| Keep your
dog occupied!
Dino
chewing on a leather shoe
Dogs that
are bored tend to develop destructive and annoying
behaviours such as chewing, barking, digging. They are not trying to get back at us, they are
simply trying to entertain themselves!
Provide
your dog with things to do. That will keep him occupied and
out of trouble! You can provide your dog physical exercise
and mental stimulation with a chew bone, a stuffed Kong or
other interactive toys.
Kong
|
A
stuffed Kong provides physical exercise and mental
stimulation as the dog chews on the Kong and tries to
reach for the stuffing.
Kong Toys are widely used and
recommended for therapy and prevention of understimulation, boredom,
separation anxiety and other behaviour problems. Check out this page for some
simple ways Kongs can be utilized to promote good behavior in your dog.
Recipe
for the "almost perfect" dog |
Zuiko
and her stuffed Kong |
Chew
Bone
|
Kennie
(left) and Zuiko chewing on the bones |
 |
Chew
bones let the dogs work their jaws and at the same
time clean their teeth.
Featured
in the pictures are big pork bones, available in wet
markets or supermarkets. The bones are boiled
before giving to the dogs. They love it and
it keeps them occupied the whole day (please supervise
your dogs when they are chewing on the bones, see
caution below).
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Caution:
Do not give cooked poultry bones as they can splinter causing lacerations (tearing) throughout the intestinal tract.
If you have more than one dog, giving out bones could also
incite some agressive behaviour.
If you have a larger dog, a knuckle bone would be a better idea. A beef shank bone that you have boiled would be even better, however. These bones do not splinter and can be refreshed every so often by basting or boiling them in some (unsalted) meat juices that you have left over from a meal. These bones are also quite clean in the house.
If you give your dog bones, make sure they are supervised completely while chewing on them, use your judgment, and be careful.
Other
interactive toys
Toys
such as Buster Cube, treats ball and Wiggly Giggly are some
other wonderful interactive toys for the dogs.
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