How to keep a Labrador entertained

If you are thinking of getting a Labrador or you have recently gotten one then you’re probably wondering how to keep it entertained.

So, how to keep your Labrador entertained? To keep your Labrador entertained it would help to give it lots of exercise to prevent it from becoming hyperactive. Then you can keep it entertained by doing things such as training it, playing fetch or tug of war with it, giving it toys to play with, giving it chew toys, giving it puzzles to complete or you can take it to doggy daycare.

There are actually many different things that you can do to entertain your Labrador that I will show you below.

How to keep your Labrador entertained

Walk it

Labradors are a breed that is meant to get exercise on a daily basis in order to be fully stimulated. When they do not get enough exercise it can cause them to behave abnormally and to be more energetic around the home. Generally, it is recommended to give them an hour of exercise per day. If yours is not getting that much it would help to start giving it more exercise.

Play fetch

One effective way to wear it out quickly is to get it to play fetch which is effective because it gets your Lab to do a lot of sprinting without much rest which will help to wear it out quickly. It will also get it used to interacting with you in a positive way and it will help to make it more responsive to your command.

Teach it to swim

Another option would be to teach it to swim which is also an effective way to exercise it since it gets it to do a lot of work in a low impact way and it is especially useful in the summer.

Most Labradors take to water naturally but there are some that do not. However, there are ways to get it to like swimming that I talk about here.

Give it toys

One way to keep it entertained without your direct involvement would be to give it toys to play with. By doing so you will be able to keep it occupied with something that you want it to be occupied with. This means that you’ll be able to divert its attention away from destroying things when you are not around.

Give it lots of training

Another way to keep it stimulated would be to give it lots of training. By doing so you should be able to get it to use up a lot of energy listening to you and to become better behaved.

If you have not given your Labrador much training yet, it would help to start by training it the basics such as to sit and stay in an environment without many distractions and then to build up from there.

Give it puzzles

Another way to entertain it without your direct involvement would be to give it puzzle games to play with. There are a number of puzzle games that you can buy that are designed to make your Labrador think and put its attention into it in order to get the reward.

Play tug of war with it

Another way to entertain it would be to play tug of war with it. You’ll likely find your Labrador will love to play tug of war so it’s a good way to keep its focus onto something that you want it to.

Use a dog walker

When you are unable to exercise your Labrador yourself, one option would be to make use of a dog walker. There are apps you can download now that will allow you to find a dog walker in your local area.

Walk it with other dogs

Another way to wear it out more and to get it to require less entertainment around the home would be to walk it with other dogs. By doing so your Labrador should wear itself out more by running around with the other dogs.

Give it chew toys

Another way to entertain it would be to give it chew toys to chew on. By doing so you should be able to keep its focus on chewing something that you want it to and to avoid having it do things such as chewing on your sofa.

Doggy daycare

If you will not be at home for a long time one option would be to take it to a doggy daycare so that you can have them look after it while you are away.

Things to consider

Age

It’s important to consider the age of your Labrador. If it is a puppy then it will require a lot of attention but you will be limited in how much exercise you can give it. Generally, it is recommended that you don’t give it any more than 5 minutes of exercise per month of age twice daily (source). This is because, when they are puppies, their joints and bones are still developing and lots of exercise could damage them. It is also important to remember that it will not be able to control its bladder as well yet so it will be necessary to avoid leaving it for long periods.

Give it attention daily

It is also important to give it attention daily so that it doesn’t look for ways to get attention from you. Ways to give it attention would be to play with it, train it and to give it exercise.