[BigBlackDogGal]

Anyone have suggestions on how to keep a dog busy while you're away? My mutt tends to get into trouble when he gets bored. I usually give him a kong stuffed with some peanut butter and treats but I'm looking for some suggestions for other long lasting treats or toys. Rawhides are out - he's plenty gassy already. I might look into bully sticks but I don't know much about them. Are they ok to give while the dog is unsupervised? Will they stain the carpet? What exactly are they made of?

 

[Dog Tracks]

Bully sticks are dried, smoked bull penises. They're pretty expensive. They are safer than rawhide or cooked bones because they're completely digestible (if a bone shard breaks off while your dog is chewing, he could swallow it and suffer cuts in his digestive tract).

However, you don't want to give your dog a bully stick unsupervised. The biggest problem is that when he gets to the end of it he might decide to try to swallow it whole and end up choking on it. Since they are digestible, they don't last very long. Mabel (13 lb rat terrier) can chew a 6-inch bully stick down to 2 inches in a couple of hours.

 

[Pai]

Buster Cubes or other 'interactive' food toys could be a good choice for you. =)

 

[TooneyDogs]

Ideally, you want him to just sleep while you're gone. That eliminates destructiveness, boredom or 'mental anguish'. As he sleeps 16-18 hours a day it can help to schedule your away time around his usual sleep times....not always possible but, usually the best situation.