Thursday, October 6, 2011

Assessing the Situation

As most of you know, I am privileged  to be able to bring Finn with to work everyday.  It's wonderful therapy for not only me, but the rest of the office.  We go for some exercise in the morning, I bring squeaky toys and puzzle toys and treats in with me, we go for some shorter walks throughout the day.  Thing is, at some point throughout the day, she can be seen looking like this:


BORED.

Don't get me wrong, every day she can also be seen at some point like this:


NOT BORED.

But I get a little worried that she needs a little more stimulation throughout the week.  Any ideas?  I've been reading some articles on doggie boredom and activities you can do with them to keep them entertained, but they don't keep these things in mind: we're essentially indoors and in an old house, and you know, I'm at work, so I actually have to get work done during the day.  I'm just looking to switch it up a little...

15 comments:

  1. DH was looking at a job with that beni several years ago and thankfully didn't get it as the company went belly up shortly afterwards. I have always thought Bailey would be a great office dog, though. Katy not so much. She lacks the patience and wants more time and attention if you are around.

    Does Finn like any of the puzzle toys? She seems awfully content just being able to be with you.

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  2. Hey Finn!
    Wow, getting to work with your peep is pawesome! There are lots of mental toys out there to help keep us pooches occupied. I have this purple plastic egg that holds treats and when I roll it around, they fall out for me. I also have a toy that has cups for holding treats and when I figure out how to lift the cups I get the yummers. Maybe your Mom can hunt the pet stores for a few of these. Might help! They are definitely fun, fun, fun!
    Grr and Woof,
    Sarge, COP

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  3. Mom hunted and found two sites you might try for mental exerciser toys. kyjenDOTcom (click "Buy", "Toys", "Dog Games"). and dogDOTcom (click "Interactive dog toys").

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  4. Well she might not necessarily be bored just resting you know we do get tired and like some down time. But here are some things I likes. Walking in new places or just changing the route up. Watching things. I loves to sit on my picnic table and oversee my kingdom (don't tell Mouse cause she thinks it is her kingdom). ~Fenris

    PS: if she can watch TV I likes the shows with animals in them. Mommy says they are "Nature".

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  5. Fred would be a perfect office dog, oh how I wish I could take him to work with me.

    How about advanced tricks? like a dog praying or shaking on command.. stuff like that to keep the mind stimulated?

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  6. Lucky Finn to be an office dog. Maybe she's not really bored - just thinking :-) love from Magic xx

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  7. Finn, maybe you could help your mom with her work, like by taking paper and putting in in the recycling bin, or bringing her things she might need...You know like an assistance dog. Or a pawsonal assistant...

    -Gizmo, Bart and Ruby

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  8. Have you tried a peanut butter stuffed Kong? That should keep her occupied for some time. Whisky has a ball that has an opening for treats to fall out. It keeps her occupied AND gets her to move around quite a bit.

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  9. One thing I try to remember is that the "natural" state of dogs is to sleep A LOT, with short bursts of activity...so inactivity for dogs may not be as bad as we often think it is!

    But a few mental stimulation toys are a great idea. I recommend the purple plastic thing Sarge mentions, and you can make your own version of the other toy he recommends by putting tennis balls in a muffin tin, and a treat under each tennis ball! Good for a few minutes of fun, at least!

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  10. Finn might just be resting - like I'm doing now.
    Earlier, I was running around like crazy. But, now I am just content to rest :)
    Stewey

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  11. Hey Finn, can I come to work with you and help keep you from getting bored?
    Nuzzles,
    Buddy

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  12. You're so lucky you get to go to work with your mom. You do like to watch tv, right? You can have a laptop and watch some videos on youtube.

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  13. I agree with Magic. And she's probably just so happy to tag along with you, that whatever the day brings, it's fine with Finn!!
    I was home most days with Penny, and I still worried that besides the walks and playtime, that I wasn't giving her an exciting enough life; she was never going to go duck hunting like many of her siblings were trained for!! But I'll tell you, not only Penny, but all the dogs like Finn in dog blog land, get more attention than your average dog. So don't make yourself too crazy thinking she's not stimulated enough. She's living a wonderful life with you!!
    And I mentioned in a post on Charlie's site, that today is one year that Penny passed away, so in case you didnt see that, please give Finn an extra hug today, from me. Thank you!!

    Karen

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  14. That's so great that you get to go to work! Maybe they can get you to be the paper shredder or something -- I know I am a natural at tearing up paper towels and paper napkins.

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  15. We find that if we give our dogs some vigorous physical exercise at some point during the day, then they don't seem to get bored. Is there a place to run Finn for a bit either before, during or after work?

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