Q: What activities can dogs do by themselves? While I work at home, my two dogs (lab and chow mix) lie around all day and look depressed. I can only take them out at night - any suggestions for ways to keep them busy?
A: Food puzzle toys are often a big hit with
bored dogs. There are quite a few different designs of these puzzles on the market now. All are intended to give the dog
mental stimulation and a bit of physical exercise, while they work to get the food out of the toy.
With two dogs, you’ll need to provide at least two toys for each. If either or both dogs tend to be possessive about food or toys, they’ll need to be safely separated while they work at their puzzles.
To prevent overfeeding, use some of your dogs’ dinner to stuff the puzzle toys. Rubber puzzle toys can be frozen with food inside, making the game more even challenging and long-lasting.