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How to Keep Dog Entertained While Alone

The Menagerie
#21

She is almost definitely not bored, but rather anxious.

I mean, think about it: she has gone through a ton of upheaval in her short life. She was down south, probably ended up in a shelter, transported up to the northeast, got into a good routine with her foster where she was crated, and now at just two weeks in to her new home you have totally changed the game again.

This is a hot button issue for me, since I foster and volunteer with a rescue that brings southern dogs up to the northeast and we get returns for reasons like this all the time. I’m not at all saying that you’d return your dog, but the general rule is that for the first few weeks you should try to keep as consistent of a routine as possible. At just two weeks with you she hasn’t even settled into her normal personality yet; she’s still getting adjusted to her new environment.

Two weeks is way too soon to start giving her more freedom and the fact that she’s getting destructive now is not a predictor of whether she’ll be destructive down the line when she’s a little more mature and settled in at your house.

Stick her back in the crate where she’s comfortable and don’t try to drastically alter her routine for another couple of weeks at least. I’m really surprised your rescue didn’t advise you to keep her crated initially.

If she’s regressed a little with her crate training, you can try any of the following: feeding meals in the crate, kong stuffed with cream cheese (this elicits a better response than PB for me, for some reason), bully sticks, covering the crate with a light sheet, playing some white noise/zen playlist type music, pieces of hot dog frozen in wet food/pb/chicken broth in a kong or toy, the list goes on…

Also, she’s a puppy. At this age she is going to chew whatever is left in range for her regardless. If you can get her into good habits by only giving her the opportunity to chew her stuff this behavior will be extinguished as she matures.

#22

My boxer boy had to be crated until he was about 1 1/2 years old. No beds, towels, or blankets (or cones of shame) in the crate or he would eat them.
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/793767_4817613435830_654225326_o.jpg

He would be fine uncrated for a few days, and then he would tear up his bed or the recliner, or his toy basket.
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t31.0-8/48193_4298964949942_787608523_o.jpg

Now, at 3, he knows our schedule. After morning exercise, he curls up on the couch and sleeps. On the days we are home from work, he still doesn’t want to miss his morning nap in the sun. LOL
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/v/t1.0-9/10271617_10202702666225399_8924322210104044042_n.jpg?oh=c401fe1a8373b8851f0ca5cd5480d515&oe=56E05FE9

He loves bully sticks but they STINK. I wouldn’t leave him alone with them unless you know how he eats them. Bruno is very methodical and doesn’t swallow chunks.

I made sure I had unstuffed toys and large smoked bones so he always had a choice between hard chewing and softer chewing.
Loves bully horns
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/v/t1.0-9/1779854_10204383156036594_4388703888742602475_n.jpg?oh=b5d673b163e2b0f291f32cb4c2fd6005&oe=56DF38D0

And jolly balls
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/20181_10205253936165553_7876340986036454336_n.jpg?oh=83d162b756190aed4a80de9967bd725d&oe=56DEEDA3

Oh, and get your boxer a jacket. They can’t do the cold. Or the heat. LOL!

#23

Frozen kongs are great. You can rotate peanut butter and yogurt so she doesn’t put on too much weight. I also will sometimes put small slices of banana in the kong w/peanut butter or yogurt before freezing. Gives them something else to have to work out. You can also freeze canned pumpkin in a kong, too.

#24

Thank you all again for the suggestions.

I bought some more Kongs and froze some canned food in them. My husband gave her one before he left this morning and she got a good report from the dog walker :slight_smile: The dog walker is going to give her one before she leaves. I cut a little bit of her food so that I am not overfeeding her, but to be honest, not THAT much food fit into the kong. I also gave her a few more toys so that she would have more chew options.

I did bring her crate down into the room and gated off an even smaller area in the room (which was not big to begin with, maybe 6 X 10 feet). She now has a small area to just walk around in and stretch.

I hadn’t really thought about changing her routine and making her anxious. I am uncertain if the crate really was her routine as she had only been in the foster for five days before she came to us. I do understand the value of crating and would crate her if she became a danger to herself by ingesting things that may be harmful to her. However, I am hesitant to change her routine again.

I just want to clarify that I am not angry with her or is she in any danger of being given back to the rescue. I love her and realize that she is a puppy who has been through a lot lately. As I mentioned in my first post, she is a GREAT dog and overall she is very well behaved. I am just looking for ways to prevent her from harming herself (and admittedly my house) and maximize her happiness. Of course I know that there is no quick fix for this, but I do appreciate everyone’s advice and stories.

