How about the tread mill? Or teaching her a new sniff and hunt game? I used to put the tiniest amount of peanut butter in a Kong that would keep my dog busy for a long time. I kind of felt it was a little mean because there wasnt much reward in the end. Can you imagine being able to smell something scrumptious but only getting a teeny little taste? :)

Yeah, I feel the same, moonie. And .... peanut butter is highly caloric. And yes, sniff and hunt is what I meant by "find it".....we hide pieces of carrot or other vegetable (fortunately she loves them) and she goes around and sniffs them out.

No tread mill here.

I really just don't want her wanting to eat all day long in order to stimulate her. I should also have mentioned that she really has no interest in toys.

https://www.dogtv.com

My dog will walk no matter the weather. Do you have a nearby pet smart or other large pet store you can make a few turns in?

Play date with a compatible dog? Have you tried a laser pointer? Most people know they work for cats, but some dogs, especially terriers, like to chase them.

In my younger days, my son and II would play hide and seek with our dog. We would go hide (in the shower or wherever) and then call my dog. She would go running all over trying to find us....loved to watch her in the mirror looking and approaching very cautiously because we would jump out at her when least expected. Then we would laugh and hug her when she succeeded.

Get a busy or bouncy bone. I only put on 1 treat and she loves to play with it. She also likes to run for toys when I throw them.

Hmmmm.. Good idea about walking around a store. Petco, PetSmart, Home Depot. Yup - for sure. Hide and seek might work. No interest in toys. Laser pointer - yes! I'll try that!

You might look on the *Do More With Your Dog* web site and sign up for the free dog trick training groups. Maybe making her work for her kibble doing *Find It* one day and dog trick training the next? Does she already balance on sports balls and things like that? Train her as a therapy dog? Rally or rally obedience?

I'll be watching this thread for ideas. I'm always looking for new games to play during rainy days. Fortunately my dogs love to fetch and play tug but we could always use some new games.

Maybe a stint at a doggie day care once in a while? If you can find a high quality one that would meet her needs without putting her at any risk?

OMG it's a DOG, an animal, not a human. You are bored. You need to find a hobby. Your dog would be happy if you're happy. Some dogs stay in a cage all day while their people go to work. All they want is your attention. Just love the dog, pet it, talk to it.

This stuff with putting human emotions onto an animal is not healthy for humans. It makes you anxious and worried for no reason. Make yourself content and unbored and your dog will be happy too. They don't need entertainment. You do.

Never use laser pointer as entertainment for dogs. It can create a condition called shadow chasing. They will pounce at light coming through a window, computer cursors, clouds moving across the sky etc. This is not an obsession you want to induce in a dog.

Teach her new tricks. You can use food as an initial motivator but later use praise instead. The transition is gradual, First a treat, then treats sometimes and sometimes not, and sometimes saved up treats to be given at once. Eventually the dog will be training for the fun and opportunity for your attention rather than the treat.

Oops! I didn't know that about the laser pointer, Watchmelol. We've used one with Westies without incident. Sorry to make a potentially harmful suggestion, Suzieque.

Between the snow and cold, it’s impossible to exercise our dog outside so we put her in a puppy day care a couple of times a week. 6 hours and she comes home exhausted. It’s a great way to keep them properly socialized too. Day care is popular resource in our area.

Susan...I sure hope you don’t own a dog.

Don't worry, susan has a hobby. ;-)

I don't entertain my dog; my dog entertains me. I provide necessities, daily exercise and interaction along with lots of love. I take my buddy with me whenever/wherever I can. He's content.

I third the doggy day care idea. We take our young dog there once a week at least to get some energy out. They have an area for big dogs and an area for small to keep them segregated if that is important to you.

I think doggie daycare is a great idea but i wonder if this is a good time considering the doggy flu that's been going around.

Another dog, or doggy day care.

Thanks, everyone. Some great ideas. Susanzone5, I respect your opinion but it doesn't fit in my world. You say I need to get a hobby, as though I'm wasting my time caring that my dog is enjoying her life. Seriously? We have lots of hobbies. Some include our dog, some don't. And .... why couldn't we consider our dog one of our hobbies? Sheesh. I consider it my responsibility to give our dog a full life. I am happy and her contentment makes me happier. Sorry that you haven't experienced that, I guess.

