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Exercise?

This forum is for dog lovers seeking everyday advice and suggestions on health-related issues. Remember, however, that advice on a public forum simply can't be a substitute for proper medical attention. Only your vet can say assuredly what is best for your dog.

  
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Sassy

~Hyper yet as- smart as can be~- 		 
 
Barked: Sun Dec 23, '12 6:40pm PST 
One of my dogs, Sassy, who is an 9 month old lab mix, is very hyper. I was wondering if anyone had some tips on exercise other than walking. My mom does not want me walking alone, especially in the wooded area behind our house because we've seen some suspicious people back there. And, we also live on a very busy road... Any suggestions are welcome!
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Opheila

It ain't over- till the fat- kitty sings		 
 
Barked: Sun Dec 23, '12 6:58pm PST 
I don't know if there are any public parks by you, but I've always taken dogs to tennis courts for a safe workout. At this time of the year no one is probably using them and they're usually big and enclosed. Take a stick or a few tennis balls and let her have a good run.
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Sassy

~Hyper yet as- smart as can be~- 		 
 
Barked: Sun Dec 23, '12 7:12pm PST 
Hmm.. Now that you mention it, I can remember going to a tennis court back in 7th/8th grade for gym... Maybe I'll have to check and see if there's a sign saying 'no animals' on it... I think it is mostly fenced in. I could do that in our back yard as well. She likes to fetch. Luckily, we've got her mostly trained to stay in our yard. We started when she was very young, so she understands quite well. It helps that I've also got her whistle trained. She'll come to that almost 10 times out of 10.
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Maxwell

I'm triple- superior MAD- now!		 
 
Barked: Sun Dec 23, '12 7:18pm PST 
A play date with another dog could wear her out. 5 minutes of play is worth an hour's walk.

Bike riding? If you could find a safe place even if just around the block that is great exercise. At her age you would go very slow and only do a lap or two as her growth plates probably haven't closed yet.

Training is exhausting for both of you. Instead of food in a bowl use about half of it for training treats and do lots of recalls.

Max's all time favorite toy is the lunge whip with an old sock tied to the end of it as a lure/tug toy. Looks like a giant cat toy and he goes after it like nothing else. Incorporate stays and releases into the game and you are proofing with a great distraction. You can take a piece of PVC pipe, run a sturdy skinny rope through it and tie off at the end for a cheap version. This is another extremely strenuous exercise that may not be appropriate for really intense dogs and I let Max catch the sock after a couple times around me at the most.
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Sassy

~Hyper yet as- smart as can be~- 		 
 
Barked: Sun Dec 23, '12 7:41pm PST 
Sassy's got a constant play-date with our husky, Koda. They play in the house sometimes but we usually don't let them. Outside is where they can really get going, but Koda has to be on a leash at all times while Sassy does not. One time, they were both outside and playing when Sassy managed to un-hook Koda from his cable. We were lucky he didn't realize that he was off. His recall is horrible! He just won't listen when he gets to run. That lure thing sounds interesting. I could use the dog cable and stand at one end of the yard and pull a toy or stick around for her. She'd love that! Thank you.
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Member Since
12/02/2012		 
 
Barked: Sun Dec 23, '12 9:28pm PST 
Why don't you try to get her involved in some dog sports or agility training? That helps once in a while. But I would just like to know if she has any health problems that may hinder her from doing so. If not, well, let her do those. big grin
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Abrams Tank- SDiT

I'm trying to- fill some BIG- paws		 
 
Barked: Sun Dec 23, '12 9:47pm PST 
Do you have any fenced in baseball or softball fields near your home? If so and if your dog is good at his or her recall you could always take the dog to the ball field and play ball let the dog run for as long as needed to burn off extra energy.
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Maxwell

I'm triple- superior MAD- now!		 
 
Barked: Mon Dec 24, '12 8:55am PST 
A 9 month old dog needs to limit heavy exercise as the growth plates are going to be open yet. No jumping, no asking for sustained activity like long hikes or bike rides.

My Sassy came to us as a nutty 11 month old. One of the first things we taught her was a down stay. It was hilarious to watch her force her levitating body down because she was trying so hard to be a good dog. Do train her to have down time by having a quiet time.

My favorite story about exercise and training came from Mesa's owner. Mesa was found in the deserts of Arizona and was a terrific companion on off road bicycling runs. She was up and at it again as soon as she got home though, it didn't really tire her out. Her owner learned about agility and took her to a class. She was exhausted and completely satisfied after that class! After we were on a team with her she was invited to IDC and won!
http://youtu.be/LxijH7s-LM8
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Sassy

~Hyper yet as- smart as can be~- 		 
 
Barked: Mon Dec 24, '12 11:03am PST 
I've looked for agility classes but I haven't found any. I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to afford classes anyway.
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Huckleberry

The opposite of- cross-eyed.		 
 
Barked: Mon Dec 24, '12 11:37am PST 
According to my brother, who is also Huckleberry's dog trainer, mental stimulation can be just as exhausting, if not more so, than physical exercisesmile When I am tired on my day off and don't feel like walking Huck very far I do a few 5-10 minute training sessions throughout the day. I have him sit, lay, come, leave it, drop it, spin, twist, crawl, pretty much anything I can think of. He loves it, and he passes out afterwards. A Kong filled with food/yogurt/treats which has been frozen can also provide mental stimulation. Just make sure you take the training treats out of his daily allotment of food.

Also, are there any doggie daycares in your area? I work at one, and some people bring their pups in one day a week for socialization and exercise.
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