Enriching Our Dog’s Lives
By
Karen Peak
West Wind Dog Training
The exasperated caller complained that his dog was escaping his yard,
digging and fence running. The dog was becoming a neighborhood nuisance and
driving him crazy. I pressed a bit and asked about the environment the dog lived
in. All I got was the dog had a yard to play in. I asked about toys, attention,
opportunity to get out with other dogs, etc. The owner grew silent. He thought
all a dog needed was a yard to run in. Sadly, this is a common misconception.
Dogs are not lawn ornaments. Dogs without stimulation and alone in yards grow
bored. Dogs are thinking creatures with natural instincts such as digging,
chasing, and tearing. Dogs are also social creatures and do best when part of a
pack. We humans have to be this pack as we make the decision to bring dogs into
our lives. To deprive a dog use of his basic instincts and social needs is to
create problems. This dog was escaping the yard because he was bored. He had no
toys, little interaction and was developing undesired and even dangerous
behaviors. (What if a car came by the day he ran into the street or he was seen
harassing someone’s pets and was shot?) I explained in detail how the man
could enrich his dog’s life and alleviate the boredom as well as stopping the
developing “bad” behaviors. Again, silence and then: “Well, the dog is too
much work, maybe I should get rid of him.” Obviously even simple steps to
helping his dog was too much for this owner. But recognizing boredom and working
to prevent it are part of responsible dog owning. In zoos, creating a
stimulating environment is called “Enrichment.” And at home, we must enrich.
Part of enriching our dogs’ lives is proper socialization. Living in the
suburbs is great as we (and I am a suburban person) have the best of both
worlds. Yards and open space but the luxury of having shopping and other
amenities nearby! This should be a boon to our dogs! We can get them out and in
a variety of places so they learn about life and how to handle many situations.
I can go from wooded trails with wildlife to downtown Washington, D.C. within
twenty minutes! We also have yards and homes we can enrich to help our dogs not
be bored. However, living in the suburbs tends to make some dog owners lazy!
Many suburban, and to a greater extent country, dogs lack in adequate
socializing as owners have the luxury of a yard for the dogs to go out in. There
is no need seen to walk the dogs. Personally, my dogs have about 5,000 square
feet fenced for their use. But walks are vital for socializing opportunities.
How else can the dog learn that the world does not have to be feared? It is
amazing what dogs will view as a threat and either shy from or snap at trying to
escape that threat. Often, I get calls from people who will not walk their dogs
as the dogs lunge at bikes, other dogs, etc. By denying the walks, the owner is
denying a great training and socializing opportunity. The owner develops a cycle
- dog lunges, owner stops walks, dog does not learn to ignore bikes, owner tried
again in a few months hoping dog grew out if it, dog lunges, owner stops walks…
Getting the dog out and building confidence in the world, the dog becomes less
likely to respond adversely. Dogs in the city, those that are well cared for,
get several walks a day. This means they are out and about various people, hear
and see traffic, learn to ignore bikes, walk over different surfaces and get to
go to dog parks! Though many think keeping dogs in the city is cruel, the
opportunity for the dog to be better socialized than a suburban or country dog
is far greater! From a socializing standpoint, city life can be wonderful! It is
amazing how many dogs I see in class who are bothered by simple things such as a
person in a hood or a flapping coat! Why? These dogs may never get to experience
them regularly. Some of the dogs that come through my classes have never even
been out of their yards. Yet in the suburbs, we have access to so many
opportunities and environments if we are just willing to take the time and get
out!
Dogs who are bored tend to develop destructive and annoying behaviors such
as barking, chewing, and digging. The dogs are not getting back at humans; they
are just trying to entertain themselves. Dogs who spend all day alone and
isolated from the pack may develop barking problems as well as become escape
artists. The owner views the dog as hard to handle, trying to “get back at me”
and refuse to take him out even more as a form of punishment for not behaving.
This does nothing but exacerbate the situation. The dog is not being given the
opportunity to learn and he is being even more socially deprived. The dog has no
idea why he is being deprived or punished. All he knows is frustration. Is this
fair? When it comes to socializing, people in the suburbs and country have to
work harder and not allow themselves to fall into the rut of abusing the yard!
