Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[dawnrunners]

Ooo, that recipe sounds like something my australian shepherd mix would love! Granted, she loves everything, but handmade food just feels special! Her name's Margot, she's 5 months old and can be a real handful xD. Does anyone have any idea of what I can do to make sure she doesn't get bored enough to become a little destructive? I'm thinking of getting her some simple puzzle toys, buut I don't think it would be enough lol. She always wants to play after a walk, even if it's 25+ minutes. And by the time we get home I'm way too tired to play with her...and then she starts biting me (she bites to let me know she wants to play or during playing...but that's an entirely different issue). Idk how to keep her occupied or tire her out while I study or do chores.

[i<3 wolves678]

It’s been a few months since our neighbors old cat died, and they recently got a new one. Their old cat would stand its ground against the dogs, which is what they needed because in reality they’re pretty much scared of everything if they know it’s not going to put up with them, but their new cat is scared of them both which has been causing some problems :’)

When we first got Mungo in 2012, the rescue centre surveyed the garden (a small patio-type area with fairly large concrete walls surrounding it with fences above them, and a small path down back, still surrounded by walls with a huge gate at the end) and came to the conclusion that a dog would never be able to escape, and upon the second visit when getting Midge in 2019, stood by that statement. Well it seems a little someone has proven them wrong with her escapades, because on several occasions Midge has been able to scale the wall using plant pots and other garden items and squeeze under the fence into the neighbors garden to chase their new cat. No matter where we moved things she was always able to find a new way up, so we finally decided to surround the fence with chicken wire, which so far seems to have worked. She’s still able to climb the wall, but now she can’t squeeze through the slats so she has nowhere to go. Anyone else’s dog like to climb like this? I’ve never seen anything like it, but it’s as if she’s a little mountain goat sometimes, I swear she could get up anything if she put her mind to it, especially considering I found her half way up a tree chasing a squirrel before.

[lisica,]

Ooo, that recipe sounds like something my australian shepherd mix would love! Granted, she loves everything, but handmade food just feels special! Her name's Margot, she's 5 months old and can be a real handful xD. Does anyone have any idea of what I can do to make sure she doesn't get bored enough to become a little destructive? I'm thinking of getting her some simple puzzle toys, buut I don't think it would be enough lol. She always wants to play after a walk, even if it's 25+ minutes. And by the time we get home I'm way too tired to play with her...and then she starts biting me (she bites to let me know she wants to play or during playing...but that's an entirely different issue). Idk how to keep her occupied or tire her out while I study or do chores.

aaaw margot is an adorable name!

my 5 month old border collie pup is the same, walks just don't tire him out nowadays like they used to! one of our favourite things to keep him occupied is to use an old pillow case and stuff it with treats in the corner and tie it up so he has to chew through to get to them (i guess similar idea to a kong toy? similar). of course you've got to be watch they don't manage to eat the pillow case but when he's got that he's happy and quiet and peaceful lol

to actually tire her out I suppose just making sure she's getting enough mental stimulation during the day and on walks, as well as plenty of playtime when you can. beau loves playing with other dogs & particularly puppies while on walks and he's always a lot calmer after that! I like teaching him obscure tricks as well lol (the Puppr app is my favourite for this), and I was talking to a neighbour with 3 collies who said they give their dogs jobs during the day to keep them busy, for example putting clothes into the washing machine etc. but i personally have no experience with that

I've also heard of people giving their dogs meals through kong toys so i'd suggest looking into that but it's something I have no idea about lol

hope any of this is any use at all?? i'm probably just repeating things you already know but good luck anyway, hope you and margot have more relaxing days ahead!

[Blue_Aussie]

Ooo, that recipe sounds like something my australian shepherd mix would love! Granted, she loves everything, but handmade food just feels special! Her name's Margot, she's 5 months old and can be a real handful xD. Does anyone have any idea of what I can do to make sure she doesn't get bored enough to become a little destructive? I'm thinking of getting her some simple puzzle toys, buut I don't think it would be enough lol. She always wants to play after a walk, even if it's 25+ minutes. And by the time we get home I'm way too tired to play with her...and then she starts biting me (she bites to let me know she wants to play or during playing...but that's an entirely different issue). Idk how to keep her occupied or tire her out while I study or do chores.

I don’t have the issue of an energetic Aussie because Mazie is so chill all the time... that could be due to me doing dog daycare, so the puppies make her tired. I highly recommend teaching her agility or freestyle. I also do agility with Mazie and she loves it! Most people think their dogs aren’t “smart” enough but I’ve saw 13 year old shitzus learning it in my agility class. So any dog can learn easily and it’s so much fun for both human and dog!

I also recommend, instead of feeding her out of a bowl (if you do) scoop out her morning meal and use it as treats throughout the morning while you work on training. Wolves have to work for their food and don’t simply eat it from a bowl. That instinct is still in our domestic dogs and they love to work for food and toys! Or feed her from a kong toy, puzzle or other mental stimulation game. I have an Australian Shepherd that comes for Dog care and he could run all day and not be tired, yesterday I worked with him on “spin” and he was exhausted after an hour of different tricks. Though physical stimulation is very important, mental stimulation is also extremely important to get a tired, well behaved dog. C;

Put treats under cups, roll treats up into a towel, put treats in a muffin tin with tennis balls over them, simply put a toilet paper tube on a treat to start your pup off, or purchase dog puzzles and enrichment toys online or in a pet store. Some of Mazie’s favorites include the Bob-a-lot (I think that’s what it’s called) and the plush toys with smaller toys stuffed inside of them that the dog can pull out.

