Does your dog give you sad puppy dog eyes? Do they dig holes in the yard? Are they chewing up furniture? Barking constantly? Escaping over the fence? Bolting out the door? Well...many of our dogs behavior problems stem from one simple word....BORED!!!
You must remember a very important fact about our dogs. They are working animals and a working animal needs something to do with it's life. Well you say, our dogs have a huge yard and can run and play all they want. I say to you...how would you feel being stuck behind the same four walls ALL OF THE TIME. It is so very important to get out and explore that is what they are made to do. When your dog is bored and has nothing to do with all of this energy that they store up, they then turn that energy towards something "fun" in their eyes to get rid of the energy build up i.e. digging, chewing, barking and such.
So what can you do to help them? There are so many things you can do to help your dog burn off engery in a physical but also MENTAL way (which is the side many of us forget about). Some very basic things would be to take them for a walk (the proper way, by your side), let them swim or enroll them in an activity.
There are lots of fun activites you can do with your dog that aren't just fun for them, but for you too.
Agility is a fast growing sport found just about all over. There is Flyball where your dogs runs as fast as they can down a course, picks up a tennis ball and runs back. Dock Diving when they jump into water, frisbee dogs,search and rescue, lure coursing, therapy work....the list is non stop. There is a great website that gives wonderful descriptions of all the fun things you and your dog can try out together, after all you got your dog to do things with. Check out http://www.dogplay.com/ and see if any of those activities fit you and your dog.
I can promise you this. If you start doing more things with your four-legged friend you will find yourself coming home to less destruction around the house and no more sad puppy dog eyes when you return.
Good luck and have fun!
Kim~
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