Paddys Mom - your dog is adorable! I will have to put some pictures of Greta online and share them.

#25

If you find signs of her chewing “forbidden” things like the dryer hose, you can make those things much less appealing with alum. You find it in the spice section of a grocery store, it is used to make pickles. Make a solution of water and alum, and spray on surfaces like the dryer hose, door frames, base boards, etc. Apply when pup is NOT in the area. If she puts her mouth on it, she will find it unpleasant. And there is no association with you, her people.

Physical exercise is great, but you can also tire a dog out with training. Are you clicker savvy? Do you have a nearby obedience class? Working her brain will help tucker her out. And using her meals for training, instead of free-feeding, will set her up to look forward to her training time. Doesn’t have to be long, only a few minutes at a time, several times a day.

An easy game is recall. Have a container of treats or kibble with treats in several rooms in the house, where she cannot reach them. Call her name, then add whatever word you will use as a recall (here, come, hurry, cookies—whatever you choose). Reward her for coming to you. You can even do this as you are getting ready for your day.

Training can be formal or informal, but it will enrich her day. And you’ll be able to “install” useful behaviors at her young age: nail maintenance, cleaning teeth, grooming, recall, etc.

#26

Kongs and puzzle feeders are great. And can have tiny bits of super yummy food in them, like cheese, cold cuts, bacon crumbles, baby food meats (chicken, beef purée), carrots, etc. Almost anything can get stuffed in one and frozen. Lots of variety is good, too.

Other ‘edible body parts’ like bully sticks and tendon chews are best given when you can supervise. I advise against chew hooves (cow hooves in any form). I knew a dog who suddenly swallowed one when another dog approached. That became an intestinal obstruction and required $$$$$surgery. It was just the right shape and size to ream out the lumen of the intestines, and nearly caused a perforation.

#27

[QUOTE=amt813;8415607]
Thank you all again for the suggestions.

I bought some more Kongs and froze some canned food in them. My husband gave her one before he left this morning and she got a good report from the dog walker :slight_smile: The dog walker is going to give her one before she leaves. I cut a little bit of her food so that I am not overfeeding her, but to be honest, not THAT much food fit into the kong. I also gave her a few more toys so that she would have more chew options.[/QUOTE]

One of my two dogs has serious separation anxiety, so I’ve collected what’s shaping up to be a rather impressive collection of food-dispensing toys. I keep the list handy to send to friends, so I’m pasting it below. Hope this helps!

Toys that get stuffed with food and frozen:

  • Kong Classic (20-25 minutes) (our dogs get 1-3 of these each time we leave... we stuff them with their kibble, mixed with pumpkin and chopped up/frozen veggies and sometimes a spoonful of canned food for flavor, then freeze them)
  • Zogoflex Toppl Interactive Treat Dispensing Dog Toy (this can be a stand-alone toy, or if you get a big one and little one they can fit together and dispense kibble) (15-20 minutes)
  • Starmark Pickle Pocket (my big dog really likes this one… we put cheese in it) (15-20 minutes)
  • Starmark Treat Crunching Multiball (we actually don't use the pre-made Starmark sticks in this... we stuff an end with the kibble/pumpkin/veggie mix, pour kibble in the middle, then stuff the other end and freeze it)

Kibble dispensing toys, made of hard material (good for carpeted areas)

  • Bob-A-Lot (~10 minutes… this one can be adjusted to make it harder)
  • Tug-A-Jug (10-30 minutes, depending on the dog)
  • Magic Mushroom (10-30 minutes, depending on the dog)
  • Kong Wobbler (~5-10 minutes)
  • IQ Treat Ball (~10-15 minutes)
  • Pet Zone IQ Ball (this is the ONLY toy my dogs can't get all the kibble out of. They'll usually persist for half an hour or so before they give up)
  • Buster Cube (I think this has several difficulty settings… my guys now don't have one of these, but my dog when I was growing up had one. I'd guess this is probably a 20-30 minute toy depending on difficulty and what you load into it)
  • Treatstik – I don't own this one, but it's on my to-purchase list because it seems like it's one of the longer lasting toys on the market. If anyone has/gets one, I'm super interested to hear about it!

