Pampered pet care is our passion. Doolittle’s Doghouse enjoys entertaining our furry guests with cage-free luxury boarding and in-home pet and house care. We advocate for providing a rich environment that includes stimulating activity in addition to oodles of love and devotion to their daily care needs.
Socialization and Mental Enrichment is important for every dog of every breed at every age.
Breed characteristics also play a role in our engagement with them as owners and pet guardians. Understanding the need of the breed, coupled with positive environmental and social experiences promotes a deeper bond with our companion animals.
Youngsters (puppies up to 3 years of age) have high energy levels that require a little owner ingenuity to keep them entertained, in addition to daily walks and public outings. Younglings left home alone might “act up”, not out of spite yet potentially as a result of boredom, frustration, loneliness or anxiety.
We have a few entertainment ideas to share with you in order to keep your pets positively engaged. You can employ these exercises with your furry children for a fun break in the day for both of you! Our indoor/outdoor entertainment recommendations include our commercial recommendations and a list of easy-to-make items yourself.
Entertainment Dog Toys
Furbo Camera:
The Furbo Dog Camera lets you see, talk, and toss treats to your dog from anywhere…even when you’re home and need “hands-free” entertainment for your dog (and you!). And, with real-time smart alerts, Furbo will alert you when your dog is active so you know what they might be up to when you’re not looking. Buy now @ https://shopus.furbo.com/?sscid=b1k5_b9eb3
Pup Joy Entertainment Boxes
PUPJOY Entertainment Boxes are filled with natural and organic treats, chews, toys and hand-picked accessories delivered to your door. Personalize your pup’s joy by clicking on this link: https://pupjoy.com/?sscid=b1k5_b9fei
We’ve designed our PET STORE for pet owners who spoil their pets as much as we do@ https://doolittlesdoghouse.com/shop There are many fun and essential items in store, so cruise around and take advantage of our merchant’s daily deals. We continue to add products with discerning taste and thoughtful consideration of our fur families. Our Food & Treat section focuses on high-value, USA grade products only.
For crafty ideas using “garden variety” items, see our list of fun and effective entertainment ideas to employ at home:
10 Cheap & Easy DIY Entertainment Ideas:
(1). Box Puzzles with Empty Cardboard Boxes: Yep, just a few empty cardboard boxes stacked on each other or scattered on the floor to satisfy canine or cat curiosity. Hide a few treats in the corners and point the way to get their noses started on some “scent work”.
(2). Cereal Box Puzzle: For this one, fill an empty cereal box with treats and tape it shut so your dog has to get creatively destructive to get the prizes.
(3). Treasure Hunt Game: Hide a few Kong-stuffed toys throughout the house for more scent work and mental enrichment. Start with obvious, easy-to-find places then increase the challenge by hiding them behind couches and chairs. Use command cues like “find it!” – show your dog the treat toy first, put it on the floor, and say “find it”! Once he eats it up, say “good boy”. After the first few times of reinforcing this cue word, then hide them (when he’s not looking at you) and tell your dog to “find it”. Always reward with “good boy” after a successful hunt.
(4). Plastic Bowl Hunt Game: Don’t have a Kong? Place a treat under a plastic bowl. See how long it takes for your dog to turn the bowl over to get the treat beneath. Any small plastic bowl will work, such as an empty cottage cheese or medium-sized yogurt container. Show your dog what you are hiding under the bowl so they understand what they are about to hunt for.
(5). Muffin Tin Game: Using a regular muffin tray, hide treats in the bottom of each muffin “hole” then place tennis balls on top of each. Your dog has to move the balls out of the way to find the treat. To vary the game once mastered, only put treats in some of the holes, yet cover all of them with the balls. See how long it takes to figure out that not every hole has a treasure inside (shouldn’t be long at all as his nose knows)!
(6). Bubble Chase: Using the same bottle of bubble solution and small, plastic “blower” that we played with as kids, the same can be done for both dog and cat entertainment. Make sure they only chase the bubbles and don’t try to eat them! Be sure to aim high in the air to avoid ingestion while encouraging an active game of “chase the bubbles”.
(7). T-Shirt or Sock-Wrapped Water Bottle: This is the easiest to make! Tie an old t-shirt or sock over an empty water bottle. The crinkly sound of the bottle sounds just like a squeaker which we all know dogs love to attack.
(8). Pupsicles: Using an ice-cube tray, fill with chicken broth, freeze and serve outside for a tasty treat. If you have high-value dog treats on hand, stand them up or drop into each cube before freezing. Yum!
(9). Easter Egg Hunt: This can be done year-round. Fill colorful (plastic) Easter eggs with nutritious treats and hide them in the backyard for a special Easter hunt for your dog.
(10). Hula Hoop Jumps: Just a simple Hula Hoop that you hold while you encourage your dog to jump through the hoop. Raise it a notch as he masters this skill. Then wrap around your own waist and see how long you can keep it spinning!
Make every day special! Stay safe, healthy and happy.
Hugs,
Tori
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