Bored dogs can be good dogs
As a culture we’re obsessed with busy-ness, and that has transferred to our dogs in many a modern dog loving household. Busy schedules of daycare, endless access to toys, having the run of the house, adding additional dogs to keep the first occupied, even rocking up to cafes armed with every enrichment item under the sun lest our dogs experience a moments boredom.
This often leads us to chronically overstimulated, highly aroused dogs who then can’t settle without these crutches. In extreme cases this then gets labelled as “hyperactive” or “ADHD”, even medicating the dogs to calm them, when in most cases it’s just a dog who needs 1) their actual needs to be met with quality training and exercise and 2) to practice chilling the fuck out.
They’re not designed to be “on” all the time any more than we are. Boredom is a healthy part of life.
What does this look like in practice?
- Make rest a priority. Dogs are naturally most active in the early morning and late afternoon/evening anyway, and resting in the middle of the day to recharge. A great way to ensure this happens is using your crates, kennels or tethers.
- Take them out and practice doing nothing in different contexts. Drive somewhere and chill. Stop on your walk to watch the world go past. Hell if you’re a cafe-goer and your dog enjoys that sort of thing, make a point of not constantly entertaining your dog with treats/toys and instead stand on the lead, and let them settle into the expectation that here is a calm place to do nothing. It takes practice but gets quicker.
- Practice your place bed training & being tethered, relaxing outside of a crate in a range of environments.
- Be mindful of the care services you’re providing. Daycares that have dogs playing non stop all day long are not good for dogs - they need down time, especially in such stimulating environments.
Our dogs absolutely need their needs met in terms of exercise, training, play and quality time with us. Kongs etc can be a part of that. But all things in moderation, we’re not just filling their time with things to keep them constantly busy. Moments of peace - boredom even - is also a need to create a healthy mental state.
