Enriching your dog’s home alone time!
It’s hard leaving our fur-babies home alone! We wonder to ourselves how bored and lonely they must be without us. We feel immense guilt when they pull that “you’re leaving me again look”! However, there are solutions at hand to keep your dog ‘positively’ entertained when we really must tear ourselves away from them!
Firstly, making sure that your dog has the right level of daily exercise for their age, ability and breed is top priority, but also allowing your dog sufficient rest time is also extremely important. An adult dog should sleep on average between 12-14 hours per day. Sleep deprivation can cause both health and behavioural issues, so let that pooch get some undisturbed kip time!
So you’ve covered their daily exercise and rest requirements, now you have another 8-10 hours to play with where you can really utilise your dog’s cognitive skills to keep them both occupied, entertained (so no more chewing up your furniture, and raiding bins!), and help prevent cognitive decline (such as doggie dementia). As world-proclaimed top dog behaviourist/vet/trainer, Dr Ian Dunbar, once quoted “mental exercise tires a dog physically more than physical exercise does”. So by providing an enriching environment, mental stimulation and giving your dog a job to do, can really help you leave them, knowing you’ll return to a calmer, happier dog - which hasn’t spent all day re-charging their batteries for you to deal with after a hard day at the office!
The makings for a more enriching home environment!
Making environmental changes are a great start to helping your pupster cope while you’re gone.
Dog’s love dens! Have you ever noticed how your dog loves being under your bed, desk or any small crevice they can fit themselves into? Make sure that your dog has a very comfy doggie-den somewhere they can retreat to, have their own space, and feel their safest. This place should be undisturbed and out of the way, so your dog can get some peace and quiet, especially if you have active kids! Crates are a great option for dens, because they provide a designated area, where beds toys and even bowls can be stored easily. I hear you cry - “I don’t want to put my dog in a cage – that’s cruel!” Actually, crate training can be a really positive tool for both use as a comfy den within your home, and also a safe way to transport your dog in the car, or to help them feel more confident when inevitably they get put in crates during visits to the vet or grooming clinic. Crates should NEVER be used as a place of punishment, and dogs should never be left in them for extended periods alone. This should be a spot where only really positive things happen, like treats and toys! Having a crate means you can cover the top and make it really feel like a proper den! Added cushions and comfy blankets make for a wonderfully comfy safe zone. Remember, it should always be your dog’s choice to get in it, but a treat or two thrown in is usually a good way to persuade them!
See this video for positive crate training advice - www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU64orkKjMs
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