In these modern days, most people work and are busy with their jobs and children. This condition often makes our pets leave unattended for many hours a day. They are left home alone. They don’t have any companion to play with or to interact with. A lonely and bored dog is none other a destroyer in your house. You might find your house in a situation like a war zone when you come home.
If you can, hiring a dog walker can save you a lot in the long run. It could prevent damages in your house, it will keep your dog happy and of course, you will also be happy with this situation. A dog walker can fill your time in occupying your dog. Having a dog walker will fill in your dog’s schedule with exercising and fun time he has while walking outside. He also has time to socialize with other pets and it will develop his growth.
In case you love other animals as your pets, let me recommend you to read the following links before you decide which animals to adopt. Here are the links Reasons to choose a rabbit as your pet and Basic Tips To Be A Good Hamster Owner
Here I would like to share with you the ideas on how to make your dog happy at home when you’re out to work.
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Exercising before you go out
Exercising is one of the best ways to drain your dog’s energy. If he doesn’t have much energy left, he will not move around recklessly and will stay calm. Schedule your time with your dog to exercise before you head out to work.
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Television
Television is a good idea for your dog to spend his time home alone. Turn it on programs which broadcast related to animals like Animal Planet. Turn up the volume to a level where it attracts your dog’s attention. The sight and sounds of the animal on the TV will stimulate your dog’s brain to think that there are other animals in the house. This way will make him stay out of trouble in messing your house.
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Dental Chew
Dental chew is necessary to keep your dog away from gnawing your things. Give him plenty of it to keep him busy. And there is much dental chew which has an additional function to clean his teeth and freshen his breath. Choose accordingly to his age.
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Toys
Toys are a must for a dog who is left home alone for a certain period. He definitely will feel lonely without your presence. Hence, give him toys, especially the ones he favors. A durable and tough toy that can’t be torn apart is the best choice. Don’t give him all the toys, just 2 or 3 kinds is enough and after 3-4 days, change his toys with another one to keep him from being bored with the same toy. This will keep your dog exciting with new activities with his different toys.
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Look-through window
Give access to your dog so he can see outside through your window. Open the curtain or the blinds of 1 window so he can see outside. You would never know if he makes friends to your neighbor’s pet through a window.
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Scavenger Hunt
Hide some stuffs or some kibbles around your house and let him busy becoming a hunter. Put some things to hide in the area where your dog usually hangs out. He will spend his time happily there while waiting for u to come back home. It is his nature to hunt so you are making him excited about spending his time alone hunting his food.
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Interactive Pet Cam
There is a high tech gadget which allows you to monitor your dog at home while you are away. You may want to consider to install one which can monitor your dog and let you fling treats on the go through your smartphone.
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Having a play date
If you have friends who are in the same boat as you, it will be a good idea to arrange dates for your dogs and your friends’ dog to play together. This is a great solution for you and your friend to have a doggy play dates. At first, the dogs might play ferociously. But don’t worry, once the excitement over, they will calm down for most of the day. When they keep company, they will have a friend to play along whenever they feel bored.
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Spend some days in Petcare
You can consider this option as another option to get rid of your dog’s boredom. Maybe you can arrange to take your dog for a few days in pet care. Not only your dog will have friends to play with, he will also be taken care of the pet care. However, before leaving your dog there, find some information regarding what kind of service and activities they offer for your dog.
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Hire a dog walker
If you are not convenient with pet care, another option is hiring a dog walker. This method is also a good option for your dog who has high energy. Rather than keeping in his energy, it is better for your dog to go outside with the dog walker and release this high energy to walk around and exercise. You are hitting 2 birds with one stone. Not only your dog can exercise, he is also releasing his pent-up energy stored in himself.
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Install a water fountain
Water is very important for your dogs to keep hydrated. Do not forget to give him enough water. Placing a bowl of water is very easy but once the bowl flipped, there will be no more water for your dogs. It’s very convenient if you buy a water fountain and install it for your dog. Not only fun and entertaining, but it keeps your dog hydrated as well.
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Frozen Toy
This is another idea of how to make your dog happy at home when you are out to work. The idea is to put his food or treat into a container, fill it with water and freeze it. Your pet will have a lot of fun to see his food inside the frozen water and he will be waiting for the ice to melt. He can also lick the ice and have fun by doing so. In the end, the waiting period is worthy. He will get to eat his favorite treat inside the ice.
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Calm your dog
Some dogs are anxious when they are left home alone for a long time. And this condition will probably lead him to destructive manner. However, there are some thing we can do to keep the dog calm. One idea is to apply calming essential oil to his bed or to his playing area. The example of oil which has a calming effect is lavender and peppermint. This trick works like magic. It will keep the dog calm.
Not only that, there are other option to calm the dog, which is to add some herbal tonic to his meal. Or apply a dog pheromones that can be used in the collar that can make him more relaxed.
I hope these tips on how to make your dog happy at home when you are out to work will give you more information about taking care of your dog’s needs. I would like to recommend you to read more in Popular tips to keep your dog happy playing indoors, and Easy guide to take care of dog at home for beginners. Those links are very useful for dog owners.