Keep big dog busy during the day

[jamminontha1]

Hello! I have a 66 pound lab/pit mix named Turnip. She is almost 2 years old. She is everything to me. We’ve been stuck living in a student apartment, but luckily are about to move into a house with lots of space!

Turnip, because she’s young and an athletic/energetic breed mix, gets bored easily and loves to be entertained. I am about to start a job that will have me out of the house from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the week. Unfortunately, we are unable to put in a dog door as we are renting the house and, more importantly, it’s unfenced right now. I want to keep my girl from getting super bored and just laying around all day, as we all know how that can affect an energetic dog’s well-being.

Here’s the other catch…she destroys EVERYTHING she plays with. She is the toughest chewer I’ve ever met. Ever since she was a baby, the only “toys” she hasn’t been able to destroy are bones and extra tough kongs. We’ve tried “indestructible” toys and she rips them to shreds. She’s so used to the kong and bones that she gets bored of them, understandably. Unfortunately, when she gets bored and understimulated, she chews on our furniture. However, what’s most important to me is making sure that she stays active during the day to preserve her well-being. It breaks my heart to think about her having nothing to do while I’m at work.

Does anyone have any advice on how to keep her entertained/stimulated while I’m at work? I am planning on getting her into doggy day-care at least once a week so that she can play around, as well as hiring a dog walker, but finances are tight (graduating college is expensive!)

Any advice is appreciated!!

 

[mrexpress]

@jamminontha1 There are a few enrichment toys you could put in different rooms of the house. I read somewhere that 20 minutes of enrichment is equal to 1 hr of physical activity. Obviously, you still need physical activity, but it helps wear her out mentally!

This only works if she is food motivated, but I got my dog a Bobble from Amazon. You can change the difficulty settings, but we give her breakfast in it, and it takes her at least 30 minutes to finish. That settles her until lunch when she gets her activity.

You could also get a snuffle mat and put some kibble or treats in it in a different room. So when she finds it, she can be stimulated. Eventually, you will have to move it as she remembers where it usually is.

This is more pricey, but there are fancy dog cameras that you can speak out of and dispense treats. You could check on her throughout the day and say commands, then once she listens, dispense a treat. Training tires them out.

A cheaper alternative is to do DIY frozen bowls/lick mats. I use her metal food bowls we got when she was a puppy that are too small for her now, but you could use anything you are confident she won't destroy. Like the Kong, but you would need an extra big one to last longer. I do a layer of peanut butter or cheese on the sides, freeze it, some yogurt mixed in kibble, freeze it, some cottage cheese mixed in kibble, freeze it. I try to add whatever veggies and fruits we have, like chopped up carrots, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, and strawberries. Add water or bone broth between layers. Licking helps curb anxiety and is generally good for dogs, and it takes ours 1 hour to eat dinner when we give her the frozen bowls. Just make sure to take 10% of her kibble out and replace it with 10% of whatever you add, so she still is getting her daily needs met, but not being overfed. That is why I do a thin layer of water between foods to slow her down and not add calories. We went out for the evening and gave her one at 6. She didn't even care that we left. Usually, we hear her howling. Got back at 10 and she was perfectly content. (Husky!)

If your dog doesn't have an issue swallowing small objects, you could get Easter eggs and put kibble in them and hide them in plain site throughout the house. Like a Sniffari.

Petco has 2 for $5 toys, and I buy them specifically for her to destroy. Those are the toys we play rough with, and I give her 1 new one a week. Sometimes it lasts longer, but sometimes they only last 2 days lol.

 

[vlc]

@mrexpress Wow

 

[mrexpress]

@vlc I've done alooot of research as a first-time dog mom, I hope these tips help! Just keep in mind that every dog has different dietary needs, and mine is a high-energy dog, so it takes more .

She also gets a walk in the morning before my bf leaves for work, a walk in the afternoon, and play time in the yard!

 

[vlc]

@mrexpress Well, they sound like my dogs, they drain your time, energy and coin lol.

 

[mrexpress]

@vlc True, but I'd rather spend my money and time on something that loves me unconditionally and provides many great memories and helps me keep a more active lifestyle than meaningless materialistic things.

 

[vlc]

@mrexpress I agree, I live alone but with my dogs I don't feel alone and plus I feel more safe.

 

[mrexpress]

@vlc I feel like my husky would play with the intruder rather than protect me LOL, but in a few years, I'm planning on getting a belgian malanois. We adopt, don't shop, so it takes alot longer for us to find what we are looking for. But we looked for a year before finding Kaia and she's a purebred (wasn't necessary just how it ended up) but her litter was an accident and the family gave them away for free to good homes.

 

[vlc]

@mrexpress From my experience I'd recommend a dogo argentino. They're affectionate, love to play, very smart and with a strong sense of guardianship.

 

[mrexpress]

@vlc We actually chose the malanois specifically because they are known to be good service dogs for veterans

 

[mrexpress]

@vlc Plus those dogs are huge I have a 50 lb max hard limit for dogs. Our husky is estimated to be 40-50 max.

 

[vlc]

@mrexpress I agree malanois are popular for their trainabllity but I was just pleasantly surprised at how friendly, yet fierce, the dogo is. I might wake up and find him sleeping on his back with his head on my chest lol. I'd get a female too if I could find one, but I'm also struggling with feeding 3 dogs and it's getting too expensive.