Training Tips For the Bored Dog. by Sharon Arkoff
"Ahhh," you murmured to yourself. "More time enjoying my home and engaging with my Kerry. What a gift!" Perhaps you envisioned napping together on the couch, or pleasant moments standing in your driveway and chatting (six feet apart) with neighbors you don't regularly see, while your Kerry looks on benevolently. Perhaps you planned to accomplish many Great Things, including cleaning out the spare room for the first time in 20 years, or writing a book or doing your taxes. Did anyone tell you to plan for your Kerry to be more anxious, more attention-seeking, and more reactive to household noises and neighborhood activity?
It's likely that your Kerry is confused by changes in his routine -- and yours -- and this confusion manifests as... well.... a newly obnoxious version of your canine companion. Not to worry; changes are your furry friend just needs some brain games to help him settle and be able to cope cognitively with the new routine.
"A restless dog is not healthy, relaxed, or contented with life. If a canine doesn't know what to do with themselves, they'll become attention-seeking and be more sensitive to any stimuli," says Janice Ritter, owner of A Better Way Dog Training.
Walks and trips to the dog park, if your Kerry is able to tolerate the dog park and you are able to follow COVID precautions, are invaluable -- but what if you have a meeting in 40 minutes and need your companion to be quiet and content? Ritter suggests a variety of nose-work activities to help your pet constructively solve her anxiety issues.
"At the most basic level, you can take a handful of kibble or low-calorie training treats, put your dog in a sit or down position, and have them wait while you hide the kibble around the room or even through different rooms. Let her see what you're doing. Then release your dog to 'track and hunt' the kibble. This gives her satisfaction through one of her most powerful senses, and requires her to use her brain for planning and remembering, as well." Activities where you ask your pet to sit, lie down, wait, or perform another action before you release her to seek out the treats are great for reinforcing obedience commands in general, Ritter notes, and will help tire her out because for dogs, mental activity can sometimes be as fatiguing as physical activity.
Your dog may also enjoy playing hide and seek with kibble. For this exercise, take a muffin pan and place kibble in one or two of the muffin cups. Place a tennis ball or other toy or other object over each of the muffin cups. Let your dog use his nose to find the treasure, while also having the fun of knocking off the tennis ball. Many pet stores carry more elaborate versions of hide and seek games, as well. For instance, the Trixie Activity Poker Box features four treat compartments that require the dog to figure out different approaches to opening each compartment (https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/trixie-activity-poker-box-level-2-for-dogs). The Dogit Mind Games 3 in 1 ( https://www.amazon.com/Dogit-Interactive-Whirl-Sliding-Puzzle/dp/B0045DKZ6M/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&qid=1590990876&sr=8-12&srs=7494898011) is designed to take advantage of a dog's natural hunting instincts via hide-and-seek (dog has to dislodge tops in order to claim "reward"), spin-a-whirl (dog nudges wheel around the game board to reveal treats), and sliding puzzle (dog slides the tops to uncover the treats).
"The nice thing about any constructive anti-bordom interaction you have with your dog, though, is that what you train through play just reinforces obedience in any environment. Your dog may think that sitting and staying on command is part of a game, but chances are that she'll better remember your commands for those times when obedience could be a life or death matter," notes Ritter.
