Enriching Our Dogs Lives

The exasperated caller complained that his dog was escaping his yard, digging and fence running. The dog was becoming a neighborhood nuisance and driving him crazy. I pressed a bit and asked about the environment the dog lived in. All I got was the dog had a yard to play in. I asked about toys, attention, opportunity to get out with other dogs, etc. The owner grew silent. He thought all a dog needed was a yard to run in. Sadly, this is a common misconception.

Dogs are not lawn ornaments. Dogs without stimulation and alone in yards grow bored. Dogs are thinking creatures with natural instincts such as digging, chasing, and tearing. Dogs are also social creatures and do best when part of a pack. We humans have to be this pack as we make the decision to bring dogs into our lives.

To deprive a dog use of his basic instincts and social needs is to create problems. This dog was escaping the yard because he was bored. He had no toys, little interaction and was developing undesired and even dangerous behaviors. (What if a car came by the day he ran into the street or he was seen harassing someone's pets and was shot?) I explained in detail how the man could enrich his dog's life and alleviate the boredom as well as stopping the developing "bad" behaviors.

Again, silence and then: "Well, the dog is too much work, maybe I should get rid of him." Obviously even simple steps to helping his dog was too much for this owner. But recognizing boredom and working to prevent it are part of responsible dog owning. In zoos, creating a stimulating environment is called "Enrichment." And at home, we must enrich.

Part of enriching our dogs' lives is proper socialization. Living in the suburbs is great as we (and I am a suburban person) have the best of both worlds. Yards and open space but the luxury of having shopping and other amenities nearby! This should be a boon to our dogs!

We can get them out and in a variety of places so they learn about life and how to handle many situations. I can go from wooded trails with wildlife to downtown Washington, D.C. within twenty minutes! We also have yards and homes we can enrich to help our dogs not be bored. However, living in the suburbs tends to make some dog owners lazy!

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