Boredom Busters

Buster Cube

Available from Bark Busters, an award winning dog toy. Simply fill the toy with dry kibble, as your dog rolls it around on the ground, the kibble falls out bit by bit from multiple compartments. This motivates your dog to work for his food, keeping a brain-active working dog busy for hours.

Kong Toys

Available from most pet stores. A durable rubber toy with a hollow center which can be stuffed with delectables like cheese, peanut butter, kibble, or dried liver. Seal the ends with a biscuit to make it harder to get out the insides. Fill it with food then freeze to give your dog Kongsicles to enjoy.

Bungy Bouncer

Hang a bungee cord from a tree branch or an overhanging beam. Tie a favourite toy to the end so that the toy hangs about 6 inches higher than your dog's head. The breeze will cause the toy to move and catch your dogs attention. As he bites it and pins it to the ground, the toy will spring upwards. You can also try tying tennis balls in an old pair of panty hose and hanging it over the dogs head or tie it to his kennel. A rope hanging from a tree, knotted and frayed at the end will pick up the wind and attract the dog.

Warning: The Bungy Bouncer is not suitable for dogs who pull washing from the clothesline!

Scatter Feeding

Turn feeding into a treasure hunt. Scatter a variety of food such as whole carrots, celery, peas, broccoli, beans, apples, bananas, mushrooms, whole raw eggs, chicken necks, sardines around the yard when you leave. This gives your dog something to forage for as well as some nutritious food to chew on (rather than your wooden lawn furniture). You can also scatter their dry food around the yard too. Some items (especially meaty bones or dried liver bits) can be hidden in a digging pit, such as a child's wading pool filled with sand. Add a little sprinkle of garden fertilizer to attract them to the area. This is good for dogs who like to dig.

Ball Pull

Get a rubber ball (the kind that have a bell and two holes in it), take an "bungee cord" and cut the two hooks off it. Feed the bungee cord through the holes in the ball and tie a knot in it, then tie it to a low branch or railing.

Never leave your dog unsupervised with plastic bottles to chew as they are extremely dangerous.