Did you know that, like humans, dogs can get bored? Dog boredom usually occurs when your pup isn’t getting enough mental stimulation, physical exercise or enrichment. And when a dog is bored, it usually manifests in negative or problematic behaviors, like destruction. Fortunately, there are ways to bust the boredom. Here’s an overview of boredom in dogs and how to resolve it.
Why Dogs Get Bored
In general, dogs become bored because they don’t have enough to do or think about and are not able to expend their excess energy. In particular, boredom often occurs when a dog isn’t getting enough physical exercise, mental stimulation, socialization, enrichment, playtime or entertainment.
Though our canine companions are now meant to be just that – companions – their descendants had ways to avoid boredom that our pups don’t have. For instance, the wolves and wild dogs they came from used their energy and time to find food. Then when dogs were domesticated, they were bred to perform specific jobs, such as herding cattle or retrieving game. These instincts are still strong within your dog, but he or she isn’t expending the energy performing those tasks, which can result in boredom.