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Old 02-11-2010, 10:26 PM   #1
kanchouska

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Default indoor dog exercises/games to tire them out
As winter approaches wondering if any of you have some good games/exercises you do with your dog inside to tire them out? I really don't want to do my usual game with Titan of throwing the ball in the back yard for an hr and freezing my buns off!

Also open to some outdoor stuff as it's still not to cold and i love trying new things. We already have a flirt pole and a spring pole.
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Old 02-11-2010, 10:28 PM   #2
toreesi

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Have you tried jogging with your dog outside? Jogging keeps your core temperature up, the harder you work, the less cold you'll feel.
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Old 02-11-2010, 10:29 PM   #3
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You can set up an "agility" jump by using 2 chairs and a broomstick. I, personally, like