Boredom...?

[Heidi & Milton]

My husband and I are wild about Milton (15-months-old), but he is really concerning me lately.  I have a bad habit of regarding Milton as my child, so I feel the need to occupy him throughout the day, especially with summer upon us.  I love spending time with Milt, but he rarely if ever plays on his own.  Only in the early morning or just before bed will he grab a bone to chew on and only then for a few minutes at a time.  I worry that I have ruined his ability to entertain himself because I am constantly seeking to engage him with playtime or day trips out and about.

On an average summer day, Milt wakes later than I do, greets me, and then will nap until we go for our 3-mile walk.  Upon return, he naps a lot more, and sometime in the afternoon I will eat lunch outside and throw balls for him or he will swim in his kiddie pool.  In the evening, I either take him for another abbreviated walk, 2-miles, or we visit the dog park, so he can swim.  I really enjoy the walking and playing, but I would like for him to be a bit more active during the day and rummage through his toys to have some fun.  I do like the dog park, but I would prefer to go once or twice per week instead.  The thing is Milt is not the type of dog who seems to revel in all this sleep; he really likes to be active and having fun.

I am curious to know just how active everyone else's dogs are.  After a school year full of daycare three days per week, I have the feeling Milt dog is bored, and I want him to learn to be the entertainer instead of me.  Any ideas or advice?  Do all of you walk your dog twice per day?  Do your dogs tend to nap for the vast majority of the day?  Would introducing another doodle puppy into our household add good energy?  Please let me know your thoughts.  Thanks in advance! 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Honestly I think Milton is just getting older and mellowing out :)

Luna is perfectly fine with having 2 walks (usually with fetch involved) and a 2-3 indoor play sessions a day.  In between she basically naps in different spots throughout the day.  

I know she's plenty worn out because she zonks out by 8:30 every evening, often even taking herself upstairs to bed!

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

When Hurley decides we are not going to be able to play with him as much as he would like he sulks. He goes to his doggie bed and it you do try to engage him he turns his head away.. Reminds me of a moping child. But other times he chews on his bully sticks or he watches TV. He rests on the ottoman he calls his own and watches TV. Today he has been quite misermerized by the Tour de France. If it was cooler he would be going in and out through his doggie door playing in his kiddie pool but it is 114 degrees and he seems to know that staying in the house is much more desirable.
When he gets very restless or races around the house with loads of energy I take him over to our sons's house so Hurley can play with his cousin. That really wears him out to the point that when I come back to get him he gives me this 'let's go home, mom. I wore Oakley out and I am tired.' What continues to amaze me is the expressions he can conjure up with those eyes. But solving math problems. If he is, I might just turn the budget over to him.

[Pilar, Sophie & Rico]

I had the same feeling when Sophie was my only doodle. I seriously thought that she was bored out of her mind to the point of depression. Never felt that about my Maltese who lived 15 years and was content to be the only one. Anyways, I did decide to add a puppy. Rico is now 5 months old and Sophie has been Thrilled and so happy to have a companion!

[Heidi & Milton]

Thank you for all of your varying perspectives!  I agree that I may be overreacting a tad, but I always want Milt Dog to be super happy.  A good point was made that if Milton's not acting destructively, then he is probably just fine.  Likewise, I should just follow his lead, and he does tend to approach me when he wants to play.  I just don't need to wake Milt up all the time to keep him lively.  Despite this reassurance, Jeff and I are heavily considering a sibling for next summer!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I think he is getting to the age where he has a little less energy. if he was bored youd know as he would be getting into trouble. Cooper sleeps a lot too, but i love that about her - if i want a lazy days shes content to chill, if i want an active days shes ready to go go go til she drops.

id strongly advise against getting another dog for milt to have a play mate - get another dog only if YOU want another, are ready to spend the extra money, have extra grooming, do extra plays, extra training, etc etc.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I seriously doubt that Milton is bored.  Unlike humans, who often just complain about being bored, a bored dog will do something about it - find the toilet paper, trash, surf the counter, bring you a toy to convince you to play, crawl or jump into your lap and kiss you or hold your hand in his mouth.  Bored dogs show that they are bored.  Adult dogs can sleep many many hours a day. Or wake up immediately ready to go if something exciting comes along.

[Butz + Daniela]

We have two dogs, a Bernese Mountaindog female (5 yrs., rather lazy and only up to short term entertainment) and her son, a Bernerdoodle (2,5 yrs, very balanced but still eager for entertainment). They get three walks a day whereby minimum two are off-leash and the lunch one is a big one in the forest with meeting other dogs. This powers them out so that the rest of the day is lazy dozing, every now and then a bit of wrestling + playing in the garden. They never destroy anything or show signs of boredom. But... on very rare occasions when there was no lunch walk and they only had the garden for a bit, in the evening our Doodle boy was hyperactive, wanted to play in the garden, barks at us to do something with him. He then has energy left that obviously needs to be spent. Still I think the idea of a the dog entertaining himself for a longer time is not really working. When we are out longer we see that we give them a lot of activity upfront and then a bone to chew on for another half an hour and then we can be sure they just want to sleep. 

On the webcam pic are our lazy ones in this very moment.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

aw- they need their beauty sleep! 

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

It could be the summer heat down in Texas because my doodles are lazy when it is very hot here in NJ.  And you might want to think about getting another doodle.  My Sasha was 10 months when I got my Oliver and they bonded immediately and are best buds.  They would chase each other and play and they also stalk each other .... its so funny to watch them.   My Ollie was just 3 yesterday and my Sasha will be 4 in October and they sleep most of the day.  I was working from home for about 5 months and I too would take them for walking in the a.m. and p.m. but during the day when I was working they just slept.

I am guilty of humanizing my doodles as well.  But I like to keep them active, socialized and have fun too, it just makes a happier healthier doodle :)

[Valarie]

Glad you brought up this discussion. I worry about my Sophie in the very same way.  She is very calm and naps frequently but is ready to go for a walk or a ride most any time.  Our previous dog, Clay, would chase a ball as long as we would throw it.  When I throw one for Sophie she looks at me like "what the heck are you doing - you threw it - now you go get it".  Which I usually do.  She very occasionally initiates some playing - barking and inviting me to chase her or offering me a toy to tease her with.  And she will get the zoomies in the back yard about once a day.  This thread has helped relieve some of my worries  about her being bored or depressed.  Thanks