As a dog trainer, I am often approached with questions about different dog behavioral problems.
Some people believe the issues that arise due to boredom are caused by lack of exercise or a lack of attention given to a dog.
And these things certainly can make the behavior worse. However, many of these behaviors are actually a direct result of an underlying leadership issue.
That’s right.
For example, separation anxiety can cause a dog a lot of stress, which results in unwanted behavior from the dog.
So, is your dog bored due to a lack of stimulation? Or, is there a bigger issue like stress at play?
Today, I’m going to talk about why dogs get bored so you can uncover the reasoning behind why your pup feels the need to…
- Eat furniture
- Be destructive
- Run away
- Dig
- Bark nonstop
- Express other behavioral issues
…and how you can get these bad behaviors under control.
So, is your dog bored? Or just stressed out?
Let’s find out now…
Why Dogs Get Bored
Dogs are extremely intelligent, social animals.
For this reason, dogs can certainly get bored.
You might be thinking, “Well, all my dog wants to do is sleep on the couch.” And, that could be true.
Some breeds are more relaxed than others.
For instance, Greyhounds, Great Danes, Basset Hounds, Pugs, and Bulldogs are often low energy and like to spend a large part of their day napping.
However, breeds such as Border Collies, German Shepherds, and Poodles are among the breeds who are most likely to get in trouble when bored.
The phrase “a tired dog is a happy dog” is absolutely true.
Not only does mental stimulation relieve boredom, but it can also help relieve any stress your dog is feeling and help your dog’s personality shine through.
What type of physical and mental stimulation am I referring to?
Well, there are all different types of stimuli. But, I recommend exposing your dog to new things and new places. And, providing them with as many learning experiences as possible.
Training, for example, is an excellent way to burn off some steam if you have run out of ideas for the day and your dog is still bored and ready to rock and roll.
Even if your dog knows sit, come, and stay, reinforcing those commands doesn’t hurt, and it makes your dog feel like he’s doing a good job.
A walk in the park or learning a new trick can also be a great way to channel a dog’s nervous energy. Naturally, as a dog’s energy is released, his anxiety should also start to decrease.
Two Indicators That Help Identify If Your Dog’s Poor Behavior Is Due to Boredom or Stress
Determining whether your dog is bored or stressed (and if there is an underlying cause) is not an easy problem to solve.
There are two indicators that I look for…
The first indicator is to see if the unwanted behavior stops when you are in your home.
For example, if you return home from work and your dog lies down in the sun and relaxes (instead of chewing furniture like he did when you weren't there), then it certainly seems like your dog's stress has more to do with YOU not being there!
This is what we call separation anxiety and is not too tricky to stop.
The second suggestion to test whether your dog is bored and or simply stressed is to take him for a walk.
If your dog charges around and runs at a million miles an hour, then chances are he has a lot of pent-up energy that needs to be let out! Learn how to help keep him calm here!
If your dog walks calmly, it’s more likely that the underlying cause of your dog’s bad behaviors is a lack of mental or physical stimulation!
Signs of Stress in Dogs
There are also many other very clear warning signs that will tell you if your dog is stressed.
For instance, does your dog still pace up and down the hallway, even after you’ve taken a walk in the park?
Does your dog continually bark and whine when something in his environment changes?
Or, is his behavior dependent on where he’s at or whom he’s with?
The key to identifying stress in dogs is to take note of patterns.
For instance, if your dog only digs holes in your carpet when you aren’t there, it’s a clear indication that your absence causes him stress.
If it was boredom, he’d likely dig holes regardless of whether you are there or not.
Keep track of the behavioral issues that occur when your dog's environment changes.
If a lap around the park or a Kong stuffed with peanut butter doesn’t deter bad behaviors, it’s likely that stress is at play.
Ways to Prevent Boredom and Unnecessary Stress
The good news is that there are many ways to prevent boredom as well as alleviate stress. Here’s what I recommend…
DOGGY DAYCARE
First, let’s talk about doggy daycare.
