3 Ways to Keep Home Alone Dogs Entertained
As pet owners, we feel guilty when we leave our dogs home alone all day. Whenever I leave for work and I’m shutting the door behind me, my heart sinks to the floor because I hope my home alone dogs won’t be bored. Just to make sure they’re entertained while I’m away, I leave food stuffed toys and puzzles behind for them. I also enlist help from a pet sitter when my dogs are left alone for more than 4 hours. Check out these three tips that will keep your home alone dog busy while you’re away!
Provide Food Stuffed Toys
Food stuffed toys are a miracle; I can’t say this enough. I purchased rubber Kong toys online several years ago and ever since I’ve been filling them with food and storing them in the freezer every week. Before leaving for work, I toss a frozen food stuffed Kong in each dog’s crate. A frozen food stuffed dog toy will keep my home alone dogs busy for at least an hour. These durable rubber toys are pretty safe to leave with them unattended. Over time, my dogs have learned it’s a good thing when I leave for work because it means a frozen interactive toy.
When purchasing Kong toys, choose a black Extreme Kong for powerful chewers or a Classic Red Kong for normal chewers. As for size, check out Kong’s size recommendations, which lists sizes based on your dog’s breed and weight. When in doubt, choose one size larger, especially for powerful chewers.
Use a Kibble Dispensing Toy
This is another amazing dog toy and a must-have if your dog eats kibble (dry dog food). Your dog will need plenty of space when playing with a kibble dispensing toy because she needs to move the toy around to dispense food.
It’s always best to teach your dog how to use a kibble dispensing toy first before leaving her home alone with it. To do this, pour her evening meals inside the toy and encourage her as she bops it around. Once she confidently and happily pushes the toy around with her paws or nose, and hasn’t tried to chew it, you can leave your dog home alone with it. Pour your dog’s breakfast inside a kibble dispensing toy and place it on the ground before leaving for work.
I’ve had excellent results with Kong’s Wobbler (small or large) and Buster Cube kibble dispensing toys. These toys aren’t indestructible though. We’ve had to replace them several times due to gashes and cracks caused by my dogs tossing the toys across hard tile.
My dogs are very tough on toys, so a Wobbler will last about a year with everyday use and a Buster Cube will last a couple of years (this toy is super strong). Several of my clients swear their dogs absolutely love their Tug-A-Jug toy. With this toy, a dog must tug on the rope to dispense treats from inside the “jug.” It’s quite a challenging toy. We don’t use Tug-A-Jug toys in our home anymore because my dogs bashed a huge hole in our wall from slinging the toy in mid air and chewing the rope to pieces.
You may also be interested in: Indestructible Dog Toys (Well, Almost)
Hire a Mid Day Pet Sitter
If you’re gone for more than 4-6 hours at a time, I highly recommend paying a professional pet sitter to visit and potty your dogs mid day. During a typical visit, pet sitters will spend at least 30 minutes playing, walking and pottying your dog while you’re away. Honestly, I think asking a dog to hold it for longer than 4 hours is asking a lot. Your home alone dog needs to get out and stretch her legs, and of course potty. Plus, your pet sitter can refill your dog’s kibble dispensing toy or toss another frozen Kong in her crate for even more fun. I think all of that is easily worth $15-$20 per visit.
A Few Cautions for Your Home Alone Dogs
Never leave two or more home alone dogs with food stuffed toys because even the sweetest dogs will fight over food. If you choose to give two dogs food stuffed toys, you should toss them in your dogs’ crates, and then close and lock the crate doors. If you’re leaving two or more dogs home alone with kibble dispensing toys, which require room to make the toy work, then I recommend keeping each dog in a separate room with closed doors. For dogs left loose in your home, you should separate them with super sturdy safety gates.
Lastly, please don’t leave dogs alone in your backyard because it’s not safe. Your neighbors could complain, your dogs could be stolen or your dogs could learn to escape your yard. It’s not worth it, so keep your dogs indoors when they’re home alone.