Mental Exercises for Bored Dogs: The 28-Day Brain Reset
He had his walk. He is still chewing the couch. A tired body is not a tired brain. Your dog was bred to do a job — sniff, chase, shred, dig, herd or solve — and when nothing in the house feeds that drive, he invents his own job. It is never the one you would have picked.
- Starts with the problem: chewing, barking, zoomies, digging, alone-time stress
- The Six Drives and a Drive Quiz — find the instinct running your dog
- 60 brain games, each in three levels, each with an “if it’s not working” fix
- A 28-day plan — one 10-minute session a day, no backyard, no gadgets
Kindle edition free with Kindle Unlimited.
Feed the drive, not just the legs
Most dog enrichment books hand you fifty games and wish you luck. This one works the other way round: tell it what your dog is doing, and it shows you which drive is behind it and exactly which games answer it.
Sniff
The nose dog. Bored, he raids the trash and drags you from smell to smell on walks.
Chase
The mover. Bored, he gets the evening zoomies and still won't settle after a long walk.
Shred
The dissector. Bored, he takes apart cushions, toys and baseboards.
Dig
The forager. Bored, he digs at the couch, the carpet and his bed.
Herd
The manager. Bored, he barks at the window, circles people and nips heels.
Solve
The engineer. Bored, he opens cabinets, steals socks and barks at you for attention.
Find your problem, fast
232 pages: a problem finder on page 11, a chapter for each problem, 60 games written out at three levels, and a plan that tells you exactly what to do for ten minutes tonight.
Twenty-eight days, ten minutes each
- Week 1 — Calm Foundations: the settle-down games every other week is built on
- Week 2 — Feed the Drive: games aimed at your dog's top instinct
- Week 3 — Tackle the Problem: three named games for the behavior you bought the book for
- Week 4 — Independence: a dog who can keep himself busy and settle on his own
- Brain work hidden in your day: breakfast, the walk, the coffee maker and the ad break
The clever dog in a busy home
Border collies, shepherds, young Labs, terriers and every mix with an engine. Apartments and small spaces included — the games use blankets, boxes, towels and his own dinner. Chapters for puppies, seniors, crate rest, shy rescues and multi-dog homes.
And honest about the limits: a clear chapter on when it isn't boredom, and you need a vet or a professional.
Free brain-games guideComplete the shelf
The 28-Day Brain Reset sits beside the training books — written from the same life with dogs.
Adult Dog Training: The 30-Day Reset
Habits, not boredom? The day-by-day plan for retraining the grown-up dog you already have.
The Whole Family Puppy Training Book
A puppy in the house? Ten minutes a day, with jobs for the whole family.
Free training guides
Trainability, enrichment & brain games, separation anxiety — free on nsducktoller.com.