Kibble dispensing toys, soft material (good for hardwood/tile/laminate)

Time-release kibble dispensing toys (good for work days)

  • the Foobler is great because it works on a timer that rotates to the next of six, ¼ cup food hoppers at set intervals of time (you pick, the options are 15-30-60-90 minutes), which makes it last way longer than most of these toys. This is hard plastic.
  • CleverPet – this has a December 2015 release date. I'm way pumped about it and have been in touch with the company… hopefully I'll be getting one of the first models off the line!
#28

It sounds like she gets a good amount of excersize and walks/ attention… I second the idea of crating a few more months inside laundry room but this seems to be working out reasonable well. It’s still just a few weeks sounds like overall she is doing fine and lucky to have such a great home!

#29

This is amazing!

[QUOTE=Lazy Palomino Hunter;8419455]
One of my two dogs has serious separation anxiety, so I’ve collected what’s shaping up to be a rather impressive collection of food-dispensing toys. I keep the list handy to send to friends, so I’m pasting it below. Hope this helps!

Toys that get stuffed with food and frozen:

  • Kong Classic (20-25 minutes) (our dogs get 1-3 of these each time we leave... we stuff them with their kibble, mixed with pumpkin and chopped up/frozen veggies and sometimes a spoonful of canned food for flavor, then freeze them)
  • Zogoflex Toppl Interactive Treat Dispensing Dog Toy (this can be a stand-alone toy, or if you get a big one and little one they can fit together and dispense kibble) (15-20 minutes)
  • Starmark Pickle Pocket (my big dog really likes this one… we put cheese in it) (15-20 minutes)
  • Starmark Treat Crunching Multiball (we actually don't use the pre-made Starmark sticks in this... we stuff an end with the kibble/pumpkin/veggie mix, pour kibble in the middle, then stuff the other end and freeze it)

Kibble dispensing toys, made of hard material (good for carpeted areas)

  • Bob-A-Lot (~10 minutes… this one can be adjusted to make it harder)
  • Tug-A-Jug (10-30 minutes, depending on the dog)
  • Magic Mushroom (10-30 minutes, depending on the dog)
  • Kong Wobbler (~5-10 minutes)
  • IQ Treat Ball (~10-15 minutes)
  • Pet Zone IQ Ball (this is the ONLY toy my dogs can't get all the kibble out of. They'll usually persist for half an hour or so before they give up)
  • Buster Cube (I think this has several difficulty settings… my guys now don't have one of these, but my dog when I was growing up had one. I'd guess this is probably a 20-30 minute toy depending on difficulty and what you load into it)
  • Treatstik – I don't own this one, but it's on my to-purchase list because it seems like it's one of the longer lasting toys on the market. If anyone has/gets one, I'm super interested to hear about it!

Kibble dispensing toys, soft material (good for hardwood/tile/laminate)

Time-release kibble dispensing toys (good for work days)

  • the Foobler is great because it works on a timer that rotates to the next of six, ¼ cup food hoppers at set intervals of time (you pick, the options are 15-30-60-90 minutes), which makes it last way longer than most of these toys. This is hard plastic.
  • CleverPet – this has a December 2015 release date. I'm way pumped about it and have been in touch with the company… hopefully I'll be getting one of the first models off the line!
[/QUOTE]
#30

[QUOTE=Lazy Palomino Hunter;8419455]
One of my two dogs has serious separation anxiety, so I’ve collected what’s shaping up to be a rather impressive collection of food-dispensing toys. I keep the list handy to send to friends, so I’m pasting it below. Hope this helps!

Toys that get stuffed with food and frozen:

  • Kong Classic (20-25 minutes) (our dogs get 1-3 of these each time we leave... we stuff them with their kibble, mixed with pumpkin and chopped up/frozen veggies and sometimes a spoonful of canned food for flavor, then freeze them)
  • Zogoflex Toppl Interactive Treat Dispensing Dog Toy (this can be a stand-alone toy, or if you get a big one and little one they can fit together and dispense kibble) (15-20 minutes)
  • Starmark Pickle Pocket (my big dog really likes this one… we put cheese in it) (15-20 minutes)
  • Starmark Treat Crunching Multiball (we actually don't use the pre-made Starmark sticks in this... we stuff an end with the kibble/pumpkin/veggie mix, pour kibble in the middle, then stuff the other end and freeze it)

Kibble dispensing toys, made of hard material (good for carpeted areas)

  • Bob-A-Lot (~10 minutes… this one can be adjusted to make it harder)
  • Tug-A-Jug (10-30 minutes, depending on the dog)
  • Magic Mushroom (10-30 minutes, depending on the dog)
  • Kong Wobbler (~5-10 minutes)
  • IQ Treat Ball (~10-15 minutes)
  • Pet Zone IQ Ball (this is the ONLY toy my dogs can't get all the kibble out of. They'll usually persist for half an hour or so before they give up)
  • Buster Cube (I think this has several difficulty settings… my guys now don't have one of these, but my dog when I was growing up had one. I'd guess this is probably a 20-30 minute toy depending on difficulty and what you load into it)
  • Treatstik – I don't own this one, but it's on my to-purchase list because it seems like it's one of the longer lasting toys on the market. If anyone has/gets one, I'm super interested to hear about it!

