Whether you live in a town house, an apartment in a high-rise or in suburbia where Rover has a nice backyard, a pup can still get bored. They need human companionship or, at least, things to do while you are gone. Here are some tips to keep the pooch from climbing the walls!
1. Challenge your dog’s brain with puzzles
More challenging than a chew toy stuffed with treats, dog puzzles keep your pooch engaged in a productive activity while you’re away. Puzzles can be filled with kibble or dry treats, and the dog has to work pretty hard to get the morsels out.2. Check in and chat with a pet-monitoring system
Thanks to gadgets such as Petcube, Piper, and Motorola’s Scout, you can spend coffee breaks doing exactly that. They use an HD camera and a two-way audio system to let you see, hear, and talk directly to your dog.3. Make time for midday walks with your dog
If you’re one of the lucky few whose commute, then you can probably make it home for a quick walk around the block with your pup. It may not seem like much, but even a quick 10-minute stroll over the noon hour can really help with a dog’s boredom (and bladder).4. Hire some help
If your commute is too long or your workday just doesn’t allow for an off-site lunch break, hiring a dog walker can be a great solution.5. Become a morning person
Exercising your pup in the morning can really help stave off doggie boredom later in the day — your pooch will be tired out and ready for a nice long nap by the time you’re heading out the door for work.
The folks over on Dogster have given us food for thought and if you would like more detailed information on the above please check out their website.
Just another idea, and it helped us immensely, we installed a dog-door into our back door for the pup. We have a small backyard but now that Max can wander from inside the house to outside, playing with various house and yard toys, and is able to stay cool in the Summer heat, he is much happier. When we come home he’s still anxious but he also appears to be all smiles too!
