Hi all, I need some experience from dog owners!
I'll be taking care of a friends Belgian Shepherd for a couple of days. She's from a working line and although she's nice as can be, she is VERY high energy and I need to somehow tire her out. Unfortunately, I'm taking care of her because of a bit of an emergency on her owners side, so the schedule isn't ideal; I have plenty of time, but I will need to leave her for a few hours this evening - not alone, but with my injured mother who can't walk her because she pulls on the leash. She needs to be tired enough by then to not wreck havoc on the house until I come back. I can exercise her again when I get home, but ultimately I would love it if she actually slept throughout the night, somehow xD
Are there any working breed owners with advice? It's not the first time I've taken care of a dog with this level of energy, but she's unfortunately afraid of harnesses, so my usual methods of tiring them out with carrying and pulling is out the window. I won't have the time to lay out any blood for nose work, either, as she will be with me nearly 24/7.
Hi all, I need some experience from dog owners!
I'll be taking care of a friends Belgian Shepherd for a couple of days. She's from a working line and although she's nice as can be, she is VERY high energy and I need to somehow tire her out. Unfortunately, I'm taking care of her because of a bit of an emergency on her owners side, so the schedule isn't ideal; I have plenty of time, but I will need to leave her for a few hours this evening - not alone, but with my injured mother who can't walk her because she pulls on the leash. She needs to be tired enough by then to not wreck havoc on the house until I come back. I can exercise her again when I get home, but ultimately I would love it if she actually slept throughout the night, somehow xD
Are there any working breed owners with advice? It's not the first time I've taken care of a dog with this level of energy, but she's unfortunately afraid of harnesses, so my usual methods of tiring them out with carrying and pulling is out the window. I won't have the time to lay out any blood for nose work, either, as she will be with me nearly 24/7.
[quote name="Metalhead" date=2016-02-23 03:24:47]not alone, but with my injured mother who can't walk her because she pulls on the leash.
[/quote]
This sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.
Metalhead wrote on 2016-02-23:
not alone, but with my injured mother who can't walk her because she pulls on the leash.
This sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.
[quote name="Skub" date=2016-02-23 04:35:16]
[quote name="Metalhead" date=2016-02-23 03:24:47]not alone, but with my injured mother who can't walk her because she pulls on the leash.
[/quote]
This sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.
[/quote]
@Metalhead
Well it's a real problem that she's [i]afraid[/i] of harnesses.... maybe train her a little with tricks? Or just play with her/run her?
Also if you know she likes certain things(dog parks, car rides, etc) do that. The excitement most likely would fry her brain for the day.
Skub wrote on 2016-02-23:
Metalhead wrote on 2016-02-23:
not alone, but with my injured mother who can't walk her because she pulls on the leash.
This sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.
@
Metalhead
Well it's a real problem that she's
afraid of harnesses.... maybe train her a little with tricks? Or just play with her/run her?
Also if you know she likes certain things(dog parks, car rides, etc) do that. The excitement most likely would fry her brain for the day.
Mental exercise is usually a lot more effective that physical. Dogs tend to get especially tired if they are using their noses, so different types of search exercises can be very good - why not hide treats around a room if you don't have time to go lay out a track?
For keeping a dog busy while alone there's always various mind toys or the classic - a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter or what have you.
I also agree that taking the dog to a new/different place can be very tiring for them with many new things to hear, see and smell.
And for very energetic dogs, just training the dog to be still/patient in a given area can be VERY tiring. For you but also for the dog ;)
< / owner of an active Aussie lol >
Mental exercise is usually a lot more effective that physical. Dogs tend to get especially tired if they are using their noses, so different types of search exercises can be very good - why not hide treats around a room if you don't have time to go lay out a track?
For keeping a dog busy while alone there's always various mind toys or the classic - a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter or what have you.
I also agree that taking the dog to a new/different place can be very tiring for them with many new things to hear, see and smell.
