Bored Games

Does your pup spend too much time sleeping or staring into the middle distance? Or worse, chewing up your slippers? Keep reading!

- Lisa Freedman

as much as we all like to joke about how great it would be to live like a dog, the reality is it can get pretty boring, says Valli Parthasarathy, DVM, PhD, a veterinary behaviorist at Synergy Veterinary Behavior in Portland, Oregon. “Imagine your life without TV, radio, books, and phones,” she says. “That’s what dogs tend to have!” While certain breeds—like border collies or terriers—can feel boredom more keenly, every dog is different, says Courtney Campbell, DVM, a veterinary surgeon in Long Beach, California. A few possible signs that Chewy Lewis is bored: pacing, excessive licking, listlessness, inactivity, and destruction of personal property (his or yours!). Familiar? It’s time to add some fun!

Let Her Lick