Entertaining your dog on Restricted Exercise
It can be difficult for dogs to adjust when they must be restricted in a crate. They cannot do what they want to do resulting in them feeling frustration and cannot exercise properly leading to pent up energy. Both these issues can develop into dog behavioural problems.
However, do not despair, there are lots of things that can be implemented easily and most of the time cost free to help them feel less frustrated and use up that all important energy enabling them to be satisfied, happy and relaxed doggies.
We want to encourage their natural instinctive, enriching behaviours of foraging, digging, smelling, licking, and chewing. Dogs love to sniff whilst out on walks. They gain so much information about their territory and other dogs that may have frequented that area just before them, whether it’s gaining the scent of a young male or a bitch in heat or a squirrel that they’d like to chase, sniffing offers a lot of interesting information whilst they rummage around in the undergrowth. Sniffing also releases happy endorphins (the ones you get when you have finished exercising!). However, when they are restricted from taking these walks, they are denied the opportunity to do all that sniffing. That’s where we come in – we can provide this easily and cheaply within the home!
Bringing in items from outside such as tree bark, or bits of stick found on the ground, leaves, grass or even soil from the local park or outside the front of your house are all great for them to spend time sniffing and investigating. Sniffing increases their respiration rate which in turn tires them out, again helping your dog to feel less frustrated and use up some of that pent up energy.
Snuffle Mat
Snuffle mats are a very useful addition to your repertoire. They provide a good outlet for those important sniffing and investigative behavioural/instinctive needs. Put some of their own food in-between the layers of the snuffle matt for them to hunt through and find.
Licking something for a period repetitively is another great activity to induce relaxation and encourage calm behaviour, but also to help soothe themselves if they are feeling stressed. A ‘Lickimatt’ with yoghurt smeared on it can be fresh or frozen or peanut butter or some of your dog’s own food is a great addition but if this is not available then you can make your own lick mat by using a chopping board, spread peanut butter (ensuring its Xylitol-free) on it and then freeze it before giving it to your dog.
Using a silicone pot mat or trivet due to their texture plus ice cube trays, silicone baking sheets or anything with a non-porous or non-abrasive surface generally works well.
Kongs also work well for keeping them busy. However if your dog has never used a kong before ensure you prevent their frustration building up by initially smearing peanut butter on side of the kong and gradually working up to smearing it inside then using food inside. Once they have got the idea, you can use part of their own daily food portion to put inside the kong then freeze it. Once frozen, give the kong to your dog, providing him/her with hours’ worth of licking and chewing to get the food out of it.
Another trick is to fill a carboard box with scrunched prices of newspaper or shred paper to fill half the box. Then use the empty egg container to put your dog’s favourite treats inside or scatter the dog’s daily food portion in the box for them to find the food inside and rip up satisfying those digging instincts. Remove all the all tape, staples fastening etc before giving the box to your dog.
Another option is to use a fleece blanket rolled up with bits of food in it like a sausage roll. Lay out the fleece and place a few treats along the edge. Then start rolling it, one roll at a time putting the treats along the edge. Once you have rolled up the treats, its time to put more treats/food in a line and so on until you have them all rolled up like a sausage roll. You could either give it to your dog as is or to make it harder for them, stuff the fleece in a hol-ee roller. Your dog can then rip it apart.
Tennis balls could be used in a muffin tray with food in the bottom of the tray so that your dog has to work out how to get the tennis ball out before getting to the treat – ensure you help them to understand what they need to do when they first start this game to prevent any frustration.
Doing active training with them is always useful to promote their brain usage. You can teach all sort of new tricks and if not already done so, can use the clicker to teach new skills. The Karen Pryor website has a whole host of ideas of what can be learnt using a clicker and how to use one.
Edible chews – traditional chews are always a hit with your dog however ensure you are monitoring and closely supervising them whilst they have the chew. Ensure the chew is not any bone that can splinter or too hard for them to hurt/fracture their teeth with.
Burrow toys (smaller soft toys which are pulled out of bigger holes) are a good alternative to the cardboard box and can satisfy those digging instincts but also keeping them engaged through hide and seek play that prevents boredom and promotes mental stimulation.
Dog Toy Safety
Hollow toys that are durable and have two holes, one at the top and one at the bottom are better for safety reasons eg Kongs
When making your own dog toys, ensure your dog is constantly supervised whilst playing with it and that the box or licking material has been fully checked for anything that they could inadvertently swallow or chew by accident, to ensure it is fit for purpose. If your dog is particularly good at destroying toys or any other item, please choose items that are specifically designed for chewers eg extreme dog chew toys.