And for very energetic dogs, just training the dog to be still/patient in a given area can be VERY tiring. For you but also for the dog ;)
< / owner of an active Aussie lol >
[quote name="Skub" date=2016-02-23 04:35:16]
[quote name="Metalhead" date=2016-02-23 03:24:47]not alone, but with my injured mother who can't walk her because she pulls on the leash.
[/quote]
This sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.
[/quote]
Hahah, nah no worries. It's not like shes dying, just cant go for long walks with a dog that pulls the leash like a bulldozer. The dog is well behaved, but is a farm dog used to roaming all over the place and she could use some leash training x)
@pikablu I do, but it's not enough for a dog of her breed and bloodline. I just came back from walking, playing and running for 4 hours in the woods, and she is still roaring to go. She is from a military line, so it is like working with a never-tiring machine.
@galleytrotter you know, training a dog to be patient is something I've never given any thought.. I will have to look up that, thanks!
Skub wrote on 2016-02-23:
Metalhead wrote on 2016-02-23:
not alone, but with my injured mother who can't walk her because she pulls on the leash.
This sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen.
Hahah, nah no worries. It's not like shes dying, just cant go for long walks with a dog that pulls the leash like a bulldozer. The dog is well behaved, but is a farm dog used to roaming all over the place and she could use some leash training x)
@
pikablu I do, but it's not enough for a dog of her breed and bloodline. I just came back from walking, playing and running for 4 hours in the woods, and she is still roaring to go. She is from a military line, so it is like working with a never-tiring machine.
@
galleytrotter you know, training a dog to be patient is something I've never given any thought.. I will have to look up that, thanks!
@Metalhead
I use all sorts of puzzle toys to keep my dogs busy. The classic Kongs are satisfying and my current pup just loves bully sticks, he'll sit there and gnaw on it peacefully for hours.
But for exercise? With my Greater Swiss MD, boy was he fun, I use to have him wear a weighted backpack. Like this one:
[img]http://ruffdogstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/catablog/fullsize/recreational-approach-dog-pack-ruff-wear-glacial-blue-1.jpg[/img]
It tired him right out on walks. But in a pinch I always take my dogs to the dog park to tire them out in a short time span. Once we leave, they're just pooched out and are content to relax in the backseat on the ride home where they just kind of sprawl out on the carpet and sleep. I know you said you just took him out for a walk/ run in the woods and whatnot but socialization is good for them and I do believe it does tire them out a little more than if you went to an empty park.
Obediance training is a good one, mind games and all.
@
Metalhead
I use all sorts of puzzle toys to keep my dogs busy. The classic Kongs are satisfying and my current pup just loves bully sticks, he'll sit there and gnaw on it peacefully for hours.
But for exercise? With my Greater Swiss MD, boy was he fun, I use to have him wear a weighted backpack. Like this one:
It tired him right out on walks. But in a pinch I always take my dogs to the dog park to tire them out in a short time span. Once we leave, they're just pooched out and are content to relax in the backseat on the ride home where they just kind of sprawl out on the carpet and sleep. I know you said you just took him out for a walk/ run in the woods and whatnot but socialization is good for them and I do believe it does tire them out a little more than if you went to an empty park.
Obediance training is a good one, mind games and all.
