If your dog were living in the wild, she'd have a job. Every day, she would spend the majority of her time and energy out scavenging and hunting, and probably would end up with just enough food to do it again the next day.

Frustration and Boredom

Like most people today, pet dogs tend to be overfed and underexercised. Add in selective breeding, creating dogs that are bred to hunt or do other work virtually all day. We bring them home, leave them alone with nothing to do all day, and then expect them to lie quietly by our feet as we watch TV at night. It's no mystery why our dogs are bouncing off the walls: they're bored, frustrated, and need a job.

Creative Job Hunting

If you don't give your dog a job, she'll have to create her own, and you probably aren't going to be overjoyed with her choices, which might include classics like Redecorating the House, Digging Your Own Pool, or Keeping the Evil Delivery Men Away. The jobs you find for your dog might be very simple, like making her work for her food or other things she likes. They could also be very elaborate, like teaching her to pick up all of her (or the kids') toys.

Do Something!

Just giving dogs simple tasks to perform throughout the day makes some of them happy, while others need more physical jobs. Regular obedience training is a job every dog can do and will benefit from. For a truly happy and fulfilled dog, find out what your dog was bred to do and do it. Take your dog hiking or swimming. Have a good game of Frisbee.

Whether for eventual competition or just for fun, find a dog-training school and train your dog in a more distracting environment. Even better, one that offers therapy-dog training, agility, rally, or tracking can help you keep your dog happy, busy and out of trouble indefinitely. The point is, do something!