If you’re going to be gone for hours and hours, having someone come to your home or dropping your dog off at a doggy daycare could be extremely helpful in deflecting destructive behaviors due to boredom.
Doggy daycare will also help if your pup gets stressed when left home alone.
At doggy daycare, your dog will have something to do all day. And, when he comes home, he will likely be ready to cuddle on the sofa and watch a movie.
Look around for local doggy daycares or professional pet sitters. Then, ask for a meet-and-greet to see if your dog is comfortable being with them.
If you’re home most of the day, or your dog comes with you on outings, don’t forget to give her plenty of exercise during the day.
LONG WALKS
The general recommendation is a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour of exercise, but this varies based on breed and age.
Take your dog for a long walk each day, even if it’s just at your home.
If you don’t have time for a walk, I recommend hiring a dog walker to help you out. You can usually find a trustworthy dog walker for about 10 US Dollars a day.
A daily walk will alleviate boredom as we as help your dog get rid of some nervous energy.
STRUCTURE
Structure is also extremely helpful in managing your dog’s behavioral issues and preventing boredom and unnecessary stress.
It’s important to establish a routine.
Your dog will begin to understand when it’s time to go potty, when it’s time to play, and when it’s time to go to sleep for the evening.
You’ll notice a much happier, healthier dog with a routine in place.
GAMES
Another way to stimulate your dog is to turn mealtime into a fun game.
Place your dog’s kibble throughout the house and have your dog sniff to find it. You can also take a look at slow feeder bowls to increase mental stimulation.
PLAYDATES
And last but not least, I recommend playdates!
This might sound silly, but most dogs absolutely love playdates with their dog buddies.
During playdates, your dog will be able to run, jump, play tug-of-war, etc. and release a ton of energy.
This also provides your dog with another opportunity to be social and interact with both dogs and people.
As you know, dogs are pack animals. So, encouraging play with other dogs can be helpful.
Don’t panic if your dog isn’t a fan of other dogs, though. Some dogs are just that way.
Just like us, some people love being in crowds of people. Others would prefer to stay home and relax by themselves or with several select people.
The Bottom Line on Doggy Boredom and Stress
In order to keep your dog from exhibiting destructive behaviors due to boredom, make sure he gets plenty of mental and physical stimulation.
Let him play.
Let him run.
And, make sure you’re spending plenty of time with him to give him that social interaction piece of the puzzle.
However, if those solutions don’t work, stress may be the bigger problem at play.
If your dog is showing signs of anxiety or is being destructive even after being exercised, it’s possible that your dog has an underlying behavioral issue that is causing him to feel stressed (as I mentioned at the very beginning of the blog).
This comes out in the form of unsettled behavior where a dog continually wanders around, can’t relax, jumps up at noises, or follows you everywhere…
When you are not there, things get even worse for your dog.
This is the underlying issue too much of what is seen as boredom:
If your dog is experiencing behavior problems that exercise and stimulation don’t fix, be sure to…
- Check that the behavior is not being caused by stress and an underlying behavioral issue. Discover whether stress or another issue is at play while checking out my Dog Calming Code here. Or, if you have a puppy, put my Puppy Coach training program into place to help prevent boredom issues from occurring in the future.
- Give the information in The Dog Calming Code a try and see if it helps. (After working with over 3000 dogs, I am sure it will!)
- Remember that a dog that sleeps and lies for hours relaxing in the sun after a nice walk is not depressed but relaxed!
Still not sure if your dog’s behavioral issues are due to boredom or stress?
No problem…there are several things dogs do to communicate that they are stressed out…
I don’t want you to have any doubt about what your dog’s behavior means. For that reason, I created a FREE guide that highlights 5 warning signs your dog is stressed out.
Download the FREE guide here.
↓ DOWNLOAD my FREE 5 Warning Signs of Stress in Dogs PDF here! ↓
I encourage you to check it out and see if any of my recommendations will help relax your pup and keep him occupied.
