How to Keep Dogs Entertained During the Day

Keeping your dog entertained can prevent destructive behavior.
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If you come home from work to find your house in shambles, Rover might need a creative outlet. If your dog is bored, he's bound to misbehave. He'll go looking for entertainment to get rid of pent-up energy and to keep busy. His form of entertainment might include ripping up the couch pillows, barking excessively or chewing on everything in sight. To avoid this, take steps to entertain your pet companion while he's home alone. Before you know it, Rover will stop misbehaving and your house will stay intact.

Create a cardboard toy box for your dog and give him several toys to keep him busy while you're away. Get a variety of safe dog toys including chew toys, plush toys and food-stuffed toys. Store them in the box and rotate the toys every week to keep your dog interested. These toys, especially the food-stuffed ones, which require your furry friend to lick and sniff out the treats, can provide hours of fun and tire your dog out so he won't resort to unwanted behaviors.

Turn the television on before leaving the house, because just how watching television is entertaining to humans, it can be entertaining and soothing to dogs. For a real treat, get special television channels geared toward dogs. Alternatively, play music on the radio for your pet companion or invest in a special music CD made for dogs.

Exercise your dog before leaving him home alone. Take him for a walk and allow him to run and play. Interact with him, and play a game of fetch or tug-of-war. This gives him a chance to burn energy that he might otherwise use to misbehave. It also tires him out so he might just take a nap while you're away.

Bring your dog to doggie daycare so he can play and socialize with other dogs in a safe, supervised environment. Alternatively, come home during your lunch break to walk your dog, or have a reliable friend or professional dog walker stop by your house to take care of your dog.

Allow your dog access to the yard for a change of scenery. Create an escape- and dog-proof area in the yard for your pet companion and use a doggie door to give him access to it. If your dog likes to dig, shallowly hide toys and treats in appropriate areas so he can enjoy digging for treasure. If it's hot outside, a baby pool filled with toys and water can cool off your dog and make for fun fishing time.

Scatter your dog's meal in the yard or hide little piles of food around the house so your furry pal has to search for them. This satisfies your dog's scavenger behavior and tires him out.

Items You Will Need

  • Cardboard box
  • Dog toys
  • Television, radio or dog CD
  • Baby pool