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  1. #1
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    Question Energetic Puppy Gets Bored- Help!

    Hi All!

    I have a 8 month old black lab, Scarlett. She can be sweet and wants to listen, but just has sooo much energy! I walk her almost everyday for at least 20 minutes, and we play fetch in our yard most days too. I've gotten her a kong, several chew toys, rope toys and bones for playing in the house. The problem is she gets bored with them so quickly, either tearing them apart or ignoring them and going for my shoes She knows she isn't allowed shoes (or hairbrushes, books, remotes or other table-top items) but you can tell she is bored and looking for some kind of stimulation (when offered toys, she plays for a few minutes but then grabs other "no-nos").

    What types of toys and games do you suggest? She is definitely a lab, loves fetch, water etc. but we live in Wisconsin and with winter not too far off, I need to be able to entertain her inside.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
    Senior Dog BaconsMom's Avatar
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    We have Bacon who is nearly a year old, and he needs at least 1.5 hours of off leash play plus at least 30 mins of training a day. It looks like you arent giving Scarlett enough off leash time. Also, if she is getting into things, she needs to always be with you, or you could have a dog with a terrible obstruction from eating something.
    Julie & Jake, Bacon's Humans

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  3. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to BaconsMom For This Useful Post:

    KenZ71 (08-20-2014), scarlettstarlet (08-20-2014), SunDance (08-21-2014), Tanya (08-20-2014)

  4. #3
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    Fetch EVERY day, TWICE a day for 1/2 hour...walks don't count for puppies for burning energy.

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    scarlettstarlet (08-20-2014), Tanya (08-20-2014)

  6. #4
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    A rule of thumb suggests 5 minutes per month of age of forced exercise twice a day. Forced being anything on leash, straight line, constant pace, compelled to keep up with you, hard surface. Either / or. Free play off leash unlimited though I had to limit mine, he had no idea when to stop. I followed this loosely and by 8 months we were off leash twice a day for up to an hour each time.

    Is Scarlett taking any obedience classes with you? Stimulating their minds is very tiring for puppies. Me too, I found. Plus it tends to have a nice fringe benefit of bonding you and puppy. Nothing but physical exercise can actually have the effect of producing a dog so fit you can hardly keep up with their ever increasing need to move.

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    KenZ71 (08-20-2014), Tanya (08-20-2014)

  8. #5
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    Thanks, we've been getting in about an hour a day between walks and outside play, but we can do more. What types of games do you suggest to stimulate her mind?

  9. #6
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    does she have any friends she can play with? a safe place she can be off leash?

    work her brain - training, games like hide and seek, making her work for her food (via things like tug-a-jug, kong, kong wobbler, hand feed and ask for commands to get the food, etc.). If you play fetch incorporate training into the game (drop it or deliver to hand, work on sits and release to get the ball).

    more ways to stimulate the brain is to walk new places. take new routes.

    have other people ask for a command and treat her.

  10. #7
    Real Retriever KenZ71's Avatar
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    I roll a ball down the hall a lot to help bond and tire out my pups. Sometimes my furless kids get involved too but they start throwing the ball - big no no inside the house. But thats for another forum

    Many labs will play outside regardless the weather. Just keep an eye out for snow in between the foot pads and frost bite on their feet.

    If you have good recall - your pup will come back to you when called - early morning runs through a school soccer / baseball field is always fun. Just be a good sport and pick up the poop!
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  11. #8
    House Broken piccadilly's Avatar
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    You're in wisconsin, I'm in michigan.... we're outside EVERY day

    Agreed with more off leash running time and an obedience class or two!

  12. #9
    Real Retriever
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    Boy can I relate here!

    I agree more off leash run run run like a nut SUPERVIZED time. At 9 months, Sunshine, my little bundle of energy NEEDED 4 to 5 hours a day, rain/shine/light/dark/cold/hot... Boots/coat/raincoat, headlight and a bottle water and we are off!!! First two black gals, half hour, maybe an hour with a few hours on the weekends was all they needed. And I thought THEY had boundless energy!!!

    Make sure none of this is lost time either, remember YOU are in charge of the action. Lots of "HO" (stop and look at me - with the appropriate hand sign), "Let's go to the LEFT (point and move left). "HO!' "I'm looking for a... STICK!" When one comes back, throw it a few times then put it down, "Lets go over this way..." I do have a nice wooded area behind my place so didn't have to drive anywhere. We also have a really nice muddy little creek with a few muddy stagnant ponds too, those are HUGE hits!

    Scarlet is still getting GREAT off leash run like a nut time, but YOU are not only controlling the action, you are teaching her to keep an eye and ear on you because you know all the fun things to do!!! You mentioned the cold. Labs are hard pressed to feel cold. I have had my gals swim in ice crusted water, come out with icicles on them and still want more. As pointed out, just watch the feet and use some judgment, when they have been out a while, bring them in and de-ice.

    Inside games that are really fun and help tire them out. First is to learn all the toy's names, so if you ask for one she will go and bring it to you. "Scarlet? Where is the bunny?" OMG!!! I HAVE TO FIND THE BUNNY!!! RUN RUN RUN, SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF... "Excellent, GOOD GIRL!!! (PRAISE!!!) I wonder where... this toy is?" I still have at least 20 different toys scattered around the house. When I am sitting on the couch, working, and she come up, stands there and I get that "I'm bored, what are we going to do now" l@@k. I just send her off to find stuff for me, blue ball, red ball, Fluffy, Eore..... If you are evil, like I can be... I send her off for a fictitious item. It buys me 10 maybe 15 minutes before she figures out it is not around. Just make sure that after that, you name an item she CAN bring back. Always end anything on a positive note!!

    Hide and seek comes after that. This not only reinforces 'sit/stay' but listen to me also. Have Scarlet sit/stay in another room, go out where she can't see you, and hide it. I'm evil (also a bachelor) so rub the toy an many things as I walk around looking for a good hiding spot. Back to where she is waiting "OK!" (release command). Sunshine is 2.5 now so she had learned to follow my most recent foot tracks too, not just the scent of the toy. I've had to get really clever to hide stuff.

    Then there are times, when you KNOW they have had enough exercise, to be mean. "Look. I am busy. Go lie down on your blanket." (appropriate hand sign) Until you have become hardened, do NOT look at the tail dropping, ears dropping, head dropping and those big sad 'ol root beer eyes peering up at you. "Go on, Git!" (hand sign) After a few steps away, you will get the same head down, sad, sad eyes slooowly turning back for a last look at you... "You don't love me anymore." Furthermore, be prepared for the curling up on the blanket (or specified spot) the BIG sigh, and the "I thought I was your friend" look that is just twisting the knife she already thrust into your heart.

    But take heart!!! At 2 years old I was able to integrate "Chill day" into her routine. Sloooowly I lowered the off leash activity time on Friday evenings to where we just stayed inside. I did Friday because on Saturday I could take her out for an all day event to satisfy her needs. At 2.5 I can take random "Chill days", like when it is pouring out. I can even limit daily off leash activity to two hours some days. We have done two "Chill days" in a row but by the afternoon of the second, she is pretty wound up and ready for some kind of action.

    I'm just hanging in there to when I can get back to "What do you want to do today, Sunshine?" "Oh. Lie on the couch with your head on my lap?" "Good idea, what a good girl."

  13. #10
    Real Retriever Murphy030813's Avatar
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    Ditto to everything listed above...and since both DH and I work, we send Murphy to doggy day care 2-3 times a week. I also find training really tires him out. We are in agility training right now and a good 30 minute session will zonk him out for a couple of hours.

 



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