Does your dog chew the furniture or dig up the garden? Do they bark excessively or fail to return when you call them? Are they pushy "in your face" attention seekers? Do they drag you up the street when you take them out for a walk? Sometimes, behaviour problems such as these, have their roots in a lack of mental stimulation.
Imagine a home without a TV, radio, mobile phone, magazines, books, computer, pad and pen, CD and DVD player, etc., only a window to look out of. How many minutes or hours would it take us to get totally bored with absolutely nothing to do? With this in mind, think about the life of a dog with nothing to do.
Is it any wonder that so many dogs get behaviour problems?
Canine couch potatoes who do not have a sufficient mental "work-out" each day are much more likely to invent their own "hobbies", such as excessive barking, digging, chewing, and chasing. In some cases these problem behaviours can develop into obsessive compulsive disorders, such as self-mutilation.
There's a wide choice of interactive feeding toys on the market these days and so it's not difficult to keep a dog sufficiently stimulated mentally. For example, a Kong filled with your dog's breakfast can last them until lunch time! Feeding a dog in this way satisfies a dog's natural instinct to forage for food in addition to helping with mental stimulation. Alternatively, try an activity box for your dog. Remember to supervise your dog the first time you give them something new or different. We have details of making activity boxes in our latest newsletter, which you can sign up for on our website ... it's free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Spending just a few minutes, a few times each day, doing a little bit of training with your dog not only strengthens the bond between you both, but drastically reduces your stress levels. Training doesn't have to be a chore - just teach them something different each day. Oodles of ideas of things you can teach your dog are contained in a book by Kyra Sundance - "101 Dog Tricks" www.domorewithyourdog.com
TEACH WITH KINDNESS AND PATIENCE
Heather Stevens KPA CTP, MCFBA Dog Behaviour Specialist