IF you've ever watched a documentary on zoo animals, you will have noticed that a great deal of time is spent on making sure the zoo animals do not become bored. An animal that lives in the same surroundings, is fed in the same manner and at the same time every day can become bored and depressed.

Animals in the wild, animals deal with different surroundings and events every day - scavenging, hunting, keeping pack order, keeping strangers out of their territory and caring for new babies. Keeping our dogs from becoming bored is just as important. A bored dog can get into all sorts of trouble, if left to entertain itself. Boredom is the cause of many behavior problems and these behavior problems can be the cause of dogs being given up. Even dogs that do not develop boredom-related behavior problems need a variety of activities to keep them happy and healthy. You can entertain, educate and enrich the life of your canine with some simple activities. A busy dog is a happy dog.

The first and most common activity is the walk ... the walk around the block that fits in first thing in the morning, right after work or right before bed. This walk can also become boring, so change it up by taking a new route.  Go to the beach, take a hike, visit a friend and their dog, simply take a left at the end of the road instead of a right. Just by turning a different way you open up a whole new world of sniffing. Sniffing is another very important activity for your dog - sniffing lets them know who has been out, who is new on the block and lots of other local gossip. Take them out for some new scent sniffing.

Although a daily walk is important, it is important to add new activities to your dog's life. These are some quick and easy activities to play with your dog, while enhancing your time together.

• Hunting, take some dry small treats and hide them around the house while your dog is in another room. Make sure they are easily accessible for your dogs so they don't have to scratch anything up to get them. Let your dog out and tell her to find the treats, help with the first couple if you need to.
• A variation on the hunting game is to take a big old pile of blankets and hide treats in the blankets. Set your dog loose on the pile and tell them to "find" the treats. A few years ago I was moving into a new home with some very bored dogs. I took all the packing paper and mixed treats among them. This activity was a big hit.
• Teach your dog hide 'n' seek. This is a fun activity for the whole family and your dog will love it. Start out by hiding in an easy spot, like behind the coffee table. Have one person hide and the other stay with the dog. Send your dog to "find Tom or Sally" - use the family member's name. Call the dogs, and when they find you, jump up and praise and treat them. Once your dog gets the idea, make it harder and harder for your dog to find you. You will likely need someone to hold the dog once they know what hide 'n' seek is. This teaches your dog to find a person on command and helps to teach it family members' names. This is a favorite at my house.
• Bobbing is another fun activity, especially on a summer day that is too hot to venture out. Fill a kiddy pool, large pot or pail with a couple of inches of water. Throw your dog's favorite waterproof toy or water-tough treats (meaty type) into the water and let them figure out how to get them out. Some dogs are naturals at this; some can take a while to figure out how to get the toy without getting water up your nose. Don't push; let them figure it out on their own time. Many dogs will learn how to retrieve items from underwater once they learn the "don't sniff under water" rule. If you have an obsessive retriever, fill the pool with toys, balls, sponges as well as sinkable items.
• Got a digger demolishing your backyard? Build a sandbox for your digger and hide treats (dry cracker type) under the sand. Once they are rewarded for digging in this area, they are sure to adopt the new digs!
• When you purchase new toys, keep some put away. Bring a new one out each week and put an old one away. Just like kids, they like to get a new toy and the new toy is always the favorite of the week.
• Plan a play date. Play dates are a wonderful activity for you and your dog. If you know of someone with a friendly dog, invite them over to play in your backyard. Not only will your dog have a new playmate, you will have fun discussing your dogs having so much fun.
• Meal time can be very boring for a dog. Take their regular ration of food and stuff it into a indestructible toy and let them scavenge it out. Hide dry dog food around the house or use it for your obedience and trick training. Dogs do not have to eat their meal out of a bowl.
• Obedience and trick training is a wonderful activity. Done in a fun and positive method, your dog will love school time.

Use your imagination and introduce your dog to some new, fun and different ways for the two of you to spend your time together.