# What does your dog do when they're bored?



## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

Just wondering, what does your GSD do when they are bored? Like, if you haven't given them enough to do in a day due to weather or being busy... what behaviors do you see?

Saber has a pretty good off switch and can nap a bit or even watch TV for awhile, but if I go a whole day without some kind of training or mental activity for her, she:

rings the potty bell with her nose incessantly
paces between the door and the window
sticks her big black nose in my face and whines
talks to me a lot (very vocal)

and if this does not get my attention, she:

counter surfs
tries to lick dishes in the sink
opens my daughter's toybox with her nose and starts taking out Care Bears and Barbies
gets socks and gloves out of the hamper and stares at me until I put them on her nose
opens the trash can with her nose and slams it back shut, repeatedly (she does not TAKE anything out of the trash, but she knows this will get me up off the couch)
starts eating the carpet

So... as you might imagine, I tend to give her a lot of activity to prevent her from getting bored.


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

Gunner likes to pull his bed out and whip it around. His bed along with a heavy blanket is in the hallway by the powder room. One night I could see he was bored. He was in the hallway messing with something. It only took a minute before we saw him dragging his bed and blanket out into the living room.
He does this by standing over it and pushing it backwards.  Then once it's cleared of the hallway, he drags it out with his mouth.
It's pretty funny to watch. He doesn't destroy it, but you can see he gets a kick out of it.
He did it last night. Only now he has an additional bed on top. We had an old bed in the garage. It's one of those large pillows. So the pillow was on top of the fleece bed, covered with a heavy micro fleece blanket.

He went to town on it. And he really gets such a look of accomplishment on his face.
This is from around Christmas time. If you look at the door, that bed and blanket were in that hallway to the left.


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## Holmeshx2 (Apr 25, 2010)

I haven't seen you lately  If it makes you feel any better it's the same thing with Jinx.

We generally deal with being squeaked at non stop with all of her squeaky toys, being smacked by toys as she comes next to us and shakes them viciously, the CONSTANT nagging to go outside just to sniff around (wouldn't be too bad but we don't have a fence so we have to be out there on leash) her running around jumping between hubby and I beating us up or just begging to be cuddled and loved on just her being super needy and the constant whining because she's upset she's stuck inside.

Oh yeah can't forget she will take a toy in her mouth and push it into our feet because as we move our foot from it, it becomes a game to her and the tail starts going like crazy. She LOVES to play with our feet however with hubby if he ignores her she drops the toy and does a full grip on his foot (he hates his foot being messed with) so then he yells or jumps or does some other sort of reaction and she starts jumping around tail wagging and all smiles because now dads "playing" with me she just comes to me with it and I use my foot and keep pushing forward on the ball and she pushes back, simple stupid game that she's thrilled with and I can still finish what I'm doing I don't even move just the ball of one foot and flex my ankle some pushing the ball into her mouth and she steps forward and i flex my ankle again.. so easy to please sometimes lol.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Hondo shows two different behaviors depending on the specific type of boredom. If he is bored but tired, he'll attempt to get us to play tug or (his favorite) the game where he lays on the floor and we toss a ball into his mouth. Then WE get the ball and toss it again so he doesn't have to get up..unless he misses. This game works well for me if I am reading a book. 

But if is bored and he has too much energy he'll grab a toy and wrestle on the floor with it...always ending up on his back with his legs braced against some type of furniture that he ALWAYS moves or knocks over. Then he'll jump up as if to say "Did I do that?"


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## Courtney (Feb 12, 2010)

Drives me bonkers but will scratch to go outside when he was just out...stupid me will fall for it because I think what if he has to poop?? So out we go and he just wants to check the perimeter, stare at the neighbors, check the trees the squirrel are always in...this one is his "go to":crazy:

He's also a thief and will take off with random objects...like yours he will also lift the trashcan lid with his nose for a quick peek..he won't take anything out but lift the lid several times. lol


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## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

He drops his ball in my lap and stares at me for what feels like hours... like he is doing right now. Uuhhhggg!


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

When Ronja gets bored, she goes to her toy box and pulls a toy out. She'll play with it for a little while, throwing it in the air for herself to catch, gnawing on it, trying to get hubby to throw it by putting it into his lap (he encourages this by actually throwing it, of course). When she gets bored with that one, she'll get another until all of her toys are spread throughout the room.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

When Niko is bored he paces. Gets up every time I move. Follows me around. Shoves his big head under my arm for attention. Follows the cats around. Shoves his head under my husband's arm for attention. Chews his bone. Heaves great big sighs.


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## kennajo (May 20, 2011)

all of the above:wild:


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

Echo talks to himself. First he'll start whining. Then he'll come to me for pets or with a toy... I work from home, but I can't constantly play with him  I'll tell him to go lay down with his bone, where he'll chew on his bone-- but "mumble" and groan the whole time. And the longer you ignore him, the louder he gets. He'll go all day.


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## jb_pwrstroke (Jul 9, 2007)

Brik will chase the cat or play with her toys by herself


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Rafi gathers toys, plays with them for a little bit and then sighs really loudly. He will also chew on bones. Eventually he goes into a deep depression and falls asleep.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

My dogs will whine. They whine to go out, and if I don't go with them, they want right back in. Just a few minutes of outside fetch time will satisfy them for the most part. But lately no tracking/training has taken its toll on Karlo.He's always brought toys to me when he gets bored, I take it as an opportunity to train, but obedience is the only thing he's been able to do besides run after balls and play tug. Not enough for his brain, so I hear whining alot lately.


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## iBaman (Oct 25, 2011)

Sheldon goes to the back door and stares at me with his head low like 'let me out and play with me!". If I ignore him, he'll woof playfully. He'll shake his toys and prance around the house with it in his mouth. He's a goofy boy.


