How can I keep dog busy

[Judgy1]

She follows me around, gets in the way, I feel like she’s trying to play ballroom dancing with me as she’s always tripping me over and staring at me. If I let her out into the garden she will incessantly bark. She has stopped listening to commands, she runs off and is acting out for attention. She even pretends to have an injury sometimes. I need to go back to putting her on a lead, She has toys and I have just let her run around the park over the road. she is always looking for food. I don’t know what to do with her

What breed is she and how old? Hard to advise without knowing the breed - could be early signs of separation anxiety, over-stimulation, under-stimulation, boredom etc.

I have health conditions and it is hard for me to keep on top of house work and she is constantly sniffing around for food and will lick muck off the floor that I haven’t had the chance to sweep, that have been brought in by shoes, she will even randomly start licking the floor when I have just cleaned it and she looks at me for my reaction, I think she is doing it because she knows she gets attention, she isn’t short of attention by the way she gets loads, more than other dogs because I am home all of the time. She makes me feel so angry

She is a chihuahua

Teach her to settle, not to keep busy

There's your problem. Needy, yappy, snappy little divas. The densest concentration of evil in the known galaxy.

Get a big glass fruit bowl and a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.

Well...the fact she is a Chi certainly changes advice.

Unfortunately, she's a Chi. So that is your problem tbh - they're incredibly happy and very needy. Nothing she is doing is actually unexpected in light of her breed. They're tiny - and highly strung - so they bark incessantly and they're also quite sensitive, so getting annoyed with them makes it worse (unlike a Husky which will just eye-roll at you and go back to digging it's hole). You have to remember, they are tiny - so they are often terrified of everything and everyone.

Chi's also suffer from issues including hypoglycaemia which does require them to have food in small bites often.

You're making her out to be some evil devil dog, but she's just doing what her breed does. You need to give her what she needs; positive reinforcements and mental stimulation combined with lots of little meals throughout the day.

I got her 6 years ago due to my health issues and I thought she would be a good lap dog and is small enough she doesn’t need much walking. I should’ve said I know about the food issue and she eats 3 times a day. should I increase that? She has awful anxiety. She is afraid of everyone, and will bite. She is very needy. I will never get a chihuahua again. It’s a shame I can’t just give her something to do to get on with like a human being would.

She is afraid of everything and always flinching and jumping around. If I drop something she will act like it hit her or was about to and she will run away and start shaking. She barks at the hoover.

I was going to suggest a small flock of sheep-but it would have to be a flock of small sheep......

Sorry!

Does she get enough exercise? Even though she's tiny she still needs to use up her energy.

Chewing is very good for dog's mental health. Could you give her safe and tasty things to chew so she relaxes plus she won't bother you if she's busy. You'll need to reduce food if you introduce regular chews as she's so tiny! My tiny dog loves a dried beef bollock!

When did she last see the vet? If these are recent changes, I'd be asking for a blood test for diabetes or another medical issue.
If you aren't able to give her much exercise, could you get a dog walker, even a few times a week? or doggy daycare? To give you a break but also stimulate the dog.

You might be home all the time, but what do you actually do with her?

She may be small, but she still needs regular, good quality exercise as well as mental stimulation and training. Company isn't the be all and end all, she needs more than that.

Breed doesn’t matter. I have a border terrier. She’s great with other dogs, lives with a cat and has really good recall. All impossible apparently.

There are some great independence games you can play to encourage that. Flitting, do it by myself etc. they’re really clever dogs and do well with training and exercise. This will also build confidence. Chis are really fun little dogs but they are dogs and need what other dogs need, albeit in lesser quantity.