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We just had a spell of cold weather, and I mean really cold, and if your dogs are anything like mine, they’ve been bouncing off the walls with cabin fever. Picture this: a dog climbing into the bathtub to grab a bar of soap and attempt to eat it. (I caught him before he could chew/swallow it and throw up bubbles for the next 24 hours); a dog trying to dig a hole in a plant to hide his bone; and a dog fighting with another dog when they are normally the best of buds. Can you relate?

Well, never fear, your heroic trainer is here with some solutions for bored dogs.

Is Your Dog Bored?

I just gave a few examples of a bored dog’s behavior, but here are some general signs that your dog may be bored.

• Out of the norm for his behavior: chewing shoes, shredding paper, tearing apart pillows, and even dragging streams of toilet paper all through the house.
• Excessive barking
• Digging in the yard (or your plants)
• Bugging you for attention way more than usual

What can you do to keep yourself and your dog sane?

Exercise

There’s nothing like a good romp to expel the excess energy that builds when my dog is bored. Granted, when it’s bitter cold, you don’t want to spend prolonged time out of doors, but get outside for long walks as soon as the temperature moderates.

Brain Teasers

Giving your dog something mental to focus on also alleviates boredom. Think tug-of-war or hide-and-seek by hiding treats around the house and your dog has to go find them. Puzzle toys are also great, such as lick mats and toys you stuff with goodies. Consider making your own puzzle toys.

Training

If you and your dog have ever taken a class from me, you know how exhausted your dog is after each session.  Training provides the epitome of mental stimulation. Basic obedience is the place to start, and you can take it more than once to work on specific behaviors. In addition, follow up the training with some sessions of your own where you teach your dog some tricks. You’ll find some fun and easy tricks in this article.

Socializing

You know how you go a little nuts when you’ve been isolated for too long, the same is true for your pup. Dogs need to engage with other dogs. I’m not a fan of dog parks for many reasons, but there are other ways to provide excellent socializing opportunities for your dog. For one, invite a friend who has a dog that is compatible with your dog for some playtime. Another option is to join up with doggy daycare, as in Wags to Riches!

These are just a few ideas to help you help your dog when the boredom gremlin hits. However, if you need some help, you can count on us!

Resource guarding is the bane of many a dog owner and occurs when a dog decides a person, place, or thing is a treasure that is his and his alone. But frankly, rather than call it resource guarding, I prefer to refer to it as a dog’s communication style. When some other being, be it human, canine, feline, or something else, approaches a dog who has claimed his prize, communication behaviors ranging from running away with it to growling, to outright biting may occur.  

When a dog has become attached to his prize, he communicates what he wants in the only way he knows how. Think if someone were to come along and try to take away something you treasure – -a car, a diamond ring, your Buffalo wing pizza, a bag of peanut M&Ms. Chances are, you’d have something definite to say about it. You’d probably have a veritable hissy fit. You’d communicate. When something threatens your dog’s precious person, place or thing, the only way he can communicate is by running away, growling, or biting.

Canine Communication Ladder:

You’ll most often hear this referred to as the Canine Ladder of Aggression, but what we’re really talking about is how dogs communicate. Therefore, I much prefer the name, as do other expert canine behaviorists:

Canine Communication Ladder.

What this shows is an escalating sequence of how a dog communicates to a human about his “thing.” If your dog engages in any of these sometimes scary and often embarrassing behaviors, you are not alone. Resource guarding communication is common among dogs, with estimates as high as half of all dogs demonstrating these specific communication behaviors to one degree or another during their lifetime.

Can it be Fixed?

The good news? YES!  Resource guarding and its associated communication behavior can almost always be  corrected and simply boils down to:

• Determining what caused the behavior
• Getting help from a professional behaviorist quickly
• Being consistent in using the techniques you learn when at home
• Treats, treats, treats

What Causes Resource Guarding?

So, what happened to cause your dog to become so obsessed over something? Some of these obsessive behaviors are based on instinct, but the actual cause will be different for each dog.  For example, a frightened dog will behave differently than a dog who is protective over the same object. My job is to help you figure out what caused your dog to feel and act the way he does over the object.

