Why is my German Shepherd bored?

If your German Shepherd has been getting bored, you’re probably wondering why and what you can do about it.

This post will show you a number of reasons why it happens and a number of things that you can do to get it to be more lively.

So, why is my German Shepherd bored? Common causes are a lack of exercise, a poor diet, age, nature, heat, illness or depression.

There are actually a number of things that you can consider when trying to understand why it is bored and there are a number of things that you can do depending on the cause.

Why your German Shepherd is bored

Each of the different reasons why your German Shepherd gets bored will likely come with some clues.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why your German Shepherd will get bored and the signs to look for.

Not enough exercise

German Shepherds are a breed that is supposed to be getting a lot of exercise daily. Generally, it is recommended that they get at least an hour of exercise daily. When they do not get much exercise it causes them to develop behavioral issues. If your German Shepherd does not currently get that much exercise then it is likely to be a contributing factor.

There are a number of ways that you can give your German Shepherd more exercise. Examples would be to walk it for an hour, play fetch with it or to have a dog walker do it for you.

The wrong diet

A poor diet could also be what is causing your German Shepherd to get bored a lot.

This would be especially likely if it started to become bored at around the same time that you changed its diet.

You can look at this website to see what you should and should not be feeding your German Shepherd.

If you are unsure of what food to get for your German Shepherd, consider getting dog food designed specifically for German Shepherds. You can get a GSD specific dog food on Amazon here and one for GSD puppies on Chewy here. 

Age

Naturally, dogs will become less energetic as they get older. This would be more likely If you have noticed that your German Shepherd has gradually become less energetic and more bored as it got older. This would be more likely if it wasn’t a sudden change.

Nature

Dogs will naturally sleep for more than 10 hours per day (source). If your German Shepherd tends to be lively when it is awake then it would be more likely that it is just natural behavior.

It could also be the case that your German Shepherd is naturally less energetic than others. This would be more likely if it has always seemed to be that way and it hasn’t suddenly become bored.

Related post: How to tell if your German Shepherd loves you

Heat

German Shepherds have thick double coats that can make it difficult for them to stay cool when it is hot outside. The reason that your German Shepherd has been bored could be that it is hot where it tends to be.

This would be much more likely to be the reason if your German Shepherd became a lot more bored when the weather became hotter.

However, it could also be the case that it gets bored due to being too hot if it tends to be hot inside as well.

In this case, it would help if you were to give your German Shepherd access to as many shaded areas as possible, a cool room and water. It would also help to try to give it exercise in the mornings or evenings when it is cooler outside.

Illness

The reason that your German Shepherd has been bored a lot could be that it has gotten an illness.

This would be more likely if it started to be bored suddenly and if it used to be more energetic. It would also be likely if it recently ate something that it should not have, it recently got wet and cold or if it has been showing other signs of being ill.

Depression

Dogs can get depression like humans do and it could be the reason that your German Shepherd has been acting bored.

This would be more likely if it has not always been so bored. It would also be more likely if it suddenly became bored after something happened such as if it lost a friend, you moved home or a family member moved away.

Things to consider

Before trying to get your German Shepherd to act less bored it would help to understand what is causing it to happen.

Below, I will mention a few particularly helpful things to consider.

When it started

The timing of when your German Shepherd started to be bored would be a particularly useful thing to consider.

If it became bored all the time suddenly then it would make it more likely that it is being caused by things such as heat, illness or a change in diet.

It would help to consider what else happened at around the same time that it started to get bored.

When and where it seems to get bored

The timing and location that it gets bored in could also be a useful thing to consider.

If it only seems to get bored at certain times and locations then it would likely have something to do with it.

For example, if it only seems to get bored when it is hot outside then it would be likely to be due to the heat. Whereas, if it only seems to be getting bored when you have been away all day then it could be due to a lack of exercise or separation anxiety.

How can I make my German Shepherd less bored?

There are a number of things that you can do to get your German Shepherd to show signs of being less bored that I will mention below.

You can look at the book Training Your German Shepherd on Amazon to get more tips about how you can train your GSD.

Give it exercise

As mentioned earlier, German Shepherds need a lot of exercise and a lack of exercise can cause problems.

You can give your German Shepherd exercise by walking it more, teaching it to play fetch or having a dog walker do it for you.

Give it access to cool areas

If you live in a hot area then it is likely that the heat is contributing to it being bored all the time especially if it seems to be less bored when it is cooler.

In this case, it would help to give it access to more shaded areas, a cool environment and water. It would also help to avoid letting it be out when the sun is directly overhead and to try and walk it in the morning or evening when it is cooler.

Change its diet

Another thing that you can do is to make sure that you are giving it right foods and that it is getting enough water. It would also help to ensure that no-one else in the family is giving it things that it shouldn’t be eating.

You can look here to see what foods you should and should not be giving it. You can also consult with a vet to see if its current diet might be what is causing it to be tired.

Take it to a vet

If you think that a medical cause could be making your German Shepherd be bored then the best option for you would be to take it to a vet.

Ensure it can sleep comfortably

It could also be the case that its sleeping environment is not comfortable.

It would likely help to ensure that its sleeping environment is cool, there are not any lights turned on keeping it awake and that it has access to water if it wants some.

Give it toys to play with

Another thing that you can do is to give your German Shepherd some toys to play with if there is not much for it to do where it spends most of its time.

There are puzzle games that you can get and toys that you can find online that are specially designed for dogs to play with.