Variety is the spice of life and just like us, pups and dogs get bored doing the same thing each day. We all soon learn there are specific types of games that our dogs enjoy more than others – often this varies upon breed and what “type” of dog he his.
Do you recognise your dog?
- The Ball Hog – is obsessed with fetching and chasing just about anything. Often comes from breeds such as retrievers or gun dogs.
- The Athlete – has endless energy to burn – will run all day. Often these types of dogs come from the hunting breeds.
- The Nose Dog – loves nothing more than following his nose around and around. Often breeds that search on scent such as hounds or beagles.
- The Couch Potato – is the master of the “do we have to?” Just loves sitting in front of the fire. Laid back breeds like Greyhounds, Bassets and Bulldogs.
- The Diggy Dog- just loves to dig and dig. Often also likes to chase small animals, usually breeds such as dachshunds.
- The Smart Cookie – becomes easily bored but loves to learn new things. This is common with breeds used to perform herding livestock.
In general, dogs love to have morning and evening exercise sessions, with at least one of these sessions being aerobic exercise. This is best in an off-lead area when possible. The endorphins released during this exercise will have health benefits along with a calming effect. The couch potato will enjoy several short walks where there will be new smells and sights. A good way to entertain them is to accompany you on errands or a café visit. Hide and seek with a toy such as a “Kong” containing treats can be fun. Working for a treat inside the Kong will be fun but also mentally stimulating.
This tells us that all our family members have varying personalities that all need to be treated as individuals with differing needs.
