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Post by smilesbetter on Mar 7, 2014 19:53:13 GMT
Hello, this isn't really a "problem" but didn't know where else to post it. Also sorry for all the posts recently, being a first time full puppy owner is hard work  Rosa (who is 11 and a half weeks) yesterday developed a high energy spurt and now every time we take her out to the toilet she runs around like a nutter. She's not fully vaccinated yet (appointment next Friday) so can't go out on walks or to the park etc yet, but we can take her (on the extending 15m lead) into the middle garden part of her building. We've been doing "fetch" so far but it doesn't seem to tire her out much. We were out for 40 mins earlier playing "fetch" (she hasn't mastered it yet) and her sniffing around and she still wasn't tired afterwards! Once she is able to go out for walks and to play in the park we'll be fine, also gonna train her to run along with my bike once she's good on the lead, and got lots of other high energy games for when her joints are better formed, but for now I could do with some more ideas of tiring games for young puppies that won't be too bad on the joints and which can be done on the lead. Thanks!  |
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Post by cazypops on Mar 7, 2014 20:07:34 GMT
How about some mind games instead of running about, like teaching sit and shake paw and stay, or hiding treats around the flat for her to find. Do you have a kong for her? We had to do all these for Jasper when he had an accident when he was 6 months old and his exercise was restricted for months. Hope this helps, but look on the bright side, it's only for another week then you'll have a better chance of tiering her out. And don't apologise for all the posts, that's what we're all here for.  |
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Post by smilesbetter on Mar 7, 2014 21:00:00 GMT
Yup we do lots of training which she's getting quite good at indoors (except coming back to her name when something more interesting as around). We've got her a Kong but she's not very interested in her toys, except when the Kong has food frozen into it, but we only do that if we're going out for a wee while. She doesn't get left alone long btw! But having to speed up her home alone training as my man is going on holiday for ten days next week,meek. Bad timing haha. I'm only out for 4 hours tops a day for German class but we've got into a schedule where she only goes out once during that time and sleeps through it apart from that. My man works nights so is asleep in another room then too so she's quite fine. Don't wanna have to leave her alone but hopefully tiring her out and feeding her at the right time/frozen kongs will help up through it. We've recorded her on her own and she is very good doesn't appear to have any problems. Anyway thanks for the reply! Will try doing her training in the morning too now, we usually do it in the evening but her main energy spurt seems to be in the morning so I'll do some then too. The hiding treats is a good idea will try that tomorrow afternoon! |
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Post by McCuddles on Mar 8, 2014 0:50:14 GMT
Yup I would also second mind games! Bearing in mind the types of breed she is she may find it hard to sit still for too long ha ha, and in fact the hardest thing we found with our border collie when she was younger was just teaching her to settle down, we thought running the little legs off her would soon tire her out but it didn't and she just became narky and bitey with her lil sharp puppy teeth! So basic things like paw etc or if she likes her soft toys give them names and try get her to distinguish between each one. Or scent games even. Or bits of treats hidden under flower pots or cups, sounds ancient but it still works! Even now I still put Dotty in one room, ask her to wait while I hide a certain toy then ask her to find it, she loves this game. Good luck in tiring her out! |
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Post by smilesbetter on Mar 8, 2014 6:12:47 GMT
Thanks! What's a good way to train the names of objects? We've not mastered that yet haha! She's not hugely interested in her toys except one (this ball on a rope thing, can't think of a name for it haha).
Will definitely try the treat hiding, she'd be quite good at that. I think my floor is perfectly clean and she manages to find all sorts of things down there! It's an intensive game for me keeping an eye on her and pinching things out her mouth haha. Will have to teach her "give" and swap the thing for a treat perhaps. Could help in our games of fetch too, we've not mastered that part yet and she doesn't like to give toys back to me, the mean lady that takes her toys and throws them away!
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Post by migsy on Mar 8, 2014 16:13:10 GMT
Ha haa,as McCuddles found out,you can't run their legs off,they end up wanting more! We used to be nearly on our knees after a nice long walk,our F.C.R. would settle down for a nice snooze,but the B.C. would bring you his frizby! Mind games definitely help,they love using their noddles.Both dogs used to enjoy playing at heading a balloon back to you,even waiting in turn for each go,very useful for indoor game.