Yes, some dog spend their whole day in a crate while the owners are at work, as you said. I don't think that's a great life for a dog, although I know it's often necessary and believe that their owners make up for it when they are home. Some dogs spend their lives chained to a tree. Some dogs have a good life with people who include their companion animals in their life and help them to be happy. We delight in interacting with our dog. It's not, as you imply, our whole life; we're busy and engaged in lots of activities (yep, believe it or not, mostly without the dog). Better not to speak of that which you don't know. Not interested in starting an argument. Just wanted to respond to your post, which I find kind of insulting and silly.

Interesting about the laser pointer. I did try that out last night and she loved it. But I don't want to cause any damage to her.

We're going on a bit of a hike today. My husband and I will love it, our dog will love it. Thanks again, everyone.

Get another dog. Izzi is seldom alone, because, she has other doggies come and be with her. My daughter's leave their dogs here most of the time, however, if they are not, she is fine. Izzi is now ten years old and going strong according to her vet.

Sue and Izzi Too

I do not have any advice. What we do is bundle up, including long underwear on very cold & windy days. And we walk a few times a day. Same for rainy days, we put on drizzle boots & raincoats & out the door we go.

AKC suggests using Flirt Pole instead of laser pointer.

Suzieque, I agree that the owners do have a responsibility to ensure that their pet is healthy AND happy. We take ours to day camp for socialization as he's not interested in toys or playing games.

I would only recommend getting another dog if the owner truly wants to add another fur member to the family. It's a gamble to get one to balance the resident dog as you could end up with two unbalanced dogs.

Never heard of a Flirt Pole. What a great idea.

I made flirt poles, never knew they had a name, years ago for my cats. I called them cat fishing poles. Because the cats love to try to catch the "fish" on the pole. I used long wooden dowls from the hardware store, a section of elastic string, and the prize which was usually a bit of fake fur or a little mouse toy and some thin strings of ribbon. Tie all that into a little bundle and then tie it to the elastic which was tied to the pole. We would play for hours. My dogs however never showed an interest in it.

Well said Suzie.

Flirtpoles are great for cats and maybe smaller dogs, but my lab would look at me as if I’m nuts. HA!!!

I know my Great Danes were not the least bit interested lol.

Thanks, folks.

Yes, I've made flirt poles for my cats (although I never heard of that name before) and they've loved them. But alas, my little dog would have zero interest. I'm tellin' ya, she's just not into toys. She has her small blanket which she loves (sometimes the lovin' is, ahem, a bit embarrassing if she chooses to realllllly love it instead of just play with it. TMI? Ha. Yes, she is spayed). And she has one stuffed animal that she likes.

Temp is up to 33 degrees today so we did go for a bit of a walk. I gave her plenty of time to sniff around. C'mon, Spring!

ETA: Oh, and, yes, I've considered another dog. Get my pet a pet! But I don't think I'm ready for that at this point. I don't want to upset the balance here, I'm not all that interested in learning to walk two dogs, and although I'd love to have another one, things are good the way it is. I do think I'll put her back in a local doggy day care one day a week for a couple of months (she was in one for a couple of years, one day a week, when I was working) and that's $20 well spent.

I'm glad that most people who've contributed understand the commitment we make to our pets - - - and that it adds to our own pleasure, as well. I remember reading one time: Your pet is a part of your life. You ARE your pet's life.

“I’m glad that most people who’ve contributed undertstand the commitment we make to our pets - - - and that it adds to our own pleasure, as well. I remember reading one time: Your pet is a part of your life. You ARE your pet’s life.“

Perfectly written and so true.

i haven't read all of the posts, but have you tried an electronic bird? one that flies around? or one on a spring (as in for a cat)? or one of those drones?

those both drive my dog nutso. even an airplane (that flies around). my girl

barks and chases after those - outside tho. she races around to 'get at 'em' when they fly around here. i tell her they do that just to torture her. At night, i tell her the planes are her (previous) siblings (canine) and the neighbor dogs who now have wings. I tell they're all flying around to check on her and be sure she's taking care of me (and minding me).

She usually doesn't listen to me much, so i figure she can't understand English anyway.