@ Metalhead
i have a smooth collie, fox, and while he is no belgian shepherd, tiring him out can be a bit of a trick, here's some stuff i do that works for us:
dog parks can be a great way to tire out a dog, but can be overwhelming for dogs that have never been before. maybe you could schedule a play date with other dogs you know and trust? fox and i could hike for hours but nothing tires him out like rough housing with other dogs
training is also great. spending a lot of time with heel work is great for wearing out my boy. lots of fetch would probably also help. try teaching any sort of silly tricks you can think of, it's a really important for herding dogs to be mentally stimulated as well as physically exercised. try teaching things that require a lot of moving. like place, or jump, spins, weaving (between your legs or between poles)
food toys and frozen kongs are good for keeping them busy tho it doesn't really wear them out. i stuff beef trachea and freeze it, stuffed shin bones are good. and cow hooves. those hollow balls you can stuff with treats and just stuff like that
@ Metalhead
i have a smooth collie, fox, and while he is no belgian shepherd, tiring him out can be a bit of a trick, here's some stuff i do that works for us:
dog parks can be a great way to tire out a dog, but can be overwhelming for dogs that have never been before. maybe you could schedule a play date with other dogs you know and trust? fox and i could hike for hours but nothing tires him out like rough housing with other dogs
training is also great. spending a lot of time with heel work is great for wearing out my boy. lots of fetch would probably also help. try teaching any sort of silly tricks you can think of, it's a really important for herding dogs to be mentally stimulated as well as physically exercised. try teaching things that require a lot of moving. like place, or jump, spins, weaving (between your legs or between poles)
food toys and frozen kongs are good for keeping them busy tho it doesn't really wear them out. i stuff beef trachea and freeze it, stuffed shin bones are good. and cow hooves. those hollow balls you can stuff with treats and just stuff like that
@
Metalhead - It's very useful! There are some different versions, a few example:
1) External praise. Place treats in a bowl or a fun toy on the ground and have the dog perform a command before being given a release command to run and get the reward. The more used to it the dog is, the more you can require of it before it gets the reward (and the closer you can be to it etc). This is very useful in sports like agility for instance, where you may not want to run around with a super reward on you - you can place it wherever and when you're done you just tell the dog to run get its reward itself!
2) Contact training. Hold a treat in your hand and don't let the dog have it until it stops looking at the toy and instead looks at you. When the dog gets that you can raise the expectations gradually. With my dog I've trained a lot with the dumbbell and she can now hold on to it in her mouth without letting go even if I'm pushing a treat against her nose.
3) Just being patient. Make the dog lay down (leash it if necessary) and just sit there and do nothing, maybe watch TV or read a book. For high energy/stressed dogs, this can be very difficult - but also something they really need to learn. The goal is that you can tie your dog up in a new place and it will just lay down and rest without trying to get away etc. I bring my dog to (dog friendly) meetings and such for train this - she's gotten to the point now that after a while she will usually go to sleep, yay! It took some practise to get there though lol
@
Metalhead - It's very useful! There are some different versions, a few example:
1) External praise. Place treats in a bowl or a fun toy on the ground and have the dog perform a command before being given a release command to run and get the reward. The more used to it the dog is, the more you can require of it before it gets the reward (and the closer you can be to it etc). This is very useful in sports like agility for instance, where you may not want to run around with a super reward on you - you can place it wherever and when you're done you just tell the dog to run get its reward itself!
2) Contact training. Hold a treat in your hand and don't let the dog have it until it stops looking at the toy and instead looks at you. When the dog gets that you can raise the expectations gradually. With my dog I've trained a lot with the dumbbell and she can now hold on to it in her mouth without letting go even if I'm pushing a treat against her nose.
3) Just being patient. Make the dog lay down (leash it if necessary) and just sit there and do nothing, maybe watch TV or read a book. For high energy/stressed dogs, this can be very difficult - but also something they really need to learn. The goal is that you can tie your dog up in a new place and it will just lay down and rest without trying to get away etc. I bring my dog to (dog friendly) meetings and such for train this - she's gotten to the point now that after a while she will usually go to sleep, yay! It took some practise to get there though lol
If she had decent-sized prey drive look into makeing a flirt pole! All you would really need is a PC pipe/lunge whip/broom stick, rope and either a toy or hide.
Also mental stimulation is great. One simple thing you can do is hide some of her food around and let her find it using her nose. Basically any sort of game that will work her head.
If she had decent-sized prey drive look into makeing a flirt pole! All you would really need is a PC pipe/lunge whip/broom stick, rope and either a toy or hide.
Also mental stimulation is great. One simple thing you can do is hide some of her food around and let her find it using her nose. Basically any sort of game that will work her head.
