PLEASE HELP MY DOG Dx

[Beekissed]

Quote:
No the collar doesn't complete the circuit and shock her.....unless she tries to cross the boundary. The wireless invisible fencing doesn't have wires in the ground, hence the term "wireless". At it's fullest extension it can cover over an acre of space and allows plenty of room for an active dog to run. You plug in a box that holds a transmitter and the dog wears a receiver on it's collar. A dog doesn't keep getting shocked all day, as implied by the above post....a smart dog hears the warning beep and backs off the boundary line. If your dog is getting shocked all day you have greater problems than hyperactivity...you have a very dumb dog.

If it can't run on an acre, going for a bike ride won't be enough either. The OP has already stated she doesn't have much time...bike rides of that magnitude take time.

In the interest of fulfilling an active dog's exercise needs when one doesn't have the time for daily exercise routines, having an area the size of an acre can be the next best thing. In the real world, most folks work a job and do not feel like making sure their dog gets a bike ride/run every evening.....the invisible fencing gives one peace of mind that the dog is not in a tiny crate all day but still won't be roaming off to parts unknown.

I put two dogs in this fencing and they play, run, tumble and generally "guard" their acre of ground....my lab/BC mix is a muscle bound wonder that provides his own exercise by merely being the dog he is...always on the go.

Would I like him to have even more activity and stimulization? Of course. But for now, this works and he is happy and healthy, fit and strong.

 

[BlacksheepCardigans]

I have to agree with the others; a BC/ACD mix inside an acre is still only getting about ten percent of what she needs. These breeds need to solve problems and they need to have goals. They're actually really bad at just running around a yard; they tend to go outside and then start some evil project like digging to India or barking every 2.3 seconds for eighteen hours. They wake up every morning like one of those rubber-band airplanes, wound to the max. What unwinds them is hard mental and physical work. Out in a yard does not qualify.

 

[Beekissed]

Beats a crate all to heck and back, IMO....

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I have an ACD and he's always had the job of watching out for our outside critters, so being bored hasn't really been that much of an issue. He's been pretty good about staying on the property as well, so I don't have much advice for you there. However, it took him about 8 years to really calm down. Now he'll just sit at your feet and relax when you are relaxing. In the past he would have to always be on the go!

My dog likes to play fetch and that really wears him out. A few things you can do to tire him out really quickly is to go somewhere up high that you have to climb steps, then tell the dog to go down the steps and through the ball/toy. He'll do this a few times and those steps wear him out like no tomorrow. He's usually too tired before he can lose interest in fetch. Also, if you can find a hill to play fetch at, its another good thing to tire the dog fairly easily. Our property is sort of on a hill so we'll often stand at the top of the hill and throw his ball down the hill for him to fetch. He's usually panting and looking for water after just a few rounds of fetch.

A backpack for the dog is another good thing. You can add bottles of water or small weights as needed. The bike idea is also a good one. Just make sure you have good control over the dog because if she sees something interesting, she could pull you right over on the bike! Swimming is another great exercise for a dog, but that's hard to do during the colder months.

Mental stimulation is also a good thing for a hyper dog. Teach her little tricks, make her find hidden treats or toys, or even set up a little bit of agility for her to do. Little jumps, ramps, and stuff like that. Also, work on her recall. That will keep her busy for a little while and prevent her from running off as easily. There are many, many methods out there to teach your dog recall. You just have to see what works best for you.

ETA: Instead of playing fetch with just a regular ball, you could get something that bounces all over the place. Some dogs like when they don't know where the toy is going to end up. Keeps them thinking.

 

[pbjmaker]

We have a Bichon that at 3 years old and a litter of puppies is just now calming down. Lily loves to haul my 16 year old on her roller blades and she (Lily) is only 20 lbs. She also has the job of guarding the house - you should see her run from the front to the back of the house looking out windows for wayward squirrells trying to break in...

Her two sons that we kept are almost 5 months old now. I am thinking of making them a small sled to pull this winter. I just bought a coupler for their collars so they can learn to walk together.

Thanks to being half cavalier they are not nearly as hyper... but twice as cute

 

[PuppyBantamCochin]

1. I'd definitely recommend getting a pulling harness or making one. You can hook her up to just about anything--I used to hitch my pup to a medium sized piece of wood and he'd pull that around.
2. Set up an agility course. I've used logs, pieces of wood, ladders, play tunnels, practically anything. It's not hard to teach a dog to jump over the obstacles. I have a jrt/sheltie who's pretty hyper and benefits from running this course.
3. Get her some real bones to chew on. Give her these whenever she has to go in her crate.
4. Play hide and seek--hide and have her find you. (Call her, clap your hands, etc.) Indoors & out.
5. Make sure you walk her AT LEAST for 30minutes every day of the week. More is preferable, but this is minimal.
6. If possible, find a working treadmill and train her to use it--then you can put her on the treadmill for several minutes everyday (there's a lot of treadmill training videos on youtube)
7. Be consistent. You've got a VERY smart working dog on your hands--this is can be a tough job. I know how it is--I have a lab/setter mix & sheltie/jrt and I've had a chow/lab mix & a boxer/pit/whippet. It is a lot of work, but if you're determined, you should be able to keep up with this.

Good luck!



F.V.

 

[sourland]

The two of you might enroll in an agility/obedience program involving classes followed by daily working at home. We have aproximately 1.5 acres enclosed by invisible fence. When our golden goes out, she patrols the entire yard and comes back and sleeps on the porch or reenters the house. A fenced area with a playmate might provide the opportunity to burn off some energy. If we go out and work or play with her, she becomes more active. My wife works her for obedience up to an hour daily. We also take her to the park for an hour walk daily. If she is not given the opportunity to burn off her excess energy, she is a true pain in the butt. Dogs need a job. Not given a daily job, young dogs especially can be a serious problem. There is no easy solution to your situation. It will require dedicated work with the dog on your part.

 

[CalebtheChicken]

Get a tredmill,
Find a way to keep her on the treds,
hang a steak just outside her reach in front of the tredmill,
turn the tredmill on high and watch her run!!!

Note: This is mostly a joke.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Owning a treadmill for a dog to use is illegal in many states.

 

[CalebtheChicken]

Quote:
Wow... I gotta ask, WHY?