Best Ways to Keep Your Dog Busy

Photo xkunclova/shutterstock

^#1 this incredible ball does it all. P.L.A.Y.’s super-durable ZoomieRex IncrediBall can be stuffed with food or treats to keep your dog busily engaged. It also floats and bounces for fetch and playtime fun. Available in three different vibrant colours and two different sizes. (from $13, petplay.com)

^#2 Bust boredom, engage your dog’s brain, and redirect unwanted chewing and licking behaviours with the durable LickiMat Tuff Playdate. This durable slow-feeding solution can be used with all your pup’s favourite food and treats. Check out the overwhelmingly positive reviews on Amazon, where people particularly love it for dogs with anxiety. ($15, amazon.com/lickimat or lickimat.com)

^#3 Attention Fetch-aholics If your pups love to endlessly play fetch, they’ll love the iFetch Automatic Ball Launcher, which allows dogs to play fetch anytime they’d like! Perfect for small to medium-sized dogs, it comes with three mini tennis balls. Simply show your dog how to drop a ball in the top, and the iFetch will launch it. Change the launch distance—10, 20 or 30 feet— with the touch of a button for ultimate fetching fun! ($130, goifetch.com)

^#4 Check in with your dog and give her a treat while you’re out! The Petcube Bites 2 Lite is a smart, high-definition pet camera featuring a treat dispenser, 160 degree lens, and two-way audio so you can see what your dog is up to, talk to your dog, and even give a treat! ($160, petcube.com)

^#5 bust boredom  and encourage independent play with the Zippy Burrow Fox Stump toy from ZippyPaws! This adorable toy comes with three squeaky foxes that can be hidden inside the stump to keep your dog engaged and mentally stimulated. Tip: hide some of their favourite treats in the stump for extra fun! ($32, chewy.com)

^#6 Small dog treats are ideal for secreting in a Kong or hiding in snuffle mats, keeping your dog agreeably occupied. A perfect choice: the Chicken with Salmon Churu Bites from Inaba Foods. These small, soft, pillow-shaped treats are made with natural chicken, wild-caught salmon and tuna, green tea extract, and vitamin E. They’re a perfectly sized, incentivizing treat to add to any enrichment activity! ($9, inabafoods.com)

^#7 looking for something to tire out your energetic dog? Challenge your pup and get their nose working with the PawzNDogz Anti-Bite Snuffle Mat! Simply hide dry food or treats in the folds of the snuffle mat and watch your dog get to work sniffing them out. These machine-washable toys have multiple levels of challenges embedded in the designs to tire your pup by burning their energy via sniffing. Made with felt and tough, cotton-polyester webbing, this snuffle mat is durable and large enough for multiple dogs to use at the same time. Bonus: it also comes with a silicone lick pad for added enrichment. Boredom busted! ($76, pawzndogz.ca)

This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Dog magazine. Subscribe today!