How do I get my dog tired?
Are there any activities that can tire out a dog besides just playing outside or Frisbee. Or any good toys she could play with while I'm gone during some of the day?
4 Answers
Two words: dog park. Taking any of my more excitable/energetic dogs out to the park always wears them down. The only downside is that you usually will have to bathe them once you get home, just as a precaution and because they usually will always find some dirt or mud.
If you don’t have a dog park available to you, have you tried doggy playtime/daycare? Places like PetSmart or Pooch Hotel have big rooms where dogs can play together with constant supervision. I’m sure you can always find some great folks here on Rover that have furbabies that can help wear yours down. ;-)
Oh, as someone else commented, puzzle toys are great for distracting and winding down as well!
I would recommend agility, or puzzle games. Agility is great for a really active dog, as it gives them some kind of job to do. Puzzles games are great because they stimulate the mind while the dog works for the treats. Unfortunately neither of these is something your dog can do without your assistance, or supervision, but they will help to wear her out so she will be less stimulated when you're not with her.
There are a lot of things you can try - regular walks and other structured exercise (like fetch/frisbee) should be a part of her routine. I assume that's your girl in your picture. Herding dogs can be VERY high energy, and of course are very smart. They thrive on a lot of physical exercise and a job to do that works their mind. They also love engaging with their special people. They tend to bond tightly to one or two chosen humans and need frequent interaction to be happy. I trained my border collie mix to jump onto or over obstacles on command. We started with fire hydrants and bike racks, big rocks, walls, fences... whatever we came across. She loves jumping, so it's a great way to spice up walks. It gets her more physical exercise than a normal walk, and also works her brain since she has to focus on me and wait for her cue. I also got a bike jogger so she can run safely alongside me. This is a great way to give her intense activity when she's really excited. She also has to focus and pay close attention to me, since we're both moving at a high rate of speed and have to coordinate our stops, starts and turns.
As for puzzle toys, try a few kinds to see what she enjoys. I also recommend stocking up a few and rotating them out so she doesn't get bored with them. My favorite of all time is the Kong Wobbler. It's insanely durable (I've had mine through three of my own dogs plus all of my guests over 9 years and it's still in fantastic shape) and can be used with normal food or treats in a variety of sizes to vary the difficulty and intrigue. I keep an eye on Doggy Loot (http://www.doggyloot.com/?rid=1260104) for new toys at a good discount to add to the collection.
Comments
Thank you. She's an aussie. She's really smart, but she gets easily distracted when I'm trying to teach/train her, any tips?
My border collie is the same way. She gets so worked up that she's grabby with the treats and loses all focus. It helps if you try to do formal training after a good amount of exercise so she's less intense. I've also had more luck with more informal training. I taught 'hup' for jump on/over whatever I indicate by capturing the behavior; there was a waist high retaining wall we'd jump up up to get to the field by where I lived. I'd use the word as we jumped up until she made the connection, then I'd ask her to wait before jumping, and have her jump on the cue. Then we expanded it to more and more objects until she figured out that 'hup' can be for anything. Then I can use the wait while she's on objects to make...
Ok, I'll give it a try. Thank You!
The nice thing about capturing and using things she already likes is that you don't always have to be ready with treats. Practicing the behavior is its own reward, and Aussies are smart - like any dog they may learn faster with treats, but she'll still learn fast with praise and attention.
Also clicker training works better for dogs that get overly stimulated by praise or food. Toys can also be reward.
Try racquet balls, if you don't mind them bouncing all over your house. Have you tried hide 'n seek?
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Does anyone know if racquetballs are OK? I was just wondering since I do not know about their chemical composition. Hopefully they are fine. But, I would like to be sure that they are OK for our dogs. Thank you.
You can use Kongs where you fill up the object with kibble or dry dog food and seal it up with peanut butter on both ends and put it in a plastic bag. Put it in the freezer for a few hours and then when you are about to leave the house give it to your dog. It will keep her busy for a few hours.