Kibble dispensing toys, soft material (good for hardwood/tile/laminate)

Time-release kibble dispensing toys (good for work days)

  • the Foobler is great because it works on a timer that rotates to the next of six, ¼ cup food hoppers at set intervals of time (you pick, the options are 15-30-60-90 minutes), which makes it last way longer than most of these toys. This is hard plastic.
  • CleverPet – this has a December 2015 release date. I'm way pumped about it and have been in touch with the company… hopefully I'll be getting one of the first models off the line!
[/QUOTE]

Awesome list. I will add the monster ball http://www.chewy.com/dog/jolly-pets-monster-ball-dog-toy-25/dp/38808?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Jolly%20Pets&utm_term=&gclid=COHC_7TztskCFYQfHwod4H0F9g

which my dog LOVES.

Also, if your dog gets too clever for rubbery toys, they sell hard clean bones that you can freeze and stuff. I would keep an eye out over time to make sure they’re not worn to the point where they’ll break, but my clever dog has a MUCH harder time getting treats out of a hard bone than, say, a rubbery kong.

Himalayan dog chews also last a long long long time…

http://www.chewy.com/dog/himalayan-dog-chew-natural-dog/dp/47280

#31

I would also stick with the crate for a bit more (maybe a long bit more!). We adopted a 4 month old bully mix from kill shelter, he was not allowed loose in the house for a good long time and boy did he go through chews! As well as DHs phone, remote, window seal etc! It takes a bit for these guys to not chew as much and learn to not destroy things. The big dogs seem to me more inclined to chew than the little ones.

I like antlers too. Can be pricey but that last a long time. I would not give toys with stuffing or rope that she can chew and eat, but proper chew toys or treat dispensing toys.

#32

Wow - thank you Lazy Palomino Hunter - that is an amazing list. I really appreciate you taking the time to put that all down.

Well, I did go back to crating her … and lo and behold she was happier! So I will eat crow on this one. I really thought that I was being mean by keeping her confined, but she must feel safer and more at ease in her crate. Plus I have the added benefit of me feeling safer and more at ease while she is safely in her crate while I am at work.

I do continue to give her the frozen canned food kongs and plan on incorporating some of the other suggestions on this thread. Thank you again all so much!

#33

LPH- is there a place to read how the clever pet WORKS? The site is very pretty and I am intrigued but darned if I can find any useful COPY?!

#34

try a buster cube.
You basically put their dog food in this big cube, and as they turn it, kibble comes out. It keeps them occupied for a while. and meantime, they are pushing it around and getting a little activity.

#35

Following this for when we get our second dog, great suggestions!

#36

[QUOTE=vxf111;8419850]
Awesome list. I will add the monster ball http://www.chewy.com/dog/jolly-pets-monster-ball-dog-toy-25/dp/38808?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Jolly%20Pets&utm_term=&gclid=COHC_7TztskCFYQfHwod4H0F9g

which my dog LOVES.

Also, if your dog gets too clever for rubbery toys, they sell hard clean bones that you can freeze and stuff. I would keep an eye out over time to make sure they’re not worn to the point where they’ll break, but my clever dog has a MUCH harder time getting treats out of a hard bone than, say, a rubbery kong.

Himalayan dog chews also last a long long long time…

http://www.chewy.com/dog/himalayan-dog-chew-natural-dog/dp/47280[/QUOTE]

Not for all dogs! I got each of my dogs one, and they were gone in less than 10 minutes. And they were $15+ EACH!!! Huge waste of money!

#37

[QUOTE=saultgirl;8422606]
Not for all dogs! I got each of my dogs one, and they were gone in less than 10 minutes. And they were $15+ EACH!!! Huge waste of money![/QUOTE]

Bummer! My dog can do a foot long bully stick in 20 minutes but himalayan chews last her days

#38

You also have to be careful with the Himalayan chews, when they get down to small pieces the dog can eat them and choke. They recommend microwaving the small pieces to soften it before feeding.

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