply be a happier dog?  Check out some ideas below. 

Hide and seek Fun to play with your dog! Start off with their favourite treats. Show them you have them in hand. Ask them to take a sit, then treat, then ask them to wait. Move through your home and pace treats in places for your pup to find. Come back out, treat for the good wait, then ask your dog ‘where is it’? and walk into the rooms to help them sniff out the treats. Help them if need be. You can play this game with toys, and even yourself! 

Snuffle toys with treats What a great way to connect your leaving the home, with positive vibes. You can purchase some great snuffle mats online, or, you could use a tea towel or beach towel (dog size dependent). Select a range of favourite treats, lay out your towel, place a treat and then wrap. At the end of the towel, tie a knot. Show your dog as you leave the house the smelly puzzle and they will be happily distracted while you make a quiet exit. 

Keep some music on at home when you’re out An oldie but a goodie. Pick some chill mixes, or find a radio station that you think your dog will like and leave it on while you’re out. That gentle background sound will help alleviate some of the bored, lonely feelings your dog might have.  

Ice cube treats They do it for the polar bears, recon we can too! Buy a large silicone ice cube tray, some sardines, chicken or other high value food, and place in with either water, or bone broth. These are great for summer days. Licking helps reduce stress and helps dogs relax. Just be sure to pop a towel or mat down where you’d like your dog to eat the pupsicle - I learnt the hard way that defrosted fish is hard to get out of a wool rug. 

Sand pit As long as cats don’t have access to this fun place, you should be good to go! Fill your kiddy pool, shell or dug out area with some clean sand and let your dog dig to their heart’s content. Digging is a natural behaviour (they hide bones this way), but can be a sign of separation anxiety or boredom. 

Long sniff walks  Perhaps a little boring for us, but this is the dog equivalent of social media scrolling, minus the doom. Learning about other dogs, using their olfactory sensors takes a lot of brain and nose power! A great way to balance out your dog’s need for knowledge.

Training I know, it sounds like homework, but for dogs, training is a great way to feel connected to their human.