I have a 13 year old Lhasa Apso female. She has always been lazy - she's a big fan of sleeping and cuddling. If I'm lucky, she'll play tug for about ten minutes, once a month. She has absolutely no interest in toys, but she is very food-motivated. Thankfully, she doesn't overeat - she just resorts to guarding behavior. (This is common to the breed, and was well ingrained before we got her at age 10.)
I recently started grad school, and noticed that she's been licking herself a lot in my absence. We go for long walks in the morning and late at night (short walks during the day, we are in So Cal). She has no history of separation anxiety and there is no other indication that she is suffering from it.
She does have allergies, currently being treated. I'm afraid that she has associated licking=feeling good, and in my absence it is becoming a bad habit like a human biting her nails.
She can't really take advantage of the chewing aspect of Kong toys, because she's missing a lot of her teeth. We also rule out Greenies and other longer-lasting treats because of their gluten content.
So, given all these ridiculous variables, does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep my dog stimulated during the brief periods she is awake? All suggestions are appreciated.
I recently started grad school, and noticed that she's been licking herself a lot in my absence. We go for long walks in the morning and late at night (short walks during the day, we are in So Cal). She has no history of separation anxiety and there is no other indication that she is suffering from it.
She does have allergies, currently being treated. I'm afraid that she has associated licking=feeling good, and in my absence it is becoming a bad habit like a human biting her nails.
She can't really take advantage of the chewing aspect of Kong toys, because she's missing a lot of her teeth. We also rule out Greenies and other longer-lasting treats because of their gluten content.
So, given all these ridiculous variables, does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep my dog stimulated during the brief periods she is awake? All suggestions are appreciated.