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## stolibaby (Mar 6, 2011)

I get nagged....pretty much told in multiple ways and multiple times how I am failing to entertain him and his day is going to waste because of it....he will go chew a Bone or toy for a bit but anytime I move I get the big brown eyes staring at me pleading for attention and playtime. Oh also at random intervals he will jump on the couch next to me and "tap" me with his paws as if to remind me he is still there and hasn't been given proper attention yet....like I could miss the boy as is!


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## Draugr (Jul 8, 2011)

Whine obnoxiously and shove toys in my hand XD.


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## iBaman (Oct 25, 2011)

Oh, Sheldon will also chew on everything as well, so we HAVE to watch him. He's gotten much better about that, but I still don't trust him...


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## Miss Molly May (Feb 19, 2010)

Molly will pull all her toys out of her toy box one by one and bring them to me!


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## WynterCote (Feb 15, 2010)

Shya takes random items... I made the mistake of chasing her around the house to take the item back, but being chased is fun for her, so now she does everything in her power to make me chase her. She'll keep taking things until she finds an object that works! Like something I really don't want teeth marks in, or a piece of firewood which she'll chew into wood chips all over the rug! She always takes it to a place where I can see her, but far enough that she's got time to pick it up and run if I take a step in her direction.


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## spidermilk (Mar 18, 2010)

Dax will bark at me and run away and then back towards me, trying to get me to play with him. If I make any movement towards the door he will get super excited and will grab a toy and run towards the door. It is funny when he can't find a toy right away (because he spent the previous hour scattering them all about the house) and he does a frantic run to check each room and find a toy before I go play without him.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

As a puppy Daisy chewed on anything with in her reach and some not. As a senior if she wants a chew or attention she walks by nudges and goes on walking and then returns and does it again till you get what it is she wants. At 12 she likes naps.
Lucky will pace, hit you with a toy and generally stalks you till you play.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

stares at me


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Rocky naps when he's bored.

When Kopper's bored he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor.
Then he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor.
Then he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor.
Then he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor.
Then he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor.
Then he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor.
Then he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor.
Then he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor. . .


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## cta (May 24, 2011)

chobahn turns into a naughty monkey when he's bored. sometimes he will come over and drop a toy in my lap. other times he will come up to one of us and stare us down...when we make a move...zoomie central...of he goes running around the dining room table. other times he's just flat out ridiculous and will grab a pillow or blanket off the couch and thrash back and forth like a shark. sometimes that turns into "chase me around the dining room table" as he will run off with it. typically when he does this, i ask him to get his rope or ball. he happily trots over to one or the other and then we play.


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## robk (Jun 16, 2011)

Ruger will drop his metal food dish on the tile floor and push it all over the house barking and whining


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## mycobraracr (Dec 4, 2011)

The other night, Mina got every ball in the house and dropped them at my feet. I wish I could just figure out what she was trying to tell me!


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## muddypaw (Jan 8, 2012)

She chews on bricks around the fireplace, stands in front of me and whines ( I try to ignore, then when she stops I will play) wanders around like she's looking for something.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

Wild Wolf said:


> He drops his ball in my lap and stares at me for what feels like hours... like he is doing right now. Uuhhhggg!





Good_Karma said:


> Gets up every time I move.... Follows me around.... Follows the cats around.... Heaves great big sighs.





Draugr said:


> Whine obnoxiously and shove toys in my hand XD.





JakodaCD OA said:


> stares at me


All this stuff!  And the staring is accompanied by a paw.


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## wyoung2153 (Feb 28, 2010)

Titan will open his toy box and try to bring every toy to me. When we are outside and I'm doing yard work or something, maybe talking to a friend, he will get a toy or a stick put it on the ground in front of him and dig on or around it causing the toy to be thrown behind him.. then he will get it and repeat.. and if all else fails... he will chase his tail. repeatedly.. at which point I send him to "bed" which is his crate. 

It's MUCH easier to entertain him now with my new puppy I just make him lay down if he's getting rambunctious and we have played already or I have homework or housework and Miss Athena will pouce with fury and thus a new game has started..


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## Cheerful1 (Sep 27, 2011)

Everything that chelle just quoted, except that we don't have cats, and it's not my hand that Joey shoves the toys into!


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## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

Emoore said:


> Rocky naps when he's bored.
> 
> When Kopper's bored he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor.
> Then he picks up his ball and drops it on the floor.
> ...


Wait....what does he do?


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## atruepastime (Mar 12, 2011)

Lol these are all super cute to read, gsds really can be like toddlers trapped in dog bodies.. at least we don't have to worry about them drawing on the walls or sticking coins up their noses and other such boredom behaviours kids'll do.. its bucketting down in Brisbane right now.. yet again, its flooded here so dealing with my monkey of a gsd has been a tad bit of a pain.. obedience classes are all cancelled because of teh weather and I'm reluctant to walk her as she often ends up with itchy skin if she's been wet for to long.. 

today so far I have done indoor obedience for about 10 minutes twice now, I think a lot of today will be indoor obedience - also a game we sometimes play when she keeps shoving her stinky rope toy in my face is to make her sit and stay and then hide it somewhere in the house. Then I'll tell her to go find it and that keeps her busy for a few extra 20 seconds or so.. usually after 7 or 8 times of me hiding her toy, she gets sick of the game and stops bugging me.


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## Alishan86 (Oct 30, 2011)

Bud usually chews on his bone or takes a nap.


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## kennajo (May 20, 2011)

Rockys newest thing is stealing my onions from under the kitchen cabinet......he plays with it until it burns his tounge lol


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Nero will generally hassle people by pawing at them and trying to get us to play with his toys with him. He loves to hassle his master too when he is bored! Or he will find his bone and give it a good chomping.


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