How to Banish A Maltipoo’s Boredom

If the weather is not agreeable, how about exploring a store together (no actual shopping necessary)? Though we recommending calling first to confirm the rules in your locale, some places that typically allow dogs include Petco, Home Depot, Bass Pro Shops, Lowes, Half Price Books, Gander Outdoors, Academy Sports, Michaels, Bed Bath and Beyond, Macy’s, and Hobby Lobby. 

And outside, your Maltipoo’s boredom may disappear when taken for walks around lakes, ponds or the beach, as well as farmer’s markets, flea markets, and yard sales. Most adult Maltipoo dogs are also sturdy enough to take on ‘easy’ to ‘moderate’ hiking trails (just take breaks and bring lots of water). 

#4 Command Training or Trick Training 

What do know: 

This boredom-buster is generally loved by dogs; it’s fantastic at building self-confidence and a wonderful way to bond with your little guy or gal since it requires teamwork. In addition, if your Maltipoo learns all basic commands, it will make your life easier. And learning some tricks can be a wonderful way to show off your Maltipoo’s smarts.

Commands and tricks are something that should be practiced each day (typically two or three 15-minute sessions), so this can offer a nice break in an otherwise boring day. 

What to do: 

#5 Bubble Fun

What to know: 

There’s a saying that it’s impossible to say the word ‘bubbles’ in an angry tone and we’ll add to that that it’s near impossible to make bubbles and not have fun. So, this can be an awesome way to banish boredom with Maltipoo dogs that need a little perking up. 

Many dogs are intrigued by bubbles that float around and pop and the opportunity to chase is often too good to ignore. Bubbles are also a good inexpensive option and are easy to set up (though best played outside). 

What to do: 

Ways to create bubble fun for your Maltipoo can range from simple manual bubble wands and homemade solution, to bubble-guns, to automated bubble-blower machines. 

We recommend starting off small with manual bubble wands to see how much your Maltipoo likes this and if it turns out they love it, you can always advance to something like the Amagoing Automatic Bubble Blower, which will provide lots of entertainment and give your arm and lungs a rest. 

#6 Hide-and-Seek 

What to know: 

This is a simple game but one that many dogs find to be lots of fun. Importantly, any time a dog gets to spend playing with their human lends to improved mood and the mental challenge of hide and seek is an added bonus for an otherwise bored dog. 

Another nice thing about playing this game is that you can easily adjust the difficulty level for your Maltipoo in order to keep it fun and challenging. 

What to do: 

Your job is to hide somewhere in your house, your Maltipoo’s job is to find you. It’s easiest if you have a helper to keep your little guy or gal in place while you hide. If not, you can set up a barrier for them to navigate while you quickly jot off to a predetermine hiding spot or command a ‘sit’. 

If your Maltipoo is unfamiliar with how to play, hide in spots where they can locate you without much guesswork and hand out a healthy training treat as reward when they find you. 

You can’t always be there to keep your Maltipoo occupied, so this next list covers 6 fantastic ways to keep your dog busy and happy without much input from you (other than setting things up). 

#1 A Lick Mat

What to know: 

Dogs love to lick things. It’s often done for pure enjoyment, for some it’s like a hobby to pass the time, and for others it can be a significant stress-reliever. 

Lick mats call to all of these reasons, and offer an easy and relatively mess-free way for a dog to stay busy. Most are made of a durable silicone-rubber (food grade is ideal) with suction cups on one side to keep it in place and nubs or grooves on the other that serve to hold thick food substances. 

What to do: 

Look for a food-grade silicone rubber mat that’s well-sized. One that we really like is the Dog Lick Mat by Ancgreen which actually is a pair of mats, one small and one larger. 

These can be placed on a smooth floor (tile, laminate, etc.) or against a fridge or dishwasher door. Most dogs love to lick off peanut butter (choose smooth, and ideally organic). Smashed banana or pumpkin puree are other options, but won’t last as long. 

#2 A Snuffle Mat

What to know: 

A snuffle mat is a floor mat game for dogs that is typically made of washable fabric. They vary in size and design but usually have lots of looped material that mimics outdoor grass; some have additional pockets and flaps. 

Small treats are hidden within the mat and then it’s a dog’s job to sniff them out. Many dogs love to put their incredible canine sense of smell to work in this way and other than the initial set-up, it can keep a dog busy on their own for quite some time. 

What to do:

All it takes is choosing a fun snuffle mat and some tasty treats. 

And for treats, most dogs need a bit more incentive than their kibble provides, so training treats work best. Another reason to use training treats is that they are typically small (as to not interfere with meal times) and have enticing scents (which help dogs sniff them out). Of course, we always recommend something without additives or chemical preservatives. A top pick is Full Moon Organic Training Treats, which are super-healthy food-grade treats for dogs.

