Apt. Corgi, Lack Of Things To Do: suggestions?
so our poor corgi has a lack of things to do while being in a kennel while we are gone and gets bored easily as any smart corgi pup does. Are there any toys that will keep him preoccupied for a couple hours?
just some background: he is not that into chew toys: even though he is teething( 5 mo. now). He cant have soft toys with stuffing because he will eat it which is why he is currently on a bland diet... does not like any sort of water, very food motivated, but we dont want him getting fat.
toys we have tried so far: edible nylabones- which he isnt all that into, puppy kong which he has very little interest in unless there is food in it and even then loses interest, and soft toys that ended up being a problem because he ate the stuffing.
he has started overgrooming his toes from-i am guessing-the anxiety because he doesnt bark or whine all that much and i try to take him out as much as i can and he goes to the dog park every day so he is socialized and exercised.
Are there any activities or toys that have kept your corgis busy when they are alone?
just some background: he is not that into chew toys: even though he is teething( 5 mo. now). He cant have soft toys with stuffing because he will eat it which is why he is currently on a bland diet... does not like any sort of water, very food motivated, but we dont want him getting fat.
toys we have tried so far: edible nylabones- which he isnt all that into, puppy kong which he has very little interest in unless there is food in it and even then loses interest, and soft toys that ended up being a problem because he ate the stuffing.
he has started overgrooming his toes from-i am guessing-the anxiety because he doesnt bark or whine all that much and i try to take him out as much as i can and he goes to the dog park every day so he is socialized and exercised.
Are there any activities or toys that have kept your corgis busy when they are alone?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James on
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Pent up in the kennel I'm not very sure. My little guy sounds alot like yours though much younger (9.5 wks). But he is a brilliant little guy that gets bored fast and even among his pile of toys (literally) he will not play by himself. If I ignore him (folding clothes or whatever) he nibbles on his feet just above his toes. I check him alot for ticks, he just thinks he tastes good? He also isnt really food driven but does like treats. There are 2 things that I know your little pup would love. The Kong-Ball (appropriate size, I use the "JR") Stuffin. It's not like that bubbly thing that you put spray cheese in, you can put dog-bones in it. He didnt care for it at first so I sort of trained him to like it. I played with him with it empty, then encouraged him to play, he just rolled it a bit with his nose then ignored it. Then let him see me put a treat in it and he really wanted it, but played with it and then ignored it. So finally I took a biscuit and broke it in two then broke one half into quarters and put them in the ball then plugged the hole with the other half so he could sort of gnaw at it. He did and once that piece came out he went back for more actively then pop-food came out. After 2 days he loved the thing and still does and he paws at it and quietly whines when it's empty. I have to keep it out of his reach unless I want him to stay entertained. The other thing is the Buster-Food Cube, it's sort of similar and food driven but has levels of difficulty you set. I have one, but I got one too but and he likes it but just cant master it yet so I put it away. The un-edible nylabones work well for me for a short time. Mabye if you had a few different ones? He apparently likes stuffed toys, well there is a stuffed bone with a squeeker that is gortex/canvas with a seam that there is no way he could rip out. I got them from publix in the pet aisle. It came in a pack of 2. Blue/Green camo patterend stuffed bones. It was called a Toughstructable bone I think. Or try a black-kong, it's for bull-terriers and stuff. Try searching for stuffed toys for a Bull-terrier or Jack Russel, they are both some nasty chewers. My friends bully destroyed her hard plastic/carbon formed guitar case, and those things are tough.
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Oh yeah, mabye hide a few treats in his kennel too, I heard that helps some.
