How to Keep your Dog Entertained at Home

As the first month of the new year comes to an end, many of us are still feeling stuck in 2020 as lockdowns continue from last year’s life-changing pandemic.

For me, my labradoodle Cali (pictured below), has been a shining light in these challenging times to keep me entertained, comforted, and feeling loved.

And just like me, Cali has been going a little stir-crazy being stuck at home. That’s why I compiled this list of activities you can do to keep your dog occupied and happy.

1. Buy Treat-Dispensing Toys — These fun kibble-dispensing toys keep your pets busy for some time as they are forced to earn their meals. It might take some time for them to figure out how the toys should be played with to get their reward, but once they get the gist, you won’t be able to take the toys away. You can even create your own treat-dispensing toys from objects around your house, like in this video of Cali.
2. Teach your dog new tricks — The old adage “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” didn’t predict that we would all be stuck at home with so many hours free to train our dogs. There are many apps you can use to get trick ideas, like GoodPup and Puppr, and you can use the app DogLog to track their training progress.
3. Take long walks together — Just because many places are still in lockdown doesn't mean you can’t take long walks outside with your pups. Put on a fun podcast or your favorite music and explore your neighborhood with your dog while burning calories and tiring your pup out.
4. Buy long-lasting chews and toys — When in doubt, get your pup something entertaining and long-lasting to munch on. Dogs love chewing as it releases serotonin (the happy hormone) so if you need your pup to be occupied for a longer period of time, get them some chews like No Hide or Himalayan Yak Dog Chews.

The recommendations above are not sponsored. Many of them are products I use for Cali.