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Post by smilesbetter on Mar 8, 2014 17:15:21 GMT
Haha i know exactly what you mean. Rosa spent ages running around like a lunatic at puppy class, and afterwards when I carried her to get the bus she was still fidgeting and eager to go haha!
Haha ballon thing could be fun! Do they not pop it trying to pick it up?
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Post by McCuddles on Mar 8, 2014 18:37:05 GMT
Well Dotty absolutely loves her soft toys and she doesn't even pull the stuffing out (wowsers!) She has so many and they all have a name usually related to what animal they are, sometimes if we are lucky they even come with a name, like Stevie starfish or Yogi yeti! But the way I get her to learn them is just to waggle it in front of her face whilst saying stuff like 'who's that dotty, where's Stevie?' Then just throw it a couple metres in front of her for her to fetch whilst repeating the name then repeating all over, simples. Eventually you should be able to reach a level where you can ask her to sit in front of you then ask her to bring you a certain toy. Mind and scent games are really important to tire them out mentally and also eg for if you are ill and can't make normal walks or if weather is that bad and you can't go out (being Scottish tho I am sure you are hardcore and weather doesn't matter lol). Good luck!
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Post by smilesbetter on Mar 8, 2014 18:52:00 GMT
Thanks! Haha I can handle rain and snow, for me the extreme sun here in summer is the horrible hard to deal with weather haha, I find it hard to do anything when it's that hot! Thankfully I have a neighbour that has offered to take Rosa jogging with her some mornings if I want a long lie haha, woop! But yeah, if there's lightning outside I'd rather keep her in and do training haha. We're still learning fetch at the moment but will try the waggling the toy in her face and saying it's name and adding it to the fetch command. We've got names to give most of her toys, but she has this ball on a rope toy which I'm worried would confuse her as she also has a rope and a ball haha. Maybe she'll get "rope ball" though, there's a collie in Germany that has learnt the names of I think over a hundred toys and I think it knows groups of toys by some words, so like "green ball", "small Kong" etc. The dog training later her at puppy class was telling me they do a course where they have these huge coloured balls, and a goal and help the dog to get the ball in the goal. The dog learns the names of the colours as the balls are identical apart form colours, and also learns to go in different directions on commend which is pretty cool. They recommend it for herding breeds as they are essentially herding the ball towards where you want them to go. Rosa is too young though at the moment, pfft haha. Could start doing training for this at home with coloured balloons like migsy 's idea though actually! |
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Post by McCuddles on Mar 8, 2014 19:12:22 GMT
That's a good idea with regards the different coloured balls, that way she can also learn directions too. I've taught Dotty come by, away and walk in. With balloons I'd just be wary if they pop that she doesn't get spooked, but then she might not bother with any luck! I was gonna suggest children's beach balls like you get in asda here, you get ones with different names eg Dora the explorer, Bob the builder etc, but if you could get different colours then she would be able to transfer that colour from one object to the next if that makes sense!
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Post by migsy on Mar 8, 2014 20:36:18 GMT
Balloons never burst as the dogs leaped up to head them back to me using their noses,if they ran to grab the balloon,a quick LEAVE reminded them to wait until I picked it up.I think I had just as much fun as the dogs.When game over I just said 'thats enough for now',and put the balloon away.
We also named toys,and repeats had a colour.We used to like a little bit of a lie in on a Sunday,so we would send Sam to fetch his red hedgehog ,we could hear him scrabbling in his box for said toy and back he would race with the correct one.They are supposed to be colour blind,but he learned somehow to associate the correct colour and toy each time.It's really not a difficult game to teach.
