How To Tell If Your Newfoundland Dog Is Bored (And What You Can Do About It)

When a human gets bored they can search for things to do to keep them busy. 

They can go for a ride in the car, go out for a walk, work on a hobby or go to work. 

Our Newfies don’t have as many options as their human family does to keep busy. 

Instead, they rely on us to give them things to do throughout their day to keep their mind and body active. 

We basically control everything they do because we are their providers.

We feed them, we open the door for them, and we take them on adventures when it is convenient for us.

If we fall short, they can get bored. 

Boredom can lead to behavior issues and this can be stressful for you and for the dog.

Signs Your Newfoundland Dog Is Bored

Chewing

A bored dog will try to find something to keep them busy so many of them will seek out something that is pleasant for them to chew. 

This could be a shoe, a chair, baseboards, or even your doors.

Digging

Sometimes a bored dog will try to find something to occupy their time and energy. Digging is a perfect way for many dogs to keep busy. 

They will often dig in a garden, along fencelines or even right in the middle of the yard

Barking

Dogs can bark for many reasons but if your dog is barking directly at you, he may be asking for something to do!

Don’t tell him to shut up, give him something to do!

Nipping

If a dog doesn’t have anything to chew on he may resort to nipping your hands, arms, and ankles. 

Give him something to chew on like a stuffed Kong or a stuffed Orbee Carrot. 

Pawing

Do you know how some Newfoundland dogs throw their paw at you when you don’t ask for it?

That’s considered attention-seeking behavior.

They are trying to get your attention because they need some lovin’ or because they’re bored. 

Staring

If your Newfoundland is sitting on the couch next to you staring you in the face, he might be bored.

He’s most likely asking for you to interact with him by giving him chest rubs or giving him something to do. 

5 Ways To Keep Your Newfie Busy

When looking for things to keep your Newfie busy it’s important to combine both physical and mental exercises. 

Many Newfie owners forget how smart their dogs are and how much they need to be kept mentally stimulated. 

Walking

Grab your leash and some treats and head out the door. 

You can do so much more on a walk than just walk!

Let your Newfoundland sniff around and explore the area a bit.

Work on small commands like sit and wait. 

And when we are not practicing social distancing, let your Newfie socialize as you feel fit. 

Try to switch up where you walk every so often to keep it interesting too!

DIY Enrichment

Toss treats or dog food into things such as cardboard boxes, egg cartons, toilet paper or paper towel rolls, or plastic bottles to make your own DIY puzzles. 

Roll some treats or kibble into a towel.

Place treats or kibble around the house and let your dog “find it”. 

We love this idea of a DIY Busy Box Enrichment Toy.

We hope that you like the products we featured in today’s post. Just so we’re clear, My Brown Newfies is a participant in the Amazon LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com

Chewing and Licking

Fill Kongs, Orbees or other stuffable dog toys with your dog favorite treats, place it in the freezer and then give it to them to work on.

I like to stuff our Kongs with a layer of peanut butter and kibble but you can also use non-fat plain yogurt, cottage cheese, canned pumpkin, wet dog food, low sodium broth or bone broth. 

You can add kibble, treats, apples, green beans, carrots, oatmeal, applesauce or a large variety of dog-safe fruits and vegetables. 

Check out: 39 Healthy Treats You Can Stuff In a Kong

Training

Training your Newfoundland should be ongoing for every dog and just a few minutes a day can make a big difference!

Try refreshing basic commands and add in new tricks or commands as you go!

You can keep your sessions short, about 5-10 minutes each day!

Give Your Newf a Job

Don’t forget that you have a working dog.

Give your Newfoundland an easy job and then give them a harder one!

Make your dog work for his food by using a meal dispensing toy. 

If your Newfie is a digger try building them a digging box.

If you have the ability to get your Newfie into water training and draft training that is great and something you can continue to practice on throughout their life!

Also, try switching up their dog toys. 

If your dog has a lot of toys try doing a weekly rotation of the toys so that your dog doesn’t get bored with the same toys every day. 

 

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