Hey guys, just thought id try and start a discussion off as i imagine itll end up being a useful reference point for a few, hopefully many.

For the past 2 weeks and the next 2 months. Daisy (14month female lab) must be left alone at home for 8hours a day , 3-4 days a week. This is simply because having her with me was an emergency rememdy and my girlfriend must work long hours before her hours are changed in 2months time.

Luckily she is out of her 'chew everything' phase and doesnt seem to mind being alone. She's not crate trained, and doesnt need one by the looks of things. All doors are open, cupboards have no locks on them and house is left in a lived in state with plenty of shoes ect about which she has never destroyed. ONLY damage she has done to this house is putting a large dent in a poorly made internal door because i MAY have got her a tad over excited playing fetch indoors. She has not yet mastered the stopping or slowing down yet.

Anyway...to the point !!!

She has a kong, and clears it every day. Has a bone, seems to like it, a few toys and some rope attached to the wall to tug on. Yet everytime i come home she is just sat there minding her own. Most of the toys (ignoring the kong and ball filled with treats) lay untouched in the exact position i left them in the morning. I imagine she just eats the kong, clears the treat ball then goes to bed.....how boring for her. I cant blame her, toys must be quite boring with no one with opposable thumbs to throw and tug on them with her.

So....

What do you guys do when your out to entertain your dogs ? Or even when your in and just want to keep em busy ?

I am in the process of creating a computer controlled ball launcher so that she may play fetch with that....cant imagine itll be the same but atleast she'll have some from of interactivity.

Also, as a side note, how the hell do you people clean the kongs ? I can get my fingers in and get the food out of the ridges untill about half way down but the food stuck at the bottom is unreachable. Boiling water doesnt seem to get it out and a high pressure shower just cant get in at the right angle.

Well I can't help you with the going out, I rarely have to go out for more than an hour or two.

Buy a baby bottle brush to clean inside the Kong (standard wire one with bristles, the newer plastic ones wont fit as well )

baby bottle brush....genius. Should have thought of that !

If the dog has access to the garden whilst you are out, I find a football just chucked out there keeps mine amused for hours [they can never quite get a grip on it]. Or a beach ball.

Also I use cotton buds [the ones on the end of sticks] to clean out stuff from Kongs.

Mon - Fri we have a dog walker that has ours out and about for a few hours a day so they're home alone only a few hours. Couldn't recommend one highly enough.

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No access to the garden as it requires you to go out the door, down the steps and down a driveway.

I have given her a football to play with before but she managed to chew the stitching off of a panel, puncture the bladder, rip the ball apart, eat it then vomit it up for the rest of the day.

I have thought about getting a dog walker but that coupled with the new RAW diet i a considering to get her off of that damn 'Wag' crap plus the training classes i have just enrolled her in is just too much. Im already not having enough food for me in the house !!! Maybe i can start on the wag while she enjoys the meat eh ?

Heehee - know what you're sayin. My dogs eat far better than I do...

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I rinse it with water before I put it in the dishwasher ...

My two dogs are the same during the day - they just go to sleep but they sure as hell make up for it once I'm home!

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"Properly trained, a man can be a dog's best friend."
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If she is anything like my lot she'll be enjoying the peace and quiet while you are out. we got our seond dog as we thought the original was lonely and bored while we are out, it made no difference they both sleep most of the time we are out, with the odd play fight. As long as they get plenty of attention and love the rest of the time most dogs do well alone and if anything are happy to see us gone so they can rest and relax in peace.