One way to get dogs out and around other dogs in a social environment is
through training classes. Ideally, training in classes should begin as soon as
pup has completed his 12-week or ten-week shots depending on the schedule your
vet uses. (Some vets go 6, 9, 12 and others 6, 8, 10, but pup should have three
sets of shots before starting classes for his own health). A good puppy-k
program will emphasize socializing and give you ideas how to better socialize
pup. Even a good adult program will teach socializing and what should be done.
Another great way to socialize is through sports. Agility, Flyball and such gets
dogs out and about with other dogs and working around them. Another way to
socialize is going to dog parks. Many communities have them. And if not, have
friends with social dogs get together once a week for a play date at a house
with a fenced yard. Isolation from his own kind is misery for a dog.
Now, what about enriching our own homes for our dogs? Dogs view the world
as a chew toy until we teach them what they can and cannot chew. A dog that is
totally deprived of stimulus will find his own entertainment. That antique chair
may fall victim to boredom and lack of training. The dog is not bad or trying to
get even, he is just trying to fill a void. There are a variety of things we can
do to fill this void and let our dogs act out the natural behaviors of chasing,
chewing, tearing and digging. Toys and bones you can fill with a tasty treat are
one way to alleviate boredom and let a dog be a dog. Kong toys, hollow bones and
such can be stuffed with a bit of spread cheese, spread meats, cheese cubes, hot
dog chunks, semi-soft dog treats, canned dog food, etc. The dog gets to work and
chew to get the treat out. If you hide these toys, the dog gets to enjoy the
hunt and seek for a reward. Sturdy chew toys (hard-pressed rawhide, ropes, etc.)
also allow for chewing. But chewing is not enough to alleviate boredom. A toilet
paper or paper towel tube with some kibble put in it and the ends crumpled allow
the dog to tear into a toy. A clean milk jug with the top off and kibble dropped
in lets the dog throw and tear and tackle. Buster Cubes and similar toys have
various compartments inside that kibbles rolls about in. Sometimes the kibble
comes out. Feed your dog one of his daily meals or even both in this fashion
(works better if you have a single dog, for multiple dogs I use stuffed bones).
Games of hide and seek are wonderful! One person hides and another gets the dog
to go find. Once the hiding person is found, a toy gets tossed for the dog. Or
hide a toy for the dog to find. Start simple (behind a chair in the same room)
and build up the complexity (up the stairs and down the hall and under a box in
your room). Take a bunch of plastic or paper cups and lay them out mouth down.
Put a treat under just one cup and encourage the dog to find the treat.
How about enriching our yards for our dogs? A strong rope tied to a tree
with heavy bungee cords lets the dog pull and tug. Big boxes make great tunnels
and many dogs will fit through the play tunnels sold at many human toy stores.
Small logs and lengths of PVC pipe (4” and 5” diameter) can be laid down for
the dog to walk and jump over while playing. (For safety, dogs under 12 - 18
months of age should have all jumps very low). Make a digging area for your dog!
Lay down a 4’x4’ box and fill it with a soft sand and dirt mix. Encourage
your dog to dig here and not in your garden. Use landscaping timbers to mark off
the dog’s digging box. A toy buried or some kibble sprinkled over the area can
help redirect his digging from your Azaleas to his personal digging spot! Build
a couple platforms for your dog to jump on and crawl under (just keep away from
fences as some dogs will learn to use these as means to escape). Get out and
play fetch with various toys to allow your dog to engage in chasing behaviors.
Take a box, hide treats in it and drag it through the yard on a rope (you stay
still, just drag the box). This allows the dog to chase and tackle! These are
all things that we can do to help enrich our dogs’ lives. And if you have a
higher- to high-energy breed, these games are wonderful for burning off that
energy! Get creative. However, monitor toy use and if you suspect a toy is not
suited for your dog, do not use it. There is no toy ideal for all dogs and
safety with toys is essential!
| Boredom in dogs leads to undesired behaviors. However, enriching their
environment, getting them socialized and understanding that we make our dogs
what they are goes a long way in making our lives together happy and healthy. |
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