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Keeping Your Dog Stimulated Indoors

Small black and white puppy looking out of a window

As the temperature outside continues to get colder and the days continue getting shorter, your pup may be spending more time inside than they are used to. This leads to one of the biggest problems to deal with for dog owners: dog boredom. Luckily, there are many ways to deal with this. Below, we’ll run through some good options to keep your dog stimulated and hopefully prevent them from getting bored.

Is my dog actually bored, or anxious?

Figuring out if your dog is bored or anxious can be tricky. Many symptoms can appear to be the same between both issues. Both boredom and anxiety in dogs share the symptoms of destructive chewing, indoor accidents, or excessive barking. A good way to determine if your dog is anxious or bored is simple: just set up a camera to film where the action happens once you leave. If the majority of the barking, pacing, or destruction occurs within the first 30 minutes of leaving, it is likely that your dog is suffering from separation anxiety. If the same issues occur nearly constantly throughout the day, it is much more likely that your dog is just bored and needs stimulation. A good first step to helping either of these problems you are encountering is with CBD. CBD helps calm a dog down and will work for both their anxiety as well as their boredom.

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Preliminary actions to take

There are steps you can take that’ll allow for fewer troubles due to a bored indoor dog. As said before, the first step is CBD. This can either be a treat or oil, this is something you should administer before you leave your dog alone in the house. This will help your pup feel less bored, and in the case of anxiety, less anxious. If your dog has a habit of destructive chewing of their beds when left alone, the next preventative measure would be a tougher, chew-resistant bed. No beds are chew-proof, but there are options that’ll be tougher for your dog to destroy, while still keeping them comfortable.

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Other things to consider are to leave them some chew toys or long-lasting chew treats to help keep their mind occupied. A good option for this is a bully stick, which will last for a while, as well as keep them busy chewing something else other than their bed or your furniture. Bully sticks are a safe way to keep your dog busy chewing something, while at the same time acting as a treat. In this way, a bully stick is essentially a treat that your dog has to work for, keeping your dog way more mentally stimulated than just a normal treat would.

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If they are chewing up individual items, like TV remotes, be sure to place these in a drawer or some other place that they’d have no chance of getting to. Also, consider leaving the TV on for your dog before you leave. A little bit of background noise goes a long way and may make your dog feel less lonely.

Other ways to take action

grey and black dog laying on a rug on the floor of a modern apartment

A bored and under stimulated dog is not that tricky to deal with. The most important thing is to keep their minds occupied. A good idea that works for many bored dogs is to switch up their normal routine. Of course, this won’t help while you are away from home but is something you can employ while at home. This means things such as going on walks to different places or taking your dog to a place when they can socialize with other dogs. Another easy option is to give constant stimulation to your dog while home by playing games, such as fetch. This gives them things to occupy their minds and drastically decrease their boredom. Keeping your dog active plays a huge part in their mental well-being. If your dog is still exhibiting symptoms of boredom while they are at home and you are at work, for example, a doggy daycare may be a good option. There are plenty of doggy daycares out there, and taking your dog to one will keep them active, mentally stimulated, and allow them to socialize with other dogs. It takes away the issues of a bored indoor dog, especially one that wants to be active.

There are many options when dealing with a bored dog. It is important to identify the symptoms and then accurately figure out what works. All dogs are different, so no two dogs will react exactly the same to any option you decide to employ. The essential point of dealing with a bored dog is making an effort to keep them mentally stimulated, both while you are with them and while you are not with them. In doing this, they should show far less severe symptoms of boredom.


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Grant Withers

Canine Specialist & Writer

Grant is an award-winning writer for SitStay with a passion for pets and especially dogs! Grant loves writing about furry little goofballs and aims to educate pet parents about anything and everything regarding their dogs.



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