The Cure For Puppy Boredom

I came across a website recently that offered puppy toys that were guaranteed to eliminate your dog's boredom.

They ranged in price from $20 to $70!

Do dogs really like expensive, plastic toys better than a rubber chew toy filled with treats and peanut butter? I think not.

So, what can we do to make life exciting and fun for our furry companions...and keep them from destroying the house?

* Walk them every morning. A tired dog is a happy dog, and it doesn't cost a thing to walk around the block. Plus, you'll get a great, quick workout.

* Hide treats for a game of hide-and-seek. I've said this before, but this is a favorite in our house. Not only is it a great time-consuming game, but the girls have had to work to get their treats. (And they work them off running from room to room looking for more!)

* Don't put out all their toys at once. This may sound silly, but how often do we rearrange the furniture or change decorations for the seasons? Don't we get bored when everything looks the same day after day? Leave a couple of for a week, and then switch them out.

* Give your dog a job! Bailey has a backpack that she wears that holds our water bottles, their bowl, a small ball and a plastic bag. She knows when she wears it that we're going for a walk, but she also knows she has an important job. You can also use these backpacks around the house - Bailey can help me carry things from room to room. She'll follow me just to see if there's something she can help with.

* Make the outside as interesting as the inside. I realized the other day that the girls really didn't have anything outside to do. Well, Bailey chases the squirrels up the tree for hours on end, but that's not what I mean. I started taking a couple of balls into the back yard with us when they do their thing, and that's made a world of difference. We get some time in the fresh air together, and they're all worn out in just a few minutes.

*Take time for obedience training. In just a few minutes a day, your dog can keep her mind active and learn more about what you want from her. It's a bonding experience and schooling all in one!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holland Creme - That Amazing White Stuff In Donuts

Image
I remember going to the grocery store every Saturday morning when I was growing up, and my favorite place in the entire store was the donut case. All the glazed, powdered and filled baked goods drew me like a magnet. My favorites, far and away, were the ones filled with that beautiful white, fluffy creme. At the time I didn't know it was called Holland Creme - I just knew it was the most amazing concoction ever. Ever. Here is my version of this sweet treat. You can make your own fried donuts and fill them, or like I did here, you can cut a crevice into store-bought donuts with a knife and fill them with creme in a piping bag. Either way, you're going to love it. Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup shortening 1 cup butter 1 Tbsp vanilla 7 cups powdered sugar 1. Make a simple syrup by combining sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat until boiling, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool complet
Read more

Recovering An Old Card Table And Making It Usable Again

Image
This card table recover project has been on my to-do list for months. I've been using it as my workspace in the craft room for quite some time, and it sees a lot of abuse. Here it is now, with a neutral cover on it so I can take better pictures for my tutorials. There were dents and dings in the old blue covering from metal tools. And yes, I've used my embossing heat tool on it several times, leaving pretty good scars. The padding underneath the blue cover also made it difficult to keep paper crafts flat when adhering them together, so it was time for something new. That's where a simple vinyl tablecloth comes in handy. The process to recover the table is pretty simple, but I learned a couple of lessons the hard way. I share them with you now. First, don't do this on any surface but a carpet. I tried it on the deck int he sunshine to get better pictures, but all it did was tear up the cover. Second, get a second pair of hands to help you kee
Read more

Crafts For Teen Girls To Make

Image
In our teen girls Bible study, we're studying our way through the Proverbs 31 woman and it's been such a blessing to me, as I hope it's been to them. Every month we spend an afternoon or an evening together studying Scripture, making something amazing in the kitchen and creating something that corresponds to the verse we're in. Choosing the crafts each time can be a challenge for several reasons. It needs to be something they can completely finish (or do most of) because once they leave they're probably not going to work on it themselves - that's just the nature of teenagers. Remember? It also needs to be a project that keeps they're attention, is age-appropriate and is cool enough that they'll want to keep it or give it to someone special. But hey, no pressure on the Bible study leader, right? Here are just a few of the projects we've done together in the year we've been meeting. * This month's craft will be the adorable cross stit
Read more