Tip – 7- Dog boredom and inappropriate chewing

These days many of us are busier than ever and leave our dogs completely alone for long periods of time, sometimes for 12 hours or more. Then we come home to find that the dog has been chewing on all our favorite shoes, clothes, furniture legs, wires etc. Then of course it is the dog that gets yelled at, scolded or heaven forbid hit.

First off this really isn’t fair to a dog, and if you have this busy a lifestyle, and you are thinking about getting a dog, maybe you shouldn’t. Other pets may well be more appropriate. Dogs are pack animals by nature; this means that they need companionship and don’t like being left alone for long periods.

If you are in this scenario perhaps you could ask a neighbor or friend to walk or play with your dog in the middle of the day. If you can afford it, a dog walker is a great idea.

The number one cause of inappropriate chewing when you are not home is boredom.

At the very least, provide your dogs with good toys to amuse themselves. Many toys can be stuffed with peanut butter or other dog treats. This gives the dog something appropriate to do when you are not around. Another tip is to keep the television or the radio on. Talk radio is thought to be better than music and is soothing to most dogs. Nothing though, can replace human interaction, not even a second dog, which is not a good idea if you don’t even have time for the first one.