How do you keep your puppy occupied?

[Dirk]

There are just times where you can't give you pup enough attention like when you're preparing supper and when you have to help your son with your homework. When I buy my pup a toy, he'll play with it a little while. Sometimes I'll give him an ice cube to chase around the kitchen floor.

What do you do to keep your pup occupied?

 

[sisco16]

plastic water bottles with treats or food in side rattles drives her nuts she loves to chew on it. the squeeky toys she is crazy for. and the doggy kongs that you fill with treats or a bit of something to keep them occupied.

 

[bumhouse]

I let the kids do it - they still can't get enough of him and I plan to take full advantage of that fact while it lasts.....

My puppy is pretty good about occupying himself when no one can play with him as long as he has had enough exercise and stimulation that day which I guess varies from dog to dog. If he has been played with and walked, he will usually play with a toy or go to sleep.

He also knows our schedule now and is aware that he's not going to get a lot of attention that time of day (when the kids first get home). I give him a good long walk after lunch so he is pretty tired for the rest of the afternoon.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Toys, toys, toys.

Another dog, lol. Since acquiring his brother, Buddy has just LOVED having a constant playmate at his beck and call...

 

[cindr]

plastic water bottles with treats or food in side rattles drives her nuts she loves to chew on it. the squeeky toys she is crazy for. and the doggy kongs that you fill with treats or a bit of something to keep them occupied.

Hey I like your approach. I just like putting water in mine and then freezing it. That way I do not have to deal with excessive chewing and it assists with a puppy that is teething. That ice just numbs the gumbs:lol-sign: :yikes:

I love the cheap interventions of plastic pop bottles:lol-sign: We get what is inside and the dog gets the toys.

 

[Melissa_W]

There are various toys (kongs, buster cubes, nylabones, etc) but if you are short on money, or just want something now, a hollowed out tennis ball works. Just poke a hole in it and put treats and/or kibble inside. It keeps my guy occupied every day during my shower.

 

[kidsanddogs]

My favorites are the food cubes and balls. But another one I use is a cardboard box close up with treats inside. Works great!

 

[milos_mommy]

with three dogs it's not as hard as it is with one, but milo has about ten times the energy of benji and cody. ice cubes are one i use, he loves to slide them around chasing them. also, i'll let him chase a cricket (from my lizard) once in a while. depending on the breed, lots of play should tire him out to the point where he'll want to take a nap. i haven't had much success with milo and the kong toys, but i hear they work well. as a last resort, crate the puppy if you need to.

 

[Goobiedogs]

My older dog 1.7 yrs now is still as energetic as he was as a pup. NOTHING gets this dog tired, he has boundless energy. We walk him at least 3 long walks a day, play with him, let them run in the yard with toys, MANY MANY safe toys, I give him bully sticks to chew and stay busy. Honestly there is almost nothing I can do that will tire this dog out but we try.

We got our puppy (7mths now) to keep him busy too, so he had a playmate. That worked out great for us, but she tires out much more quickly than him and she naps and relaxes while he paces the rooms. But overall for us this helped a great deal, when she cant play with him, we do.

We even bike with him. My hubbie takes him next to him with a leash and we bike with him, he can run faster than we can bike, its crazy. One night we went 4 miles on the bike (stopping to give him pee stops and water) and you think this would tire him out? NOOOO He came in after his 4 mile run and proceeded to grab toys and run around. So my point is...some dogs are boundless but you do the best you can.

I have been thinking about getting a treadmill for doggies that I can maybe try him on with my total supervision, so he can walk and walk and finally let out that big boy puppy energy.

Safe toys and safe chew sticks and lotsa walks!!! That is the best thing youc can do! And play with the pupp lots too.

 

[GSDlover_4ever]

A Cage is a puppy owner's best friends, .

 

[killerz298]

For some reason my pup doesn't want to play with his toys. I have like 6 of them so there is plenty of variety but he will play with it for like a second and then just sit there and look at me. Sometimes he will follow me around and sit at my feet every time I move. If he is in a wild mood he will bite at my shoes and ankles (I have to wear shoes or my **** feet would be shredded). The same goes for when I am not around. I left the room a few times and watch what he does and he will play with a toy sometimes and then after 2 mins he will just lay on the floor or in his crate and go to sleep.

How do I get him to play with his toys and keep himself active?

 

[dogsarebetter]

get a kong.
put peanut butter in it and freeze it. you pup shouldnt be able to leave it alone.

best way to keep any dog active is to exercise it. it is not too early to leash break it and take in on short walks in your yard.

 

[dogsarebetter]

BTW

different dogs like different things. One dog my like to roll things, so they would get a ball.
one might like to pull things, and I-cube would work for this.
and some dogs will not mess with toys unless they are tastey. thats where the kong comes it to play.
different dogs also like different textures. for example, Ruckus will only play with soft plush toys, or tastey bully sticks and his kong.
try every different type of toy you can until you find what he likes best

 

[MomOf7]

Go to Sportsmens or Here http://www.gundogsupply.com/canvasdummies.html
Get a canvas puppy bumper. Get some of this http://www.gundogsupply.com/-1301-4-.html and apply it to the bumper.
The scent will catch your puppies attention. Toss it around or tie a string to it and let him chase it.
You can also zip tie these to the bumper. Just never ever leave the bumper for the puppy to chew up. Always put it up after play.
http://www.gundogsupply.com/wild-pheasant-wings-2.html

I also wanted to explain that many puppies do not play well on thier own. They get bored. I tie socks with feathers inside to the wire on their pen. Gives them something to play with. Its tough being a lab puppy owner

 

[killerz298]

Go to Sportsmens or Here http://www.gundogsupply.com/canvasdummies.html
Get a canvas puppy bumper. Get some of this http://www.gundogsupply.com/-1301-4-.html and apply it to the bumper.
The scent will catch your puppies attention. Toss it around or tie a string to it and let him chase it.
You can also zip tie these to the bumper. Just never ever leave the bumper for the puppy to chew up. Always put it up after play.
http://www.gundogsupply.com/wild-pheasant-wings-2.html

I also wanted to explain that many puppies do not play well on thier own. They get bored. I tie socks with feathers inside to the wire on their pen. Gives them something to play with. Its tough being a lab puppy owner

Thanks for the suggestions! I do take him outside and let him run around but in the end what he usually ends up doing is siting down and eating leaves. I force him to keep moving in an effort to tire him out. I do this about every 2 hours or so for about 30 mins. I try to play fetch but he wants no part of it.

As for his toys, I have a large blue holee roller rubber ball with holes in it so he can bite it, a regular kong, 3 regular nylabones in different flavors, some other textured bone, a brontosaurus nylabone, another nylabone with the ble spikes in the middle and the plastic nub ends. I gave him a booda bimple but I don't think he understands he can chew it up and eat it as he pretty much chews it for a second and then leaves it.

As for the kong, do I fill the entire thing with peanut butter? I have been just putting some around the edges and sticking it in the freezer. After about 10 mins even if there is still some left on it he just gives up until I put it back in front of him. It seems he has a hard enough time getting that out I don't see how filling it would work, how would he get it out?

 

[MomOf7]

Get some plush toys. Puppies love plush toys.

 

[killerz298]

Get some plush toys. Puppies love plush toys.

I have a hedgehog that I gave to him once but was concerned about the fuzz on the outside when he is chewing it. I will try to give it to him again but I also think if he does like it he will shred the crap out of it in 5 mins lolol.