Have you ever come home from work to find that your puppy or dog has chewed your sofa to bits or has dug up your lawn?  If you’ve ever faced this situation, you definitely want to prevent it ever happening again.  This type of destructive behavior is most commonly caused by separation anxiety, after being left alone for many hours.  However, it might just be that the reason is simply that your dog is suffering from boredom.

Like humans, dogs are sociable animals and like companionship or need ways to amuse themselves.  Nearly all dogs will become bored or destructive if left all alone for a lengthy period of time.  Apart from chewing and digging, they may seek attention by constantly barking, licking themselves, pacing and chasing their tails. 

Four hours is the maximum time that any dog should be left alone for.  If because of your life circumstances or job, you can’t avoid leaving your dog alone for long periods, here are some tips:

•    One option is to hire someone to take your dog for walks.  Find a friend, neighbor or professional walker who can spend between 15-30 minutes a day with your puppy or dog.  Walks are a great activity for dogs. They stimulate him with all the fascinating sights and smells.  It’s fantastic exercise too

•    It can be lonely if you’re a puppy on your own just as being an only child can be lonely.  I would recommend getting a second dog. Then, you never have to leave your dog all alone.

•    Create a specific place in your garden where your dog can ease his boredom.  You could create a dog sandpit where he can dig as much as he wants without ruining your flowerbeds.  At the start it is crucial to reward him repeatedly with a treat left in the sandpit so that this has positive associations.

•    Provide your puppy or dog with a few well-chosen chew toys and rotate them every day so that he doesn’t become bored with them. Dispensing toys have a great interest for dogs when they are stuffed with treats as you can imagine. I would recommend that you try them. Also, keep your possessions out of the dog’s reach if you don’t want them chewed upI.

•    One way to keep up your dog’s interest is to hide treats around the house.  You need to strike a balance between the treats being easy to find and providing a bit of a challenge.  You could hide them under an upside-down bowl or Frisbee, or in an old sock.

I hope you find these recommendations helpful in overcoming your dog’s boredom.  Obviously when you are with your dog, make sure that you take him out for regular walks and play games with him.  Doing obedience training with your dog is an excellent way to keep up his interest levels also.

Read more about separation anxiety in puppies and dogs and about emotions in dogs.