Check out the following possible causes.

Lack of Socialization

When your dog hasn’t been exposed to other situations, people, or pets, he may show fearful or anxious behaviors, especially if he has been abused in the past or had multiple homes and no real security.

Possession

Do you think your dog “owns” you or someone else in your household? Dogs can become possessive over anything: a toy, their bed or crate, food, treats, and any gross but to them valuable thing they have scrounged up from your backyard.

Routine

Sometimes it appears “cute” when a dog covets a particular person, place, or thing. Or maybe it doesn’t seem like a big deal as the dog’s behavior isn’t hurting anyone or anything. If there’s one thing to remember, it’s that guarding behaviors are not cute. No matter how insignificant they may seem now, they are a big deal and can escalate into something dangerous, especially with larger dogs that are known to be more assertive in their communication style.

Boredom

Have you ever been bored out of your mind? If so, perhaps you remember how your mind threatened to get you in all sorts of trouble. Guess what? Dogs get bored, and dogs think, and dogs can find ways to busy themselves. Guess how?

Aggressive Play

Do you play with your dog? Do you play tug of war? Wrestling? Or another form of play where the ante increases and your dog’s communication style quickly climbs the escalation scale? Dial it back. Let your dog win those tug-of-war sessions. Convert the wrestling match to a relaxed petting session.

Getting Help from a Professional

Your dog’s “prize” can move from one person, place, or thing to another, so the goal is to catch the signs early to make training even easier. This is where I come in.

I pride myself on using techniques that make dogs want to do something as opposed to having to do something. This means no electric shock collars, no chains around the neck, and no hitting or negative punishments.

Think of it like this: in your human world, you work because you get paid. You would not work if you were constantly hit or punished and not paid.

Yes, my techniques require more work, but your dog will modify his communication style – in a major way.

When your dog starts showing undesirable behaviors, do call to either arrange for private home visits or enroll in a class specific to your dog’s needs and behaviors.

Being Consistent

Unfortunately, many of my clients don’t regularly practice the techniques I teach them. Without regular reinforcement, dogs will revert to the original, undesirable communication styles which means you are probably not happy with your dog’s behavior, and you just lost a lot of money.

Treats, Treats, Treats

Underlying everything I’ve talked about here, and will talk more about in the future, is the use of treats. Back to the money thing: wouldn’t you behave better if someone gave you a wad or money than if that same someone kept prodding you with a taser?

Here’s the bottom line. When your dog gets a reward for not guarding the object, it will then become less and less important until at last – problem solved!

Need I say more? The fact is, I will in future articles.

Spring fever is epidemic now, but it won’t be long before the ice has melted, the snow has cleared, and you and your dog are able to get back to your outdoor exercise routines. In fact, exercise is one of the most important things for your dog’s good physical and mental health. For high-energy dogs, a rigorous game of fetch or a run around the neighborhood will help to settle him down so he can better focus during a training session. And for couch-potato dogs, an easy walk around the block will do the trick to get his blood moving and be better ready to pay attention to you.

However, until the weather breaks, there are still some things you and your pup can do for indoor exercise to get his mood and energy hormones flowing. In addition, these activities will alleviate boredom. Consider trying these workouts:

• Stair climbing: A great way to build your dog’s muscle is to have her go up and down a flight of stairs. As you probably know, this is tough for humans, so it is just as tough, if not more so, for your pup. In other words, don’t overdo it,
• Hide and seek: Movement is key, and this is what an old-fashioned game of hide and seek will do.
• Exercise equipment: Here I’m talking about a treadmill or ball. Put the speed on low and let your dog walk for a short time. Be careful, though, as some dogs can become fearful which could lead to injury. Encourage your dog to push around a soccer ball, basketball, softball, or some other appropriately sized round object for a fun game of movement.
• Tug-of-war: Many dogs enjoy a good tug-of-war match and it’s also good for muscle building.
• Agility: Make your own agility course using brooms, boxes, or other safe household items and entice your dog around it by offering treats.

The key is for you and your dog to move, so try some of these exercises to strengthen muscles and increase stamina to prepare for the fun and rigor of good-weather outdoor workouts.