My puppy won't self-entertain. How can I get work done at home?

Hi there. Easily digestible chews like denteez (can be ordered online) may help. Slow feeder bowls can often deter boredom as well as the dog has to "work" for food. Toys like a kong will hold treats and make your dog play with the toy and work for it as well. This often helps with boredom. Some dogs enjoy a radio or television on as well-just for the background noise. You you always entertain the thought of getting her a playmate as well, although I know puppies are a big responsibility. Hope this helps you guys!

Puzzle toys that she has to solve in order to get a treat will keep Banba occupied while you are gone at work. They require that the dog has to use their mind to solve this puzzle, and they do get a reward at the end of it. There are some great ones available, but the best ones are by Nine Ottosson. Check out her website to see about getting some of these for Banba: http://www.nina-ottosson.com

Some dogs just don't care for toys, and this is ok! You could try puzzle toys where you put treats or dog food inside and they have to figure out how to get the food out. This is great mental stimulation and can provide some exercise. I do not recommend leaving soft toys or rawhide at home while you are gone just in case your dog decides to pull it apart or swallow large pieces - these can be a choking hazard. There are lots of options here: https://www.drsfostersmith.com/dog-supplies/dog-toys/interactive-and-treat-toys/ps/c/3307/3/3287

Personally, I love interactive toys. I recently had a trainer work with my dog who focuses on brain games vs. physical activity, and he's done very well with that! One thing you can easily do, is when you get home, take handful of kibbles or small treats and just toss them into the back yard. Then he has to go and find them. This is very easy to do, and will tire him out of sure. Toys that I like are the kong wobbler, feeder balls or treat dispensing balls, the pickle pocket, the everlasting treat, and even a good old kong toy stuffed with some frozen fresh ground peanut butter (avoid any peanut butter with xylitol of course), greek yogurt, or pumpkin. My one dog doesn't really like the kong wobbler or the treat dispensing toy because he gets frustrated very easily. You'll just have to do a trial and error with Leny. My puppy really likes the treat ball and the kongs, as does my older guy. The older, more frustrated guy, really likes the everlasting treat ball as well. I order a lot of things from chewy.com because the prices are great, and if the dogs don't like the toys, it's not a huge waste of money, and I can just give them away. There is also something called a "snuffle mat" that you can purchase or make, that I think is a great idea for dogs after they've finished teething and don't chew things up anymore. (Of course if Leny winds up just being a chewer, I'd be careful with this too so he doesn't ingest any pieces). The snuffle mat is basically a mat with pieces of long fabric that you toss the food on. Then brush the pieces back and forth to hide the food, and let Leny sniff around and look for the food. I actually have this on my 2019 bucket list to make for my dogs. Of course, just to mention, there's always a huge benefit to working with a trainer, to help you streamline Leny's daily routine, so that he gets rid of the most energy and is calm and content. I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

You can try and give Harley a calming chew such as NaturVet Quiet Moments with Melatonin and see if this helps calm him while he is in his crate. I would suggest giving him indestructible toys such as the Kong toys to keep him busy while he is in the crate. When you are at home with him, you need to make the crate a positive place for him to be. This means putting his food and water in there so when it is dinner time or breakfast time, he eats in the crate. Lots of treats to reward him when he goes in would help create a positive environment as well. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Congratulations - Brenna is adorable! There are plenty of puppies who are just fine being left alone while their owners work. I think the play pen and potty pads will be perfect - just be aware that it may take a little longer to house train her if she is using potty pads. She can have walks and play time before and after you work. You also may want to look into interactive toys for her while you're gone - she could have her breakfast in a food puzzle to give her some stimulation.

Being only 6 months old, it is safest in a kennel until he gets used to the new routine. It will prevent him from having an accident and destroying things out of bored and possibly ingesting something that may harm him. If you can start getting him used to the kennel before you leave to let him know it is a safe spot that would help. make sure you give treats when he gets in there. Leave him toys as long as he does not destroy or ingest them, and make sure to rotate toys so he does not get bored with the same one every day.