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Post by smilesbetter on Mar 8, 2014 23:55:32 GMT
Awesome, I'll try those out! thanks! Rosa and I are gonna have a lotta fun haha |
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Post by BorderTerrier on Mar 12, 2014 9:25:37 GMT
Like already mentioned, mind games stimulate the brain and that is as important as physical exercise! After a good session of mental exercise, she should be tired and settle down to sleep. If you're up for it, how about chasing her around? Make her feel like for the play session, you are her fellow puppy to rough and tumble with. Hide her toys or even make her wait inside while you go and hide outside, vice versa; then call her to you and she must try and find you via voice, and via small. You could try over a period of time, naming different toys and lining them up then saying one of the names. She should learn to only picked up the named toy. Similar to the coloured balls in a way! You can make up your own games or even buy puzzle boards at shops such as Pets At Home, the following one looks quite good, I was actually considering it for my Earl - www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/dog-toys/wheelie-fun-wooden-treat-puzzle?i=270&pageSize=45 What your dog has to do, is move around the blocks of wood to revile the treat you have hidden inside/underneath etc. The puppy should use her paws, mouth, nose etc to move the blocks. She must figure it out and then put it into action, which stimulates the mind well. Or there are treat dispensing toys, such as the Kong Wobbler treat dispenser - www.traininglines.co.uk/kong-wobbler-treat-dispensing-dog-toy.html where the dog must bat and roll it around to get the treats out of the hole. Or there is the SoundBite treat ball (in my opinion, better, as the ball rolls more in different directions than the un-even Wobbler) - www.traininglines.co.uk/soundbite-treat-ball.html and the rather unusual Linkables dispensing puzzle - www.traininglines.co.uk/linkables-treat-dispensing-puzzle-toys.html also comes in mini - www.traininglines.co.uk/mini-linkables-treat-dispensing-puzzle-toys.html Basically, with this, you make the challenge harder by linking the rubber parts together, each dispensing a treat. You may find the Training lines website handy for finding a treat dispenser - www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CEwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.traininglines.co.uk%2Ftreat-dispensing-toys%2F&ei=ZSYgU9SxOYOv7AbyxoCoCA&usg=AFQjCNG5DEVOIRGu14AzEiKFt8jpa7ELwg&sig2=4S9BOgzgBlUvgPiFYBTCcg&bvm=bv.62788935,d.ZGU The Brain Boosting Games for dogs website is PACKED to the brim with homemade mind games to play - www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CHMQFjAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmoderndogmagazine.com%2Farticles%2Fbrain-boosting-games%2F1721&ei=ZicgU5C7Mcje7AbzoIGQDA&usg=AFQjCNHZe-IKwzhlfHlDqXcnzcRQvYjtGw&sig2=7-60rpb48mNzwli6yLH6ew&bvm=bv.62788935,d.ZGU Trick training is also a great way of making the dog think. Maybe teach Rosa some new tricks, either for practical reasons, such as wait, down etc, or fun ones such as high-five, spin, etc. 2 minute sit stays are basic but get the dog's mind working unbelievably as this is a long, tempting wait, especially for a puppy. A sit stay a day should help Rosa at her stays as well as an activity to play with her. HTH smilesbetter |
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Post by smilesbetter on Mar 12, 2014 11:39:38 GMT
That brain boosting games website sounds great! Will have a look at it when I get in, thanks BorderTerrier ! We've been doing lots of trick training, I saw a post on here about training dogs to use a skateboard and first training a command to put the back foot off. I don't have a skateboard yet but I'm gonna try training what I'll call the "Fuß" command (so as not to confuse with "paw" and "off" which she knows already) using a wooden block I have that's the perfect size and hopefully when I get a skateboard it will be easy to transfer. Any other trick ideas are welcome, we're having a great time with trick training and she's a super fast learner, although the paw command has created a lot of unwanted paw action whenever I go to give her any attention at all haha, whoops! As always, thanks so much for the tips! Love the look of the kong wobbler, it's been on my wish list since before I got a dog |
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Post by smilesbetter on Mar 14, 2014 9:29:45 GMT
Hello! Been to get Rosa vaccinated today and the vet said that she's fine to walk outside now straight away. We get the final rabies one next month (not a problem in Berlin but in forests can be) and that's her all done! Been using some of these ideas already and working on training her object names. We're meant to get absolutely terrible weather here this weekend on so hopefully we'll be able to use the time to get in the groundwork for her learning some names. Need to go but her a muzzle (legal requirement on public transport) so I'll see if they have the Kong wobbler too as that sounds awesome! Thanks guys |
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