Q: My dog is constantly barking to get our attention. How can I stop this behavior?

A: Many unwanted behaviors are due to boredom. We expect our dogs to just hang out in the house often without any interaction from us. Dogs are part of our family for companionship and entertainment. We can’t expect them to be invisible most of the time and just come out to play when we want them to. We need to engage their minds and bodies in order to keep them entertained and tired.

Make a schedule for interactive play time for your dog. This is a time when you take out a toy box of toys that you and your dog play together. Don’t do it just when the dog barks at you as you will reward this demanding behavior. YOU decide when it’s time to play, but be sure to schedule time every day. Here are some suggestions for interactive toys that are fun for both humans and animals. You may have to demonstrate how these work, but once the dog gets the idea, the fun is endless.

Buster Cube: This is a cube that holds dry food and is pushed around with a nose or paws to make the cube roll and food to come out. Dogs who like to play with a soccer ball may really enjoy this toy. The challenge is that it’s a cube so it takes a little more effort to get it to roll than a ball. There are two sizes.

Twist-n-Treat: This is another food dispensing toy that is a little easier to get the treats out of than the Buster Cube. It’s made out of soft rubber and can be adjusted for ease of dispensing treats.

Bubbletastic Dog Bubble Machine: This is a fun outdoor game with bacon scented bubbles. You can also just get a children’s bubble machine to have fun outdoor bubble games. Dogs enjoy jumping and chasing the bubbles around the yard along with you and the family. There are tasty bubbles available for dogs for refills.

Wiggly-Giggly Jack: This is a noise maker, so be prepared for some interesting giggles and wiggles while your dog plays and tosses this toy around. Dogs who are sound motivated like terriers love this toy as they are intrigued with the small critter-like sounds emanating from the toy as they move it around.

Dog Puzzles: There are a number of dog puzzles on the market now. Started by Nina Ottosson, these puzzles encourage dogs to problem-solve as they have to use noses and paws to push, slide, and move pieces in the puzzle to get to the treats. It’s fun to watch as your dog learns and becomes more clever at problem-solving.

The Aikiou Dog Food Bowl: This is another puzzle game, which can actually be used as a dog food bowl to slow your dog’s eating down while he figures out how to get the food out. It holds enough food for a large dog’s meal and comes apart to clean easily.

Again these toys are called “interactive” for a reason. They are supposed to involve humans and dogs in fun games. (Some cats really dig these puzzle toys too.) Be sure to hang out with your dog and teach them how to use the toys. Some of them you can make more challenging by changing parts around or putting different treats inside. We made the Buster Cube more challenging for one of our dogs by putting it under a cardboard box. He had to start by moving the box off the toy before being able to play with it. He knew the fun of the Buster Cube prior to adding this step, so there was motivation to get to the cube. Plus I feed my dogs less food in a bowl and use these interactive toys for their meals throughout the days making them even more desirable. The toys entertain, educate, and wear out the dogs, and they make us laugh as the dogs (and the cats) find new ways to play with the toys. Have fun with your animals this summer!