My dog's home alone for 12 hours. How can I keep her entertained?

Hi there. Easily digestible chews like denteez (can be ordered online) may help. Slow feeder bowls can often deter boredom as well as the dog has to "work" for food. Toys like a kong will hold treats and make your dog play with the toy and work for it as well. This often helps with boredom. Some dogs enjoy a radio or television on as well-just for the background noise. You you always entertain the thought of getting her a playmate as well, although I know puppies are a big responsibility. Hope this helps you guys!

12 hours is too long for most dogs who can’t get out to use the potty. 8-10 is generally the maximum time they can comfortably hold their urine. If she has a place to use the bathroom, she will be fine. Dogs don’t really have a sense of time. I recommend to have a friend come over to walk her mid day. You can also use the walking services offered by Rover.com. This will give Kiki a break and some exercise. When you are home, make sure she gets a good walk every day and a play session. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

More and more people are allowing dogs to be in their house with them, but dogs sleep about 14 hours a day, so it really doesn't matter where they are during those 14 hours. They key is to have the remaining 10 hours involve good quality time. Depending on the dog, that may involve walks, playing with toys, playing with other dogs, or playing with humans. If you have having behavior problems with Edgar because he seems bored, then I would certainly try to find ways to stimulate him more either inside or outside his cage. One thing that people think of first is treats that keep them busy for a longer period of time. You can use long lasting treats like a Kong filled with peanut butter, yogurt, treats, etc and frozen so it takes longer for him to eat. My dog also really like Bully Sticks which I also freeze to make them last a little longer. Keep him mentally and physically busy during meal times. I love using a feeding balls like a Buster Cube or Tricky Treat ball to feed meals in. It keeps dogs busy for at least 5-10 minutes at each meal and requires them to work. There are also a number of interactive dog games and toys available now. Outward Hound makes a number of toys that your dog has to figure out a puzzle of some type before they get a treats. Here are some ideas for those. https://www.petco.com/category/dog/dog-toys/interactive-dog-toys/dog-puzzle-toys-and-games I hope that answers your question and was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Puzzle toys that she has to solve in order to get a treat will keep Banba occupied while you are gone at work. They require that the dog has to use their mind to solve this puzzle, and they do get a reward at the end of it. There are some great ones available, but the best ones are by Nine Ottosson. Check out her website to see about getting some of these for Banba: http://www.nina-ottosson.com

You could try to give her a Kong filled with treats or other types of toys that that dispense treats when playing with. You can even freeze the Kong with a peanut butter/ treat mixture so it takes longer for the dog to eat.

Some dogs just don't care for toys, and this is ok! You could try puzzle toys where you put treats or dog food inside and they have to figure out how to get the food out. This is great mental stimulation and can provide some exercise. I do not recommend leaving soft toys or rawhide at home while you are gone just in case your dog decides to pull it apart or swallow large pieces - these can be a choking hazard. There are lots of options here: https://www.drsfostersmith.com/dog-supplies/dog-toys/interactive-and-treat-toys/ps/c/3307/3/3287

You can give her a Kong toy with treats in it that Kota has to get out, or you can get her a puzzle toy that she has to solve in order to get a treat. Both of those will help keep her occupied. I totally understand her hating the cone, but as you know, it's extremely important she keeps it in. It's not for too long (10-14 days), and then she will be free from it :-)