You love your dog, but for some reason, they simply will not settle down. They’re constantly bouncing around the house, pawing you, yapping for attention, snout poking, and tongue hanging, and you can’t believe how much energy they have all day and all night long. Some breeds are just more active than others and need both physical and mental stimulation to lead their best doggy life.
KONG has been providing means of exercise and stimulation for generations, and you don’t do what we’ve done for as long as we have without loving dogs enough to constantly study them, learn from them and work towards making all of their lives more enjoyable. That’s why we’ve put together a list of ideas for how to keep a high energy dog entertained.
Exercise
The first idea regarding how to keep an active dog entertained is also the most obvious: exercise. Every dog needs exercise, and as the old saying goes, “A tired dog is a happy dog.” There are many instances where a dog is simply not getting enough exercise in its routine. This will lead to forms of acting out and poor behavior, as dogs have an intense need to exert themselves.
This means that you, too, need to be ready to go out and exercise with your dog – i6 is a great way for you to bond together! There is no way to standardize the amount of exercise every dog needs, as different sizes, breeds and ages have different requirements and expectations. The bottom line is that you’ll need to block off time every day to walk, run or play with your dog so it expends energy.
Establish a Routine
Dogs are adventurers in their own way, but their sense of adventure does not extend to daily life per se. Each day is its own journey for a dog like anyone else, but one idea to consider when it comes to how to keep an active dog entertained is to ease its mind with regards to what’s going to happen and when. You need to establish a firm, consistent routine, and stick to it. Dogs tend to act out when they don’t know what’s going to happen next, but they also tend to relax when they have a good idea of what to expect.
You should plan your dog’s routine the same way you plan yours, in that it will need stimulation, exercise, interaction, and the like. After you set that routine and begin to follow it, you may be surprised to see how quickly your dog adapts to it and adopts it fully. For instance, if you feed your dog at the same time every morning, it won’t be long before you no longer need that alarm clock to wake up! You won’t need to remind yourself when it’s time for your walk, as your furry buddy will make sure to handle that for you.
One-on-One Interaction
As part of the routine you build for your dog, you should make sure to block out time every day just for some “you” time. You are your dog’s master, and you are not only its best friend, but you’re its entire universe. Everything your dog does is in hopes of pleasing you or at least sending you a message. The more time you spend with it, the more connected it’s going to feel to you and the more it’s going to feel like its pack is functional. Dogs are pack animals and you are the alpha, so giving your dog time will be immensely important.
This doesn’t even mean, necessarily, that you have to spend two hours on some excursion somewhere – in fact, that’s not even what we’re talking about with regards to how to keep a hyperactive dog entertained. What we’re talking about is spending 15 minutes, 20 minutes or even 30 minutes a few times a day sitting with your dog, petting it, talking to it, and/or playing with it around the house. It’ll make an enormous difference in its mindset and behavior.
Socialization
Dogs not only need physical stimulation, but they need to have their minds stimulated as well. They need to be socialized as much as possible. You may be hesitant to bring them along to places you go because of its high level of energy, but if you follow the steps above and commit to them, you’ll likely notice a difference anyway. Adding a socialization aspect to it will only improve things that much more for both of you.
If you go out with friends for lunch, try to go somewhere that welcomes dogs. If you go to parks for fresh air and exercise, choose one that has a dog park there and let your friend go and spend time with other dogs. Your pooch will learn a lot about proper social conduct from other dogs it meets.
Toys
Regardless of the dedication, you show your dog, you cannot possibly spend your entire life figuring out how to keep an active dog entertained. There will be times when you’re away, busy, or otherwise occupied. That’s when toys become critically important. KONG has been providing entertaining toys for dogs for 50 years, and our toys will bounce around, stay intact and give your friend something to do during those times when there may not be anything else to do. After all, better it beats up on a KONG toy than your furniture.
If you’d like to put yourself in a place where your dog has a happy, active, and calm life, let KONG Club help. We look forward to working with you!