I am currently reading a book about homemade dog brain teasers called “brain teasers for dogs” It’s excellent to give you some ideas of easy stimulation for your pup or experienced puzzler. I really hope some of this was useful and you didn’t already know all of it haha! Even if you did I’m sure other people could use some of these ideas for their dogs c:

[drift.]

Blue gave a lot of great suggestions, many of which I do with my APBT to wear her out before our walks in the evening.
Since I work from home I'll also keep a treat pouch on me (just her kibble) and do fun, short 5-10 minute training sessions throughout the entire day. Sometimes we'll work on a new command, and sometimes it will just be old stuff that makes her feel really smart lol. The short sessions keeps the dog attention on you and leaves less room for you or your canine to get bored or frustrated. This will also help the dog view training as a fun time where they get rewarded :)

[dawnrunners]

aaaw margot is an adorable name!

my 5 month old border collie pup is the same, walks just don't tire him out nowadays like they used to! one of our favourite things to keep him occupied is to use an old pillow case and stuff it with treats in the corner and tie it up so he has to chew through to get to them (i guess similar idea to a kong toy? similar). of course you've got to be watch they don't manage to eat the pillow case but when he's got that he's happy and quiet and peaceful lol

to actually tire her out I suppose just making sure she's getting enough mental stimulation during the day and on walks, as well as plenty of playtime when you can. beau loves playing with other dogs & particularly puppies while on walks and he's always a lot calmer after that! I like teaching him obscure tricks as well lol (the Puppr app is my favourite for this), and I was talking to a neighbour with 3 collies who said they give their dogs jobs during the day to keep them busy, for example putting clothes into the washing machine etc. but i personally have no experience with that

I've also heard of people giving their dogs meals through kong toys so i'd suggest looking into that but it's something I have no idea about lol

hope any of this is any use at all?? i'm probably just repeating things you already know but good luck anyway, hope you and margot have more relaxing days ahead!

Haha thank you, unfortunately we discovered she has worms about a week ago and are keeping her away from other dogs for their safety. It's rather unfortunate since she loves playing with the neighbor's dog. Once she's better I'll definitely let her play with others! I'm also going to start teaching her more tricks, for both her and my sake lol. Hmm, also I'll have to see if I have any old pillowcases or anything like that cause that sounds like a good idea. As for jobs, I really have no clue what she could do.

[dawnrunners]

I don’t have the issue of an energetic Aussie because Mazie is so chill all the time... that could be due to me doing dog daycare, so the puppies make her tired. I highly recommend teaching her agility or freestyle. I also do agility with Mazie and she loves it! Most people think their dogs aren’t “smart” enough but I’ve saw 13 year old shitzus learning it in my agility class. So any dog can learn easily and it’s so much fun for both human and dog!

I also recommend, instead of feeding her out of a bowl (if you do) scoop out her morning meal and use it as treats throughout the morning while you work on training. Wolves have to work for their food and don’t simply eat it from a bowl. That instinct is still in our domestic dogs and they love to work for food and toys! Or feed her from a kong toy, puzzle or other mental stimulation game. I have an Australian Shepherd that comes for Dog care and he could run all day and not be tired, yesterday I worked with him on “spin” and he was exhausted after an hour of different tricks. Though physical stimulation is very important, mental stimulation is also extremely important to get a tired, well behaved dog. C;

Put treats under cups, roll treats up into a towel, put treats in a muffin tin with tennis balls over them, simply put a toilet paper tube on a treat to start your pup off, or purchase dog puzzles and enrichment toys online or in a pet store. Some of Mazie’s favorites include the Bob-a-lot (I think that’s what it’s called) and the plush toys with smaller toys stuffed inside of them that the dog can pull out.

I am currently reading a book about homemade dog brain teasers called “brain teasers for dogs” It’s excellent to give you some ideas of easy stimulation for your pup or experienced puzzler. I really hope some of this was useful and you didn’t already know all of it haha! Even if you did I’m sure other people could use some of these ideas for their dogs c:

Thank you so much for the ideas, I wish I thought of those sooner! It's my first time taking care of a dog, so I am completely new to all of this. As for training I'm focusing on basics first, but I'm def interested in teaching her agility and freestyle. Freestyle seems really fun too! I'm sure Margot can learn all that, she's a pretty smart pupper. Seeing her little puppy brain work things out is amazing lol. I really need to focus on mentally stimulating her more. My mom is the one that feeds her in the morning (Margot likes to get up around 6am c':), and idk if she has time to train in the morning. I'll def ask her though.

[dawnrunners]

Blue gave a lot of great suggestions, many of which I do with my APBT to wear her out before our walks in the evening.
Since I work from home I'll also keep a treat pouch on me (just her kibble) and do fun, short 5-10 minute training sessions throughout the entire day. Sometimes we'll work on a new command, and sometimes it will just be old stuff that makes her feel really smart lol. The short sessions keeps the dog attention on you and leaves less room for you or your canine to get bored or frustrated. This will also help the dog view training as a fun time where they get rewarded

Yeah I'm gonna start keeping treats on me and try to turn every opportunity I can to practice commands and such! I feel really bad when she whines and starts being a bit destructive when she's bored. I was not ready at all for the responsibilities of a puppy!

[Blue_Aussie]

That’s a great idea! The biting should stop or at least get better within the next couple months. Puppies usually become little dinosaurs typically at 6 months and are in their “teen” faze until about 9 months old. I wish you luck c;

Also, when she starts biting your hands, don’t acknowledge her (no petting, no talking, no eye contact) and replace your hand with something she can chew on like one of her toys. When she chews on the toy, praise her and give the attention back. If she continues to bite you walk away and don’t give any attention until she stops. If she will listen, while she’s biting you, tell her sit or another command to distract her.

[Aemond]

w00f..