An important part of dog care is keeping your dog busy. Even if you have a long day when you get home your dog will likely want to play. Here are some ways to keep your dog busy even when you are tired.
1) Stuffed Toys – I would keep a few types of toys that can be rotated week by week to entertain your dog. Rotating the toys helps to ensure that your dog isn't bored by the same toys over and over again.
2) Treat Stuffed Toys – They make toys that can be stuffed with food. Kongs can be stuffed with peanut butter (make sure the peanut butter is dog safe). They can also be frozen to make it harder for your dog to get the peanut butter out of the kong. Pet stores also sell fillings that you can put in your dogs toys so you don’t have to prepare anything.
3) Puzzles – There are puzzles for dog that you hide treats in to help you keep your dog busy. I would watch your dog when they use a puzzle because their could be small pieces of the puzzle they could eat. Your dog could also unintentionally break the puzzle causing parts to break off.
4) Treadmill – If you have a treadmill you can train your dog to walk on the treadmill. This can be a great way to exercise your dog without having to go outside in the elements. Do not leave your dog alone on a treadmill since it can be dangerous unsupervised. To find out more about exercising your dog indoors check out my article Dog Care – How To Exercise Your Dog Indoors
5) Another Dog – If you only have 1 dog you could have a friend come over that has a dog so your dogs can play. This can help to wear out your dog while they learn to socialize.
6) Mind/Task Treat Dispensing Toys – Some dog toys can be filled with treats that can only be removed if your dog figures out how to move the toy to get the treats out. These are similar to puzzles but are not pieces that your dog slides around and tend to be more durable. These can take awhile for your dog to figure out. And since they can be filled with a lot of treats at once will keep your dogs interest longer than a puzzle toy.