Improve Your Dogs To Do List

We all live busy lives with a ton to do each day. But have you ever stopped to wonder about your dogs daily schedule?  If your best friend isn't receiving enough physical and mental stimulation they could fall into a rut. Long days lounging around might sound purely blissful, but the reality is we need to shake things up to prevent boredom or loneliness from setting in. Cabo Dog Boutique has some fun ideas to help you out!
Some common signs of boredom or loneliness in pets that could be a tip that you need to liven things up are as follows:

Couch Potatoes: If your dogs daily routine involves little more than lounging and sleeping, with only meals or quick outings in between, it could be time for a makeover.  Most Couch Potatoes are middle to older aged dogs, but this doesn't mean they don't need new challenges or something special to engage their body and mind.
Clingers: These dogs tend to stick by your side all morning long, then they can be found longingly waiting by the door for your return at the end of the day.  Clingers tend to suffer from bouts of separation anxiety and will turn to destructive behavior as a way of dealing with their anxious tendencies.
Diggers:  This title pretty much says it all!  The digger is the bored dog who seems to have a mission in life to rid the entire yard of the the last bit of landscaping, or dig a hole to China, whichever comes first! Exhibiting this type of destructive behavior is a sure sign your dog needs more to do.
Chewers:  Yes, chewing is natural for dogs and is a great past time and effective way to relieve stress or angst. BUT chewing on the furniture or any of the other no no's is not! Cabo Dog Boutique has a variety of chewing options to offer your dog a safe and suitable option to those new leather shoes or antique furniture.
The idea here is not to feel obligated to supply our dogs with activities every waking moment.  What we are striving for is to keep things fresh and new.  By simply making some subtle changes in their day to day activities, your dog can start to make positive changes in their daily routine.  A helpful outlook while revamping their To Do List is to think like a dog!  Look at things in their everyday environment and think, is this something my dog can enjoy? How can I change something ordinary into extraordinary?
For the Couch Potato, try changing up his walking route and add some small obstacles along the way. Let your dog guide you on the walk, allowing him to decide where he wants to go. Walk up some steps, or take him through a series of stops and turns. Mental stimulation and engagement is the key here.  When your walk is finished, introduce a scent stimulating toy.  These long lasting organic natural Loofa Toys are fantastic.  The natural beef flavoring and Organic Loofa taste great and feel good on their teeth and gums.  Not to mention its a great way to clean and floss their teeth, a win win situation!
For the Clinger, Digger or Chewers looking for something to do, experts advise to introduce a dog puzzle. Cabo Dog Boutique has fun a selection of dog puzzles. These exciting and tricky games let you choose a mildly challenging puzzle or a more complex puzzle, whichever suits your dog best. And they come with a food reward, a definite bonus. Another food reward toy that is top rated for quality and durability is the Tux Dog Toy by Westpaw Designs. Cabo Dog Boutique carries the entire line of these Made in the USA toys. The Tux is a great combination of an extremely durable,stuff-able and toss-able dog toy all at the same time! Crunching toys are also a great way to interest your dog. Water Bottle Crunchers are a super fun way to keep your pet distracted and avoid those unwanted behaviors.  They are a soft cuddly toy stuffed with a removable plastic water mik jug. The sound of the plastic crunching satisfies a dogs desire to hunt and catch prey.  These safe and fun toys are great because you simply refill the plastic bottle with a new one when the time comes!

Summer time toys of engagement are also effective. The Hydro Ball or Hydro Bone combine fun and refreshment in one great experience!  Any Cough Potato, Clinger Digger or Chewer will benefit from this specially designed toy.
Mental stimulation and engagement are critical in your dogs daily To Do List.  We hope these helpful tips are useful!  Woof!