Doggo Parents Share Their Best 'Dear Lord I need 10 minutes of peace' Hacks For Energetic Dogs

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kalila courban
Mar 14, 2024 11:00 AM EDT

Hey, pals! Keeping your canine friend entertained and satisfied can be a challenge, but fear not, fellow pet enthusiasts! Thanks to the pawesome Reddit thread we are featuring today, we've rounded up a bunch of tips and tricks for keeping your beloved canine companions entertained and busy, when we don't have the time to devote all of our attention to giving them a million tiny forehead kisses! 

Every dog owner has one of those moments where they feel they just need about 10 minutes of peace and quiet. It could happen after getting home from a long day at work or trying to feed the kiddos while listening to seemingly never-ending doggo barking in the background. Whenever that moment meets you, you have got to be prepared with a few activities to keep your dogs occupied while you enjoy your crucial 10 minutes of peace and (relative) quiet. 

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  • 01
    Give me your best “Dear Lord I need 10 minutes of peace" hacks
    via u/hometowngypsy
  • 02
    I'm looking at an incredibly busy week at work and a lot of rain. Bad combination for a household with two dogs- one of which is a high energy puppy. She's going to puppy school two days out of the week, but I'll need some good boredom busters the rest of the time so I have a prayer of getting my work done.
    via u/hometowngypsy
  • 03
    For what it's worth- both dogs get at least 2 walks a day and I do a couple training sessions with the puppy daily. The puppy also eats all her meals from either a snuffle mat or ball or a snoop (rolling ball that lets out a bit of food at a time). So a minimum exercise/mental stimulation quota is hit, at least.
    via u/hometowngypsy
  • 04
    cyclojunk • 1mo ago Enforced naps, game changer for me. Two hours sleeping/calm, one hour active (training/playing), rinse and repeat.
    via u/cyclojunk
  • 05
    User884121 1mo ago If you haven't already done it, frozen lick mats or Kongs (peanut butter, yogurt, etc.). If you've been crate training, put your pup in the crate for a nap for however long is appropriate. It's not a punishment, just teaching her that taking time to settle down is important. And honestly, if you do it consistently at specific times during the day, you're setting a standard right from the beginning. As someone who also has a high energy dog, I felt an obsessive need
    via u/User884121
  • 06
    her to settle down. Now that she's older, I see that it's the opposite - by continuing to keep her busy I was overstimulating her and making both of us stressed in the process lol. She has now learned to settle down when I tell her to (and on her own) and both of us are much happier. I know you mentioned the snuffle mat, but you could step it up a notch and start scent training her. I just recently bought a scent kit off of Amazon and my dog is obsessed. You just hide the packets throughout the
    via u/User884121
  • 07
    Accomplished-Wish494 Stuffed kongs. Frozen. • 1mo ago
    via u/Accomplished-Wish494
  • 08
    Plant-mail 28d ago Put some biscuits in a empty cereal box. He sniffs out the biscuits and loves ripping the cardboard. There's abit of clean up needed after but he loves it more than any toy.
    via u/Plant-mail
  • 09
    . sleepypixie 1mo ago My 5 month old will chew on a bully stick for over an hour straight. You do have to at least keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get small enough to swallow whole. I like lick mats and kongs full of frozen wet puppy food too. I think those give me like 20 mins? And one of my girl's food dispensing toys goes slowly enough to take maybe 10 minutes
    via u/sleepypixie
  • 10
    Standard-Disaster767 • 1mo ago Consider incorporating some calming activities for your dogs, such as puzzle toys or frozen Kongs filled with treats. These can keep them engaged and mentally stimulated, providing you with a brief respite to focus on your work. Additionally, setting up a designated quiet area with comfortable beds or blankets where they can relax can help create a peaceful environment for everyone. Wishing you moments of tranquility amidst the chaos!
    via u/Standard-Disaster767
  • 11
    pickledpl_um • 1mo ago Give her a frozen Kong (or put her regular food in the Kong weeble-wobble feeder toy) while in her crate / separate space. Both are sanity savers.
    via u/pickledpl_um
  • 12
    alchemistsfire 28d ago Carrot! A vet recommended whole raw carrot, and my pup is a big fan. It'll keep her going awhile and much cheaper than a bully stick or yak chew (but they're great, too). Also, ice cubes with a bit of kibble or banana or something sprinkled in. Lickimats are amazing too.
    via u/alchemistsfire
  • 13
    iamjustacowgirl • 1mo ago peanut butter, pumpkin puree, coconut oil on a lickmat and freeze it. get a gang of lickmats to keep on deck if the first one isnt enough
    via u/iamjustacowgirl
  • 14
    Staring OverACliff • 1mo ago An appropriately sized raw bone. It works for 10 min, but you have to take it away in that time or you'll regret it the next day with runny poops. A new puzzle toy. My dog has already figures out most of his old ones, and he can finish them in min if not seconds. So I keep 1-2 new puzzles in the closet for sick days or when I can't cope anymore.
    via u/StaringOverACliff
  • 15
    whiterice2323 • 28d ago Frozen food bowl of water and bone broth, throw a dollop of pb and a couple crunchy pieces of kibble in before it totally freezes to make it texturally interesting. I do this every day, freeze overnight, it's the afternoon crate treat. The kongs and lick mats last about 2 min for my dog, this lasts about 45. Plus - hydration!
    via u/whiterice2323
  • 16
    edessa_rufomarginata • 1mo ago wrap a snoop, toppl, kong, whatever... in a paper bag shopping bag and hide it. then they get the process of sniffing it out, shredding the paper to get to the toy, and the stimulation from the toy itself. 3 for 1 enrichment.
    via u/edessa_rufomarginata

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