# How do you entertain a puppy indoors?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 10, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943 "2013-05-10T00:07:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/1 "2013-05-10T00:07:12Z")
I’ve have my dog Rex 85 pound boxer mix, who I adopted 3 months ago, he’s a year and a half old. Since I’ve gotten him I’ve been religiously dragging him out for a 2-3 our hike every afternoon regardless of weather. He hates rain and snow but he’s been dragged along regardless. Yesterday he had a bad day, I dragged him up a nearby mountain during a rainstorm, he fell in a pond and was given a bath upon returning. I kinda felt bad for the big baby and his hatred of water.
Today was the first time I’d left him outside his kennel while I was out, as it turned out I also returned late. To my amazement he was a good boy and didn’t decide to destroy anything while I was out. I’ve spent an hour and a half giving him belly rubs and playing tug o war.
I kinda want to spend some time on the computer. He’s pretty upset by this and defiantly wants more attention. I wanted to avoid the hike because it’s late and it’s raining. Any suggestions on entertaining puppies with minimal effort? any active toys for dogs I should know about?
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/2 "2013-05-10T05:33:21Z")
Wait, let me see if I’m reading this right:
You have a puppy who is ready, eager, willing, and demanding of constant non-stop attention from you, but you want to spend some time on your computer instead?
_Where are your priorities, dude?_
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/3 "2013-05-10T07:23:46Z")
> [@A. A. Milne](#):
>
> I met a Puppy as I went walking;
> We got talking,
> Puppy and I.
> “Where are you going this nice fine day?”
> (I said to the Puppy as he went by).
> “Up to the hills to roll and play.”
> “I’ll come with you, Puppy,” said I.
[Puppy And I by A.A. Milne • 51 poems by A.A. Milne](http://allpoetry.com/poem/8518983-Puppy_And_I-by-A.A._Milne)
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### Author:  [@emoticorpse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emoticorpse)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/4 "2013-05-10T07:59:49Z")
You can get another dog so they play together?
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### Author:  [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/5 "2013-05-10T09:22:23Z")
Chew toys. Hundreds of them. A treat wrapped in about 3 layers of old socks. A bone from the pet shop. Distract with food dude!
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### Author:  [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/6 "2013-05-10T10:17:52Z")
> [@emoticorpse](#):
>
> You can get another dog so they play together?
My mum has this Dutch poem written in the window:
Ik zit mij voor het vensterglas
Zo gruwelijk te vervelen
Ik wou dat ik twee hondjes was
Dan kon ik samen spelen
Which translates roughly as:
I’m looking out of the window
So bored in this bad weather [I changed this for rhyme]
I wish I were two puppy dogs
So I could play together
For the OP: maybe a [Kong](http://www.kongcompany.com/)? You can put some peanut butter on the inside, which they try to lick out. They bounce a bit, so it keeps them busy awhile.
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### Author:  [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/7 "2013-05-10T11:01:37Z")
Our pup is a pug - about 10 months old. She has a cat to entertain her. They rassle and chase and tumble and carry on till one or the other gets tired or bored. If the cat doesn’t want to play, the dog has all kinds of toys to destroy and leave underfoot. We’re also fortunate to have about 2 acres fenced so we can let her out to chase squirrels and birds and butterflies to her heart’s content, then she’ll come in and collapse into a nap.
Of course, for an 85# pup, you’d need one big cat… :eek:
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### Author:  [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/8 "2013-05-10T11:12:03Z")
Throw him a cat.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/9 "2013-05-10T11:40:04Z")
There are “puzzle toys” that hold a few pieces of food that the dog needs to work at to obtain.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/10 "2013-05-10T11:46:09Z")
If you turn off the computer, playing hide-and-seek type games are cool. The dog is told to sit-stay. You hide (say, behind an interior door somewhere in the house. Yell, “come, find me”.
Initially you urge the dog on with vocal cues. Reward the dog with a treat when he finds you. Eventually work up to no vocal cues other than the initial “find me” and let the dog search.
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### Author:  [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/11 "2013-05-10T13:09:06Z")
He has a couple congs unfortunately he’s gotten very good at licking peanut butter out so they don’t last very long anymore.
My sister gave me a bag of chew toys, she’s a dog groomer and she had a number of extra toys around. He is a destroyer of chew toys, he pulled the stuffing out of the ones he liked(ones that had been used by other dogs) and I can’t get him to spend as much time on the un-dog scented ones. If I’m not actively presenting them to him he loses interest. Is there something I could dip them in or something to give them a taste/scent he’ll have more interest in? There doesn’t seem to be a large selection of pre-chewed toys 🙂
Addition pets are out, I don’t need any more future vet bills. He’ll cost me enough all by himself.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_I\_Am](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_I_Am)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/12 "2013-05-10T13:39:03Z")
Dogs are creatures of habit. If he is used to going on daily hikes, you might find he is restless on days when it doesn’t happen. Maybe you could go for much shorter hikes when the weather is bad?
If you block the hole at the base of a kong (we stand it upright in a mug) you can freeze yogurt in there which takes longer to eat than peanut butter.
Know any other dogs you can arrange play dates with?
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### Author:  [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/13 "2013-05-10T13:50:11Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> There are “puzzle toys” that hold a few pieces of food that the dog needs to work at to obtain.
THIS!
