This is a most important aspect when owning a dog, and one that
is often neglected. Mental stimulation is just as vital for your dog
as the physical, even more so if you live with a dog bred to work.
Dogs are very capable of creating their own jobs if no one gives
them one. Many dogs will effectively demonstrate this need by
barking, destroying, digging and even escaping. So now it’s time to
get creative!
Primary dog needs when alone: shaded water, things to occupy
time, space to move around and shade. Often dogs will sleep whilst
their owners are away, especially if they have inside access, so
make the bed area as pleasant as possible.
A back yard, no matter how big, is ultimately just an outside room
with four walls and needs to be enriched.
I recommend you get set up with 3 batches of toys (say 30 all
up), split them into three groups so you have 3 days worth. Be sure
to have plenty of interactive, home alone and food dispensing toys
and collect them upon returning home so that they maintain their
"specialness" for when you are not home. Have your dog work for
their breakfast using food dispensing toys, thus filling in time and
providing mental stimulation. If there are times when you are at
home that barking is likely, you set up this system for those times
also. Individual dogs will have different preferences.
As dogs are social animals it is very important you spend quality
time with your dog every day. These ideas should be used in addition
to your normal family interaction and an exercise regime. You should
take great care to ensure that there is no danger to your dog in any
of these activities: chicken stock ice blocks; freeze a knotted rope
into an ice block so it could be hung somewhere; window or viewing
platform (if your dog is highly excited by movement this may not be
an appropriate activity); digging pit/sand pit; wading pool; plastic
bottles , punch some holes in the sides large enough for pieces of
dry food to fall through (be sure to remove the bottle top and the
plastic ring for your dog’s safety); swinging tyre; recycling
rubbish - empty milk cartons, cardboard rolls, egg cartons, cereal
boxes can be used to entertain your dog. Place some treats in them
and let him find the treats and have fun destroying the boxes (be
careful though if your dog likes to ingest foreign materials);
treasure hunt: take a cup of dry food and go out into your backyard
and throw it all over the grass; a dog walker and some funfilled dog
play dates!
