Keep Your Dog Busy During the Day with These 6 Tips

Most pet owners are too busy during the day to actually have time to keep their pets busy. When you refuse to keep your dog busy while you are at work, she will find another way to occupy her time and she could become destructive towards the furniture and clothing.

A bored dog may become destructive towards her own body by licking and scratching her skin, a condition that can trigger or worsen issues such as hot spots. The following tips and ideas are some of the best possible ways to keep your adorable pet busy while you are at work.

1. Distract Your Dog (Keep the TV On and The Windows Opened)

You may want to leave your Television turned on and tuned to Animal Planet, just for your dog to be entertained while you are busy at work. The sights and sounds of other animals on TV will surely catch your dog’s attention, thus preventing her from getting into any trouble.

Similarly, you can get your dog busy by opening the curtains and blinds of a window at the back of your home, so that she can watch whatever that is happening outside. If your dog is quite small in stature you may want to place her on a cushion, to make her comfortable.

2. Get Her Busy with A Scavenger Hunt

You may want to train your dog to hunt for her own food by hiding stuffed food puzzles and toys in strategic places within the home.

Also, you can scatter some kibble, especially around the places your dog likes to hang out. Your dog will surely have fun hunting for her meals while you are away.

3. Calm Your Dog if She is Anxious

Sometimes, your dog may become restless as a result of anxiety. The best possible way to handle this is to give her a recommended CBD dog treat, which contains some essential amounts of Cannabinoid components that release stress-management hormones in dogs.

Alternatively, you can also apply  essential oils in low to moderate doses, especially the ones containing one or more of the following; Peppermint, Lavender, Eucalyptus, and Frankincense.

You can choose the natural relaxing chewing toys or treats, to keep her relaxed and stop barking unnecessarily. You can also apply a dog pheromone collar or spray to calm her down while you are away.

4. Get Your Dog a Partner (Sister or Brother)

Sometimes, you can keep your dog busy by getting her a companion. When you get your dog a companion, you are giving her someone to socialize with, and that could save her from trouble during the day.

Taking this step may seem a personal choice on your part and if you decide to get a second animal you must ensure that it is healthy too. You need to ensure that the two dogs go along together and are compatible in many ways.

If you are adopting a new pet, the Animal shelter or rescue organization will allow you to foster initially before adopting a dog.

5. Hire a Dog Walker or Enroll Your Dog in a Pet Daycare

These two steps may be your last resort, just in case you are not achieving any results, taking other steps. There are lots of pet care services that can provide you with experienced dog walkers and you can schedule the dog walker to walk your dog during the weekdays when you are at work. This may be the best possible way to exercise your dog.

Similarly, you may want to enroll your dog in a dog daycare facility, especially if your dog is sociable and loves the company of other dogs. Dog daycare's do employ efficient and reliable staff who can keep your dog safe when enrolled in their facilities.

In addition to keeping your dog safe, they can equally make her active. You need to be sure about your work schedule to ensure that you don’t stay away for too long from your dog. You may want to shortlist and interview several dog daycare service providers before settling on a particular one.

6. Take Her to a Friends House

This should be a temporary way of keeping your dog busy while you are at work. If you know your friend’s schedule and you have an agreement to take your dog there on certain days, then this could be a perfect option for you.

Some friends may want to collect some payment for doing this favor, others may do it as a free will service. In most cases, your friend may likely have a pet too and may want to take her to be with you sometimes, in which case, you need to extend the same favor to avoid breaking hurting them.

Alternative Methods  

There are a lot of other options you may consider when it comes to keeping your dog active while you are at work:

• Water Fountain: Keep a water fountain somewhere near the area your dog hangs out. Dogs need fresh and clean water frequently and they are amused with constant fountains of water.
• New Toy: Introduce a new toy to your dog every few days or weekly. Introducing her to a new toy and alternating between the toys will surely keep her busy as every toy will seem new to her.
• Dental Chew: If you want to prevent your dog from gnawing on your furniture, clothing, door, and other stuff then you need to provide her with a dental toy. Aside from preventing gnawing, a dental chewing toy will help keep her teeth clean and strong.
• Behavior Tracker: Keep tabs on the behavior of your dog with the use of a tracker that can be wirelessly connected to your smartphone. With a tracker, you can monitor the movement of your dog around the house remotely.

One other important step you must take is to ensure that your dog is healthy. Make sure you take your dog to the veterinary doctor for examination constantly, there might be an underlying medical condition causing anxiety in your dog.