We have Kong (brand Name) toys and toys like them. The biggest time minder is [this style](https://www.google.com/search?q=Kong+dog+toy&client=firefox-a&hs=5j9&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=5PmMUfbAL6PR0wGNoIDADQ&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAQ&biw=1463&bih=713#imgrc=qpDyYLx6BEvhwM%3A%3BqtRw2Ot6bqNe1M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdoggoneblog.typepad.com%252Fphotos%252Funcategorized%252Fkongdogtoybig.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdoggoneblog.typepad.com%252Fdog_gone_blog%252F2006%252F09%252Foh_kong_how_i_l.html%3B306%3B252) and our trick is to rub peanut butter up inside the toy (deep) and push in a few small dog biscuits. Sometimes I take a small slice of American cheese and glue it to the inside of the toy using peanut butter.
If you look at illustrations they show the toys packed solid with treats. We don’t ever do that. A little goes a long way if you hide it well enough. The dog will sit there for at least 30 minutes working its tongue into the toy. Great time minder.
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### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/14 "2013-05-10T14:33:50Z")
I’m stuck on the part where you take a 2-3 hour hike EVERY DAY. Do you have a job? When do you sleep? I’m pretty impressed.
A bit dismayed by the word “drag”… surely you didn’t have to force or persuade him to go along? Also calling him a _big baby_ and being amazed he was a good dog while you were out. I’m sensing ambivalence here.
This dog loves you more than any human being ever has or ever will. Your task is to become worthy of that.
> [@](#):
>
> If you can start the day without caffeine,
> If you can get going without pep pills,
> If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
> If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
> If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
> If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
> If you can overlook when those you love take it out on you when, through no fault of yours, something goes wrong,
> If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
> If you can ignore a friend’s limited education and never correct him,
> If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend,
> If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
> If you can conquer tension without medical help,
> If you can relax without liquor,
> If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
> If you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion or politics,
> Then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog!
> —Author unknown
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### Author:  [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/15 "2013-05-10T14:59:45Z")
I keep marrow bones in the freezer for when I need some non-dog time and they’re longing for something to do.
I also will feed my girls from one of the treat dispensing toys, they have to work for their dinner! One of them is a ball, and the other is [this (the bottom one)](http://www.busybuddytoys.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/behavior/busybuddy/chucklewaggle/description).
Frozen Kongs are great, use yogurt or dog food or cottage cheese, or a mish-mash of dry food and soft food.
A few minutes of mental work can be just as tiring as a long run, don’t forget. Teaching tricks with a clicker is great, they have to puzzle out what you’re asking for and really use their brains.
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### Author:  [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/16 "2013-05-10T15:29:57Z")
My favorite “get the dog off my case” trick is to give her a frozen soup bone. I have a 75-pound American Bulldog (3 years old). It takes her about an hour to gnaw off all the meaty bits and get all the marrow out. She might chew on the bone for another half hour or so and then she’s ready for a cuddle.
I used Bark Busters training and found [this article](http://www.barkbusters.com/page.cfm/ID/469/iNewsID/1113/newsTypeID/23) on their website. I actually tried the shell game/hide the treat with my dog and she loved it – and was very, very good at finding the treat. I used three actual seashells, made her sit-stay, and then put the food under one shell. Rearrange (you will not fool your dog – they know exactly where the treat is) and then release the dog. Let it take its time to get the treat. We’re both also big fans of “hide and seek feeding.” Instead of feeding the whole meal in one bowl, which the dog will just gulp down, I might hide a few kibbles here and there, all over the house, or in one room. She’s got to sniff it out, move things, solve puzzles to get all her dinner.
Point being, you have to tire out the dog before you can go off and do your own thing. Ignoring a dog is also part of training because you have to teach them to entertain themselves in a non-destructive way. Mental games, such as teaching tricks or just working on basic obedience skills, tire out a dog much more than a 2-hour run. Think about it: workouts give you energy and get you all hyped up. Works the same way with dogs. Wanna wear out a dog, make it think. BarkBusters taught me many ways to do this and I get compliments on how well-behaved she is.
I start with a 30-minute walk to make sure she’s empty and to just get the zoomies out. When we get back home, she gets a drink and a short rest break, and then we work on obedience or tricks for about 20 minutes (until her attention starts to wander even though I might have food/treats in hand). By then, I’ve worked her body and her mind and she’s had plenty of loving attention, scritches, and belly rubs and she’s ready to go settle down with an old bone or her Kong.
Note: Try fat-free or low-fat cream cheese in place of peanut butter. It has way less fat and no sugar at all so the dogs don’t get too much “junk food”. I’ve been known to stuff the Kong and then freeze it. Frozen goodies take much longer for the dog to get to, which gives you more time to yourself.
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### Author:  [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-entertain-a-puppy-indoors/657943/17 "2013-05-10T15:53:32Z")
I think as long as your dog gets adequate walks and lovings, there’s no reason he can’t be taught to lay down in the room you’re in and just be with you, without demanding constant attention. I have six dogs. When I get home from work we feed horses, fill bird feeders and play in the yard. Then we go in the house and they get their dinner. Then I eat and watch TV/surf the web. They’re all with me while I’m relaxing, but except for coming over occasionally to get pats or ear scritchies, they’re content just to be with me. They’re laying on dog beds/dog couch, sometimes getting up to check on things outdoors. Of course, they have each other during the day, so they have that stimulation.
StG