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Permalink Reply by Arang&Mark on
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well he isnt like a crazy chewer, he just gets bored really easily. even with the nylabones, he might gnaw on it for all of 2 min. then just leave it alone. same for the kongs even with food. the stuffed toys do better for his interest but usually after a week he will decide to chew on exactly one area of the toy and eat the stuffing. I would do bones but bones stuff on carpet doesnt do so well. it is unfortunate he is in his kennel so much but we do try to take him out when at home. i used to put treats in his kennel when we were kennel training him, but how exactly do you hide a treat in such a small area? oh, i forgot to add that he isnt all that crazy about squeakers he liked the one that sounded like a duck, but killed that stuffed toy. he is pretty good with his rope toy (the only one that survived) but he needs somethign to keep him occupied for a couple of hours. and i am waiting to put soft things in his kennel because potty training is going a little slow.... thanks for your support though! your puppy is darling!
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i will definitely try the stuffed bone..i totally misread what you wrote. figures i should be sleeping 5 am in the morning.
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Im right there with you, lol and my barking alarm clock is going to be going off in about 2 hours......aak!
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Permalink Reply by Carlie on
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The stuffed bone is a great idea, also rotating toys...keeping a few out at a time definitely keeps Kiwi interested in her toys. Also, maybe try looking into whether a nearby vet has doggie day care, and if it's not too expensive, maybe you could bring your pup, even for just half a day every other day. We bring Kiwi almost everyday, and they take the puppies out for 3 walks and let them have about 3 hr long play times with other dogs their size. She loves it, and I know it tires her out. Not to mention, I have piece of mind while I'm at work. If they don't have a day care, maybe look into getting a dog walker to come in halfway through the day for about an hour. At least that breaks up the long days a little bit. Hope this helps, good luck with your pup.
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Permalink Reply by Ginny and Diggory on
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We have something called an everlasting treat ball. It's kind of expensive but she really likes it. You put different flavored inserts in it and the just nibble and lick at them. Then you can also stick other treats inside it for them to try to get out.
http://www.amazon.com/Everlasting-Treat-Ball-MEDIUM-diameter/dp/B00...
I also keep a bully stick in there for her to chew on and it usually takes her several days to go through those.
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Permalink Reply by Charlie on
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When you write that you want to keep him occupied for a couple of hours, is he only crated for 2 hours at a time before you're there to take him out? If so, he really should be ok for that length of time. It is a good idea to leave him a variety of sizes and textures of toys (all good ideas from forum members so far), but you can't "force" him to chew.
Take a look at his exercise schedule. Is his trip to the dog park later in the day? How much exercise is he getting in the morning before you leave? I would try to engage him in 15-30 minutes of playing and basic training time (in addition to the morning potty break) before you leave the house. This would make him more likely to be calm and sleep while you're gone. He should have some physical and mental stimulation several times a day (out of the crate with you), not all exercise in one "chunk".
The overgrooming is likely to be from boredom, but could possibly be a mild contact allergy from grass/weeds outside, or from a carpet-fresh, febreze-type spray, or other household cleaner. Rinse or wipe his feet after going outside and spray a bit of anti-itch spray which includes an ingredient to taste bad, or use bitter apple spray lightly on his paws. If you are using any chemical to freshen your carpet, I would hold off on that and see if the chewing improves. You do want to try to get that under control. What starts as mild paw chewing due to a "real" but minor itch, can turn into an obsessive habit (like people who bite their fingernails because it feels good) where he might damage his paws.
Hey, good luck! He sure is a cute puppy. : - )
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Thank you! Charlie is also a cutie pie! i will definitely have to try the bitter apple or something. I used bite my nails and i know how hard it is to stop. hopefully he wont ever start. it was just kind of upsetting because i felt like he was just bored and no corgi should be bored...bad things happen like missing socks.
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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I often mix yogurt with some kibble to freeze inside the kongs. This is a favorite treat of many of my guys. Changing the toys is a good idea too. I do leave a radio on for my crew when I go to work. Not sure if he gets a long walk in the morning but if not I would suggest that you add this to your routine. Young pups need lots of interaction which can make them challenging to raise when one works full time. Not sure if you have the ability to get home at lunch but this would be helpful too.
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