A Day in the Life of Your Dog

What does your dog do for entertainment on an average day?

aka What does your dog do for fun?

As well as behavioural training, we teach a lot of recreational things with dogs, including our own. But not everyone sees the point in this. It's common to want 'behavioural problems' to be sorted out, such as lead pulling, poor recall, reactivity, barking, but there is much less demand for 'fun stuff'.

Ironically, a lot of 'behavioural problems' can actually be reduced or eradicated by the fun stuff. Dog behaviour tends to become more problematic when dogs are under-stimulated. They don't rest as well when they haven't got much to do, they become frustrated more easily, go 'self-employed' in looking for entertainment, amuse themselves in ways humans tend to dislike (chasing, barking, destruction).

A dog practising tricks is keeping their mind and their body active

I take them for a walk or two most days. This is a good start if your walks are fulfilling more than just the toilet and physical exercise needs of your dog.

Walks are great, but can be overwhelming for a frustrated dog who has been bored all day and now has to try and do as much as possible before you go home. Hurried walks on a very short lead also don't allow your dog much space or opportunity to be a dog and do dog things, like sniffing and exploring - these are mental stimulation, which is just as important a need as the toilet and physical exercise. If they don't get this need filled by their human, they'll invent their own ways to do it.

They have loads of toys in the house.

Many dog toys are not that interesting unless there is a human to help with the movement of the toy - tugging/wiggling/throwing etc. Play is also an important need for your dog - consider this a mental health need. But the play they need isn't a solo activity. It's a social one. Take time out to play with your dog each day, whether it's 2 minutes of tug, hiding their favourite toy for them to find and celebrating with them when they find it, or throwing some bits of their food for them to chase and find. Whatever your dog enjoys is best.

We have more than one dog so they entertain each other.

This is a common misconception. Relying on dogs (or other pets) to entertain each other can be a recipe for disaster if play styles and energies don't align well. Older dogs can lose patience with younger dogs, hormonal dogs can snap if pushed, and contrasting play styles can lead to fights all of which can lead to relationship breakdowns which can be irreparable. Dogs who don't handle frustration well can also be pushy. Even if the temperaments align, if your dogs are regularly playing with each other then they don't need you as much, which can make training harder. Especially when in situations when it's not appropriate for your dogs to be playing and you can't get them to stop.

What else can I do?

Adding a few activities per week to your dog's schedule can make a huge difference to their overall behaviour. Some of the suggestion below can be done on walks, others can be done around the house. Some are a few minutes long and can be done daily, others might be once a week or less and last much longer. All of them will lead to an easier life with your dog.

🐶For dogs who can't be let off lead, secure fields or dog adventure parks are an amazing way to burn off steam.

🐶 Scent based games get your dog using their nose and tiring out body and brain whilst working with you

🐶Breed specific training such as dummy hunting and retrieving for gundogs, flirt poles for sighthounds and herding balls for sheepdogs tap into natural talents

🐶Mental stimulation through enrichment games and puzzles (search our page for 'enrichment' for some ideas)

🐶Fun dog-human team-based hobbies such as dog parkour, trick training, mantrailing, freestyle, rally obedience and agility

Rally obedience is an amazing team activity for you and your dog to learn together, providing excellent mental stimulation for your dog whilst boosting your relationship

Try it Out

Regardless of whether you have a few minutes a day to spare, or more time on hand, there is something out there that will help you work your dog's mind and body more than just walks will. Try adding more entertainment to their lives for a few weeks and see if you notice any general behaviour changes.

Try out our Busy Paws Activity Club for more ways to mentally and physically stimulate your dog whilst working together and strengthening your relationship. We offer monthly taster sessions for a range of activities such as rally, trick training, scentwork, freestyle and dog parkour.