“That toy was fun for five minutes, but I’m already bored. Ho, hum. What’s next? Ohhhh, look at that couch cushion! It looks so delicious! Why don’t they make couch cushions as treats? Look, the stuffing is flying out! How fun! Let’s see if I can get it all out! Uh oh! There’s Mama, and she looks so angry! I wonder why? She should join me in all this fun I’m having!”
Puppy owners swear this is exactly how their puppy thinks when they come home or turn the corner and see the inner contents of their once beautiful couch strewn about. Perhaps the brand-new expensive shoes you got for Christmas were sitting out, and now the thrift store won’t even take them with the state your puppy left them.
It’s tough to deal with bad behavior from your puppy when you’re already trying to do your best as a pet parent. However, it’s important to truly get to the root of the problem of why your puppy misbehaves in the human world rather than get angry at your puppy. Remember, puppies don’t know that what they are doing is undesirable behavior, such as excessive barking, chewing, digging, and more. They’ve been left to make their own decisions that are not always what we want them to do.
A bored puppy can create its own fun, and it’s not always YOUR idea of fun. Learn ways to prevent boredom in puppies and fulfill their physical and mental stimulation needs to keep bad behavior at bay.
Keep Puppies Entertained With These Healthy Outlets Combating Puppy Boredom
You should present new opportunities to your puppy daily to get her ready for the real world. You shouldn’t expect puppies to be able to entertain themselves for more than a short session during independent play. Think about it like caring for toddlers – you only have a short window of independent playtime before they lose interest!
One way to fit in time to play, training, and more with your puppy is to create a daily routine with a puppy schedule. You’ll be able to structure your puppy’s day to ensure you’re giving her what she needs to prevent boredom. Here are some ways you can fill the activity blocks in your schedule to entertain your puppy and keep your puppy occupied in positive ways.
6-month-old Teddy Graham got caught chewing on a fleece Valentine's Day blanket
Encourage productive chewing
Puppies explore the world with their mouths, as every puppy owner knows who has been stabbed by those shark teeth! If you’re wondering why puppies chew everything, it’s because their adult teeth are growing in, causing immense discomfort. Chewing helps alleviate pain with a designated object, not your furniture, shoes, or baseboards.
Select some of the best chew toys for puppies appropriate for your puppy’s size and age. Some puppies may destroy soft plush toys, and others may find durable toys too hard for their mouths.
A note on rawhide: It’s not advisable to give puppies rawhides for a few reasons. Pieces can break and cause choking and intestinal blockage. Rawhide is incredibly difficult for puppies to digest and can lead to other potentially fatal complications. Instead, choose one of many alternatives to rawhide bones for your puppy to happily and safely munch away.
Keep exercise fun and creative
It’s important to understand how much exercise your particular dog breed needs. For example, a Pug puppy and a Siberian Husky puppy are obviously not built the same or have similar activity levels. Failure to provide enough daily exercise can cause anxiety, destructive behaviors, and other behavioral issues. Rather than giving only one long exercise session, split up the required amount of activity into smaller chunks throughout the day to make exercise fun and creative for your puppy.
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Go on a scent walk and let your puppy sniff around to her heart’s content. She will learn about other dogs in the neighborhood, how to interact with the world around her, and socialize her to normal scents, sights, and sounds, making her more confident.
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Create a homemade obstacle agility course for your puppy and teach her the commands to successfully complete the circuit. It’s a great way to work on training commands while redirecting all that puppy energy!
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Take a trip to a dog park or dog beach if your puppy is fully vaccinated and you feel she is ready to interact with other dogs and people. Remember to follow the do’s and don’ts of dog park etiquette so you can make and keep friends!
Play enrichment and training games
Puppies’ brains are rapidly growing and forming integral connections during their first year, so you should provide plenty of outlets for them to exercise their noggins. You can turn their mental stimulation needs into active enrichment games to play with your puppy. In addition, incorporate some training games for puppies to have them catch on to basic commands in fun, novel ways.
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Playing tug-of-war with your puppy increases their confidence rather than encouraging aggression. Be sure to let your puppy win sometimes!
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Games like Hide-and-Seek and Scavenger Hunt allow puppies to use their noses to find treats or a special toy, exercising their olfactory receptors and processing all sorts of smells in their brains.
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Train your puppy to dig in an inside or outside dig box for dogs you make for them to encourage their natural instinct in a redirected way.
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Sign up for a puppy kindergarten class or advanced training if your puppy already has the basics down. There are different types of dog training classes you can choose to see which one is right for you and your puppy. You’ll meet other new puppy parents while your furbabies can socialize and learn how to be good boys and girls.
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Make DIY dog toys for mental stimulation out of materials you may have around the house. You can braid strips of old tee shirts or fleece blankets to make tug rope toys. Muffin tins and tennis balls can serve as interactive puzzles to sniff out treats.
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Teach your puppy fun tricks at home to impress your friends. Everyone loves a puppy that can hug on command or give high-fives!
Sago the Labrador Retriever, Rally Champ
Dog sports
If you have a high-energy puppy who is always on the go, is a people pleaser, and is as smart as a whip, consider dog sports for puppies as a great way to keep your puppy engaged in a goal. Agility courses allow your puppy to show off its speed and athleticism, and rally and obedience increase the bond between handler and dog. During colder months, pet parents can check out winter dog sports like mushing and skijoring. For even more fun, enroll in an unusual dog sport to try with your puppy like dog dancing or treibball.
Pawrade Puppies Are Never Boring
At Pawrade, we know life with a puppy is never boring! Every day is exciting to see how your puppy is growing and developing, what kinds of funny things they’ll do to make you laugh, and all the precious cuddles you’ll get.
It’s not boring picking out the perfect puppy to fit your preferences and lifestyle, either! We partner with reputable breeders from all over the US to offer healthy, happy puppies with no waitlist or delays. You can choose from one of many convenient transportation options to meet your new puppy within days of your reservation. Your days of boredom are over with a Pawrade puppy! Browse our puppies for sale to see how to elevate your life with a canine companion.
