How to Entertain Your Dog

Pet dogs do not have to worry about paying bills, taking care of kids, feeding, jobs, and keeping up relationships, so they do not have responsibilities keeping their minds occupied. As a dog owner, you have to know how to keep a puppy busy.

Most modern pet parents are very busy with their jobs or children, so they barely have the time to spend time with their dogs or, at the least, engage them. It can be hard to keep your dog busy when you are at home and more cumbersome to do so when you are away. 

Dogs are social creatures, so when there is no activity to keep your dog occupied or if you get too busy for them, they will get bored and lonely. Bored dogs tend to lean towards destructive behaviors to fill the space in their lives. Such behaviors include excessive chewing or barking, destroying furniture, pooping, and urinating inside. This creates more work for pet parents when they arrive home after a long day.

Like humans, dogs need physical and mental stimulation to stay fit, happy, and healthy. Pet parents can use a range of activities to achieve this. Shophiddin has everything you need to keep your dog entertained.

Ways to Keep Your Dog Entertained

Hide Treats:

Before you leave your house, you could hide dog treats in different corners or areas of the house for your dog to find. Since dogs love sniffing around, this will be a sure way to keep your dog engaged and challenged.

The best part is that this can keep them entertained even while you are at work.. Be sure to check for any missing treats when you get home, and try changing the hiding place of the treats each time, as it keeps it fun and challenging.

Stuffed Kong:

A kong is a rubber toy with a hollow center in which you stuff food.

A stuffed kong is a long-lasting treat used to help control a dog's arousal levels or dogs that eat up food too fast. It is an excellent tool for mental stimulation. You can put a canned pumpkin, mashed bananas, and other great recipes in it.

Taking Your Dog For a Walk:

Dogs do not like being locked up indoors for too long. If you need to keep your dog isolated (while you have guests over, for example), use a Plastic dog playpen. The dog playpen restricts the dog's movement indoors, and still gives it room to play. It’s also great for crate-training energized pups. 

Dogs have a ton of energy. To help them manage their energy levels, take your dog out for walks. It will keep it physically fit, active, and healthy. This way, they do not become couch potatoes or self-destructive. Smelling, hearing, socializing, and exercising will significantly benefit your dog and keep it happy. If you barely have the time to walk your dog, then you can employ a dog walker to do the job for you.

Playing Tug of War:

Tug of war is a game you could play indoors with your dog. You can use a dog tug toy for this. If you do not have a tug toy, you can improvise by using a bunch of old t-shirts or cloth to play tug.

It is a very interactive game between owners and their dogs and fortifies the bond between you and your dog. Do you want to tire your dog out? Play tug with them and watch the magic happen.

Using Treat Or Food-Dispensing Toys:

Different food dispensing toys include kibble nibble, tug-a-jug, and the waggle. These toys are designed to keep your dog busy.

Instead of handing your dog treats in a bowl, make them work for it with these toys. That is how to keep your puppy busy.

Teach Your Dog New Tricks:

Learning is a great way to keep your beloved dog’s mind occupied for hours. Show your dog how to shake hands, play dead, roll over, spin, sit pretty, walk backward, bow, and so much more.

Scent Work Games:

The nose of a dog rules its brain. So engaging your dog in scent work is necessary. You could play scent work games with your dog, including hide and seek, lay a scent trail game, scavenger hunt, find the toy, and track a person. These games help with your dog's mental stimulation and challenge its sense of smell.

Obstacle Courses:

You can make this an indoor or outdoor activity. Teach your dog to jump over little obstacles like stacks of books, pillows, and cardboard boxes, or you could get a full dog obstacle course. It increases the agility and overall health of your dog.

Puzzle Toy:

Dogs are intelligent creatures that love problem-solving. There are different types of dog puzzles that help to improve their problem-solving skills. They might need some time and training to solve these puzzles.

The benefits of this include a better attention span, preventing cognitive decline, keeping your dog entertained indoors, and banishing boredom.

Use a Dog Training App:

There are different dog training apps for different purposes, like training a puppy or dog to learn new tricks, obedience training, changing bad behavior, and rewarding good behavior. It works if you are consistent with the sessions.

Play Fetch:

Throw a ball or a dog toy somewhere and watch your dog get it back for you. To make this more exciting, you can countdown from three to one, i.e., giving your dog a time frame so it can get the ball or toy and bring it back to you.

Turn On the Television Or Play Music:

Tv can be an excellent way to keep your dog entertained indoors, especially if you are out for work. There are also channels made for dogs to watch.

Music helps to relieve your dog's anxiety and stress, especially classical music.

Fix a Playdate With Other Dogs:

Fixing play dates is a fantastic way to allow your dog to socialize and bond with other dogs. Mixing with other dogs is a happy experience for your dog.

Shell Game:

For this game, you can take two or more opaque cups and place treats in one of the cups while your dog is watching, then switch the position of the cups swiftly. Let your dog then try and pick the cup with the treats. It improves concentration and focus.

Rub Their Tummies:

Dogs love when you rub their tummy. It is very pleasurable to them and helps you to bond with them.

Let Them Sit by the Window:

If you have a safe, comfy place where they can see the outside world through a window and enjoy the smell, sounds, and sight of the outdoors, then add it to the list of activities you can set up for your dog.

Practice Obedience Training Each Day:

Use positive reinforcement methods to teach them commands. Try doing this daily so your dog can recall previously taught and new commands.

Training your dog provides excellent mental stimulation, and it also helps to keep them house trained. If your dog is not house trained yet, it is advisable to keep it in a stylish custom dog crate.

Switch Up the Toys Your Dogs Play With:

Do you need tips on how to entertain your dog? Then switch up your dog's toys. Switching up your dog's toys ensures that your dog does not get bored of playing with just one toy. Give them different toys to play with to keep the excitement going. You can use a dog toy bin that looks stunning in the home to store these toys and switch them up for your dog.

Make Your Dog Put Her Toys Away:

Make your dog put her toys away if you have a toy bin. Learning to do new things is an exciting experience for your dog, plus you do not have to do the clean-up yourself.

Get Your Dog a Buddy:

Why not add another dog to the family? Getting your dog a new friend will ease loneliness and boredom, which is particularly useful if you need to spend long hours at work! The more, the merrier.

Summary

Being a pet owner is really exciting, though it requires a lot of responsibility. Dogs, like humans, need to be constantly cared for and stimulated physically and mentally, so it’s crucial to understand how to entertain your dog well. Otherwise they may engage in disruptive behavior or wreak havoc on your favorite couch while you’re out! 

You can find all the tools and materials you need to train, love, and stimulate your dog efficiently without having to compromise on the interior aesthetic of your home. Visit Shophiddin for all you need to keep your dog entertained and happy, and your space clean and gorgeous.