If you’re still struggling or want additional help, please go ahead and check out my Dog Calming Code here.
Cheers,
~Doggy Dan
16 Responses
Our 7 month old lab constantly chews things. His toys until they are demolished.. He also paces alot, but at a almost 69 pounds he goes for daily runs in the woods with us..
Hi Mary,
Chewing and destruction can be a sign of anxiety and if it mainly happens when you are out of the house then Separation Anxiety is the likeliest cause. The action of chewing helps release a feel-good hormone into the dog’s system that is aimed at calming them down. Pacing and chewing for me is a sign of underlying anxiety and that may be caused by your dog feeling a sense of responsibility for his family. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com addresses this behaviour and shows you very clearly how to overcome it…maybe take a quick look…its a $1USD trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan
Thanks for sharing this. It is really important topic for every pet owners.
Thanks Linda, I think so too! Doggy Dan
This was really knowledgeable!! I think this must be read by almost every dog owner. I will surely try this technique with my dog so that my dog could not do those silly things in the future.
Thanks Sandy, I’m glad you found my Blog interesting and you now have a few techniques to try out with your dogs! Best, Doggy Dan
My year old Australian labradoodle will not pass another dog on leash without pulling to be introduced. How do I stop him ?
Have you tried just walking on by Su, and not allowing your dog to greet the other dog? Try moving off to the side of the footpath a little, shortening your leash so that your dog is walking besides you and on the side of your body that is furthest from the approaching dog. Continue walking past and you may need to prevent your dog from crossing in front of you to try and greet the other dog. You may need too use a little gentle encouragement initially but if you are consistent then your dog will learn you are the one who decides if he is allowed to greet another dog and not him. Hope that helps…best, Doggy Dan
Thank you Doggy Dan, I have 2 five year puppies and rearing them has been a delight because of the information I have acquired from you over this time. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. Thank you for your creative input. Elaine Collins
Thanks for the wonderful feedback Elaine! It really makes my day to know that I’m helping owners understand their dogs/puppies a whole lot better, as well as providing them with the tools to help raise happy and well behaved dogs! Keep up the great work…best, Doggy Dan
My small dog barks at other dogs passing across the street. I feel it is a setting boundries issue. How can I change this behavior and make him more social with other dogs?
Charles we have a very extensive section on my website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com that covers barking and provides techniques to overcome the behaviour…maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days… If you take a look at some of my previous Blogs I do have one that discusses Barking and offers some solutions and techniques that will help. The barking you describe is your dog’s way of alerting you to a potential threat, the other dog! How you respond can very quickly calm things down, provided you do so calmly and consistently. All the best Doggy Dan
I have a 10wk old pup. He is due his 2nd vaccination at the wkend however he is not sleeping thought the night yet. He goes to bed in his cage at between 10/11pm. He then wakes at 4am go for a wee and a poo,then goes back in his cage til 6am. When might he sleep through the night. Mind Ive only had him 10 days?
Hi Deborah,
Settling into their new home and getting used to life without Mum & Siblings can be a very unsettling time for young puppies. Part of this settling in process can involve a puppy who is a little restless during the night, it’s absolutely normal. It’s also normal for young puppies to not be able to hold through the night without needing to get up and go to the toilet. At such a young age they just aren’t physically developed enough to be ale to hold on for long periods. Every puppy is different in terms of what age they can last through the night without needing the toilet so you may need to be a little patient. I do have another Blog on my website that sets up a pretty good routine for young puppies, maybe take a look at that! Best, Doggy Dan
Jack is doing well.I do have a problem with digging holes .This could be a combination of anxiety and boredom.I’m doing daycare plus off leash parks and daily 45 min walks. So I will see how that works
Also remember that digging can be a very natural behaviour as well. Dogs will dig to find cool or warmer earth to lie in and they will dig for food. Some dogs also just dig because it’s fun to do! If Jack looks like he enjoys digging, just for the fun of it, then providing an appropriate area for him to do this can help as well. Best, Doggy Dan