November 20, 2019

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Do you know the 5 tell-tale signs that your dog is bored? Chances are… you don’t! And if you did, that would mean you’ve got a bored doggo on your hands. A lot like us, our furry friends get bored when they’re not given tasks to complete throughout the day. And since we determine when they eat, play, and exercise... they can sometimes run out of things to do. So, here are the 5 tell-tale signs that your dog is bored... (and what you can do about it).

#1 | Developing Destructive Behaviors

Our dogs begin to destroy things when they’re bored. Bad habits such as chewing up shoes and digging up the garden are things us humans aren’t too enthusiastic on… but are ways our dogs use to keep themselves entertained. To stop destructive behaviors, we need to give our furry friends something more constructive to do. Try giving your dog a food puzzle or some frozen treats. This will keep them mentally stimulated and help to tire them out.

#2 | Seeking Attention (Barking/Whining)

Our dogs know exactly how to get our attention… and barking or whining certainly works very well. You can set up a daily routine to ease your dogs attention seeking behaviors. Your pooch is a creature of habit, so by giving them a consistent daily routine they know exactly what is expected of them.

#3 | Following You Around

As dog owners, we are the main source of entertainment. If your dog gets excited every time you get up, chances are they’ve got some excess energy to burn off. Try to give your dog some more exercise so they won’t follow you around so much. Take your furry friend to the park or go for a walk, it may just save them some boredom later on in the day.

#4 | Hyper Greetings

It’s always nice to come home to a happy dog, but are their greetings over the top? Does your dog jump up, run all over the place, or ignore your cues to sit or stay just because they are really excited to see you? When they’ve been bored and sitting at home all day, having you come home could cause a lot of pent-up energy to explode. If this is the case, it’s a good idea to hire a dog walker during the day just to get some of that energy out.

#5 | Excessive Barking

More often than not, when a dog is left alone they will bark at anything that moves. That is why when you let them into the backyard and they’ve already explored everything, they will find something to bark at. For example, a bird on the fence, a cat, or even the delivery person. An easy solution for this is to block the fences and openings that will cause your dog to bark. You could also keep them indoors, but the best thing to do is to keep your dog occupied with a food puzzle or their favorite toy.

While each dog breed will have varying reactions to boredom, the solutions are generally the same. You can find activities or games that your dog will find challenging and spend time providing the mental stimulation they need. Some new toys can also help for a while and it is always a good idea to rotate their toys. When you have extra time, try playing some games that will provide good exercise such as frisby or tug-of-war. As you try to decrease your dog’s boredom, you will also find that the increased activity is good for you too!

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