Bottom line up front: The best dog toys for bored dogs are toys that make your dog think, not just chew. A puzzle toy, a stuffable chew toy, and a good fetch toy, rotated through the week, will tire most dogs out far better than a basket full of squeaky toys your dog ignores.
Why does my dog get bored?
Dogs get bored when their days are too predictable and too quiet. A dog that sleeps all day, then gets one short walk, still has energy and curiosity left over — and that leftover energy often turns into chewing shoes, digging the garden, or barking at every passerby.
Boredom is not bad behavior. It is a sign your dog needs more to do. Mental exercise counts just as much as physical exercise: ten minutes working food out of a puzzle toy can tire a dog out as much as a much longer walk.
What kind of toy tires a dog out fastest?
Toys that make your dog solve a small problem tire a dog out fastest. A ball your dog chases and drops is good exercise, but a toy your dog has to nose, paw, and figure out uses your dog's brain as well as your dog's legs.
The best boredom-busting toy box has three kinds of toy in it:
- A puzzle toy that hides treats your dog has to find
- A stuffable chew toy your dog can lick and gnaw at for a long time
- A fetch toy for fast, active play outside
Rotate these through the week instead of leaving every toy out all the time. A toy your dog has not seen for a few days feels new again.
Which puzzle toys work best for bored dogs?
The Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel is a good example of a puzzle toy that works. Squeaky plush squirrels hide inside a soft tree trunk, and your dog has to pull them out one by one. It suits dogs that love to nose around and "hunt," and you can stuff the squirrels back in and play again.
Start easy. Let your dog watch you hide the first squirrel, and praise every find. If the puzzle is too hard on day one, your dog will give up — build up the difficulty slowly, and always let your dog win in the end.
What about dogs that chew everything?
For strong chewers, a stuffable toy is the safer boredom buster. The KONG Classic Dog Toy is a tough rubber toy you fill with kibble, peanut butter, or a smear of wet food, then freeze overnight. A frozen KONG can keep a dog happily licking and chewing for a long time, which is calming as well as tiring.
Supervise a new chew toy at first, and check it for wear. No toy is indestructible, so retire any toy that cracks or loses chunks. Put chew toys away when playtime ends so they stay special.
How do I stop my dog getting bored of toys?
Rotation is the trick pet owners swear by. Keep half your dog's toys in a cupboard and swap them every few days. Add short training games, like hiding treats around the house for your dog to sniff out, on days when the weather keeps you indoors.
A bored dog usually just needs a job. Give your dog a puzzle in the morning, a fetch game in the afternoon, and a frozen chew toy in the evening, and most of the shoe-chewing and restless barking fades on its own.
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Shop our picks: the KONG Classic Dog Toy for stuffable chew-time fun, and the Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel puzzle toy for boredom-busting enrichment.
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