Dogs of all ages need toys, not just when they're puppies. The best form of stimulation for your dog when he's alone is chew toys. Chew toys are objects that the dog can chew, swallow and digest. Examples are:
Cow hooves
Rawhide bones
Ostrich larynxes
Pigs ears
Rawhide strips
Ostrich bones
These toys should all be removed when they get small enough to fit down your dog's throat, as you don't want him to swallow the last end of the hoof and get it stuck!
The second category of toys is Brain toys. These toys are aimed at stimulating your dog's brain:
Kongs (www.kongcompany.com)
Busta Cubes
Treat balls
You can also have multiple bowls in your garden/house that you put his daily meal in - that way, he needs to scavenge to find it. Alternatively, try scatter feeding him. Scatter his kibble around so he has to sniff it out.
Remember, its all about mental stimulation. You have to provide your dog with lots of things to do during the day while you are at work or out with friends. If he is sitting at home alone (even if there is another dog in the home) and he's bored, he's going to spend all his time barking at the gate, digging up your garden or destroying everything he can.
Duke's Academy for Dogs was started up in 2008 with no students :) Today, we have more than 30 students at Duke's Academy for Dogs and we are going full time from the March 2012.
Duke's Academy for Dogs
Duke at a show in his prime
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