Jada enjoys the sun and her foster sister’s company

So I have this mole problem.  And the problem is NOT the mole…it’s the dogs. Yes my dogs, bless their furry hearts, are hard at work protecting the yard from the scary mole. And from the looks of my yard the mole is running and the dogs are in hot pursuit! Excavation is underway. The canine calvary will not rest until the mole has been removed. Which means my yard looks a lot like the Grand Canyon.

After filling in the canyon and planting grass (the mole vacated the property) it was time to find the dogs something better to do.

The Scent Garden

Dogs love to sniff. They explore their world through their nose. There are many plants that dogs enjoy sniffing, such as lavender, mint and rosemary. Planting in raised beds protects plants from being trampled and keeps plants contained to the dog’s garden.

Buried Treasure

Some dogs love digging. Creating a digging spot for your dog will keep the pup busy (and happy) and protect the yard. A small plastic kiddie pool can be filled with mulch (avoid cocoa and rubber type mulches), sand or dirt. Train your dog to explore and dig in that spot by burying treats or bones in the pool. Take your dog to the digging spot. When she begins sniffing praise her. Encourage him to explore, roll and enjoy hunting for treasure. Once a week or so change out the toys/bones with different items so the pup has new things to find.

Dog-sicles

Everyone loves popsicles in the summer. Dogs do, too. Fill a large bowl or the bottom half of a milk jug with water or low-sodium chicken broth. Add a few jerky treats, a rubber ball, or other interesting things to the liquid and freeze. On hot summer days put a dog-sicle on a large tray or bowl then let your pup enjoy a cool treat.

At Crossroads we believe that pets make life better. Sometimes furry family members frustrate their humans because of behavior problems. Sometimes that gets pets sent to the yard outside and into isolation.  In some cases pets are re-homed or worse, abandoned. One of our goals is keeping pets home. Simple tips, like making the yard dog friendly to keep pups from digging up the yard, can often keep pets home. And that’s a win for everyone!

How have you solved your pup’s boredom challenges? We’d love to hear from you!