#3 An Interactive Toy

What to know: 

This sort of dog toy is one that responds to a dog in some way; it will move, make noise, light up or otherwise react to a dog’s movements or touch. This can be a great way to banish a Maltipoo’s boredom any time and is also a good choice for when your pup is home alone. 

What to do: 

All it really takes is choosing the toy; most require very little set-up. A classic type is a ‘talking’ stuffed animal. There is a line of these from Multipet with cows that moo, fish that make bubbling noises, ducks that quack, and lots more. They do vary in size; for puppies and Maltipoo under 10 pounds, those in the 5 to 6-inch range like the Multipet Look Whos Talking Chicken Toy often work well. 

Another fun toy to keep a Maltipoo busy is an interactive ball. These work by turning on when nosed, pawed, or touched in some way and do so with lights and/or sounds. For this, our top pick is the Pet Qwerks Talking Babble Ball; it says silly sayings and makes funny noises when it’s played with and it goes into sleep mode when a dog takes a break which helps save batteries. 

#4 A Treat-dispensing Toy

What to know: 

For dogs that are food-motivated, a treat-dispensing toy (also known as a treat-release toy) can be entertaining. These are designed to hold dog food or treats which are gradually released as the dog plays with it.  These can work any time that a dog seems bored, but are especially helpful if a Maltipoo is home by themselves during meal time. 

What to do: 

It’s just a matter of choosing the toy and the type of treat that will go inside. 

For the toy, most Maltipoo will do best with those designed for small dogs. One that we recommend is the PetSafe Busy Buddy Twist 'n Treat Toy which is available in several sizes and has an adjustable difficultly level. It's very durable too.

For the treats inside, your Maltipoo’s regular dry kibble can be used; sometimes kibble is mixed with smooth peanut butter or mashed banana to create a longer-lasting challenge.

#5 Chews

What to know: 

Lots of dogs chew things when they’re bored; it helps to pass the time and many find the action of working the jaws to be a stress-reliever. So, if your Maltipoo enjoys this canine hobby, it’s just a matter of offering the right type of chew for them to gnaw on to keep them happy and entertained. 

What to do: 

Options for chews include edible dog chews (meant to be ingested) and non-edible (designed to be chewed on then toss out as it degrades). 

For an edible chew, we recommend steering clear of some ‘stand-bys’ which have been proven to be dangerous; this includes raw hide and pigs ears which can cause choking hazards and/or intestinal distress or even blockage. 

One alternative is yak chews, which are harden cheese treats made from yak milk and typically a bit of lime juice. Many dogs love the flavor and one like Native Pet Yak Chews for Dogs - Small Size is a healthy choice with its limited, organic ingredients. 

For a non-edible chew toy, the goal is to keep your dog occupied on a safe chew toy and away from your belongings and to provide enough fun and flavor to keep them busy for a while. If your Maltipoo loves to chew and enjoys bold flavors, you may want to check out the Nylabone Flavor Frenzy Power Chew Triple Pack. They'll be thrilled to have 3 bold flavor options: pancakes & sausage, roast beef and lasagna.

#6 A Puzzle Toy

What to know: 

Canines are intelligent creates that can become bored when there’s a lack of mental stimulation. So, offering some sort of challenge can be just the thing to perk a dog up and offer a fun way to stay busy. 

Puzzle games for dogs vary quite a bit but all revolve around the concept of treats being hidden within a puzzle that needs to be figured out via physical manipulation (levers must be pawed or nosed, doors flaps opened, buttons pressed, etc.). 

What to do: 

The main thing to keep in mind with puzzle games for dogs is the difficult level; these typically range from beginner to advanced. Many beginner designs are so simple that a dog will master the concept and become bored again fairly quickly, so you may want to start with an intermediate level. 

If your Maltipoo is new to this sort of game, you’ll want to be there to help guide them and give hints until they get the hang of it. Later, once they’ve gotten the hang of it, you can simply set it up and leave them to it. 

A good puzzle to start off with is the Nina Ottosson by Outward Hound Dog Brick Puzzle and this line has tons of options if you want to keep your Maltipoo challenged as they advance. 

We hope that you found some of these tips to be just the thing to keep your Maltipoo happy and entertained. Here’s a quick recap of all the ways you can banish boredom for your little guy or gal: 

• Fun Fetch 
• Daily Walks
• Visits to New Places
• Command Training or Trick Training 
• Bubble Fun
• Hide-and-Seek 
• A Lick Mat
• A Snuffle Mat
• An Interactive Toy
• A Treat-dispensing Toy 
• Chews
• A Puzzle Toy 

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