The frustrated and bored dog left in
its frustration will become neurotic and a general nuisance. Some of the signs
of a frustrated or bored dog are:
- Digging holes in your garden
- Shredding books
- Escaping
- Neurotically running up and down the fence
- Scratching and chewing your furniture, like finding the padding from your new lounge suite spread around the house
- obsessively barking or howling
When dogs are bored, their behavior
often turns destructive. That destroyed furniture is your dog’s way of
communicating the message to you, “I need some toys.” That chewed up carpet was
an improvised “toy” to cope with boredom. Ignored, this frustration or boredom
can develop into a full-blown separation
anxiety when your dog associates you leaving in the morning to a day of
difficult-to-cope-with boredom.
There are challenging and engaging
toys that can keep your pet happily active and busy. The Kong Wobble Toy and
the Everlasting Fun Ball both work on the principle of filling with dog treats
which your dog tries to get out. These challenging toys keeps your dog
thinking, and focuses your dog’s energy in a positive way.
There is a common misconception that
“a dog is a dog.” This is wrong. While there are many things dogs have in
common, all dogs are individuals. There are high-energy dogs, low-energy dogs
and all the grades between these two extremes. Even in high-energy breeds, there
are individuals who are laid back.
In every litter each dog has an
individual personality. While it is great to choose a dog for its looks, my
wife and I have this “weakness,” it is important to consider temperament and
personality as well. Cesar Millan, the “Dog Whisperer” explains this well in
his video People Training for Dogs
which we highly recommend if you are thinking of your first dog, or at your
wit’s end with your present dog.
Some dogs are more social than
others, just like people. Some dogs are more sensitive than others, just like
people. Some dogs get bored or frustrated easier than others, just like people.
Each dog is a unique individual. But dogs are still dogs and that means they
are intelligent social animals. A dog left alone in the garden or backyard
without any stimulation will be bored out of its gourd.
Before you do anything else to stop
a bored dog from barking, you should fix the basic cause of your dog’s problem
behavior, the under stimulation. Your dog needs exercise with you or a member
of your family. Playing with a neighbour’s dog or another dog in the park is
not enough. Your dog needs meaningful interaction with you or other members of
the family pack.
What that activity is depends on
your and your dog’s personalities, where you live, in a suburban home or in an
apartment or on a rural environment. A Border Collie for example needs
exercise, but also plenty of mental stimulation. Merely taking it for a run
next to your bicycle is unlikely to tire and satisfy your collie, but that and
some mental work will. A Mastiff, or Borzoi will require different activities
than the Border Collie.
Giving your pet a toy will do
wonders for a frustrated or bored dog. The energy gets channelled in a positive
way and your dog thinks as it puzzles over how to get another treat out,
instead of into destructive behavior. A few toys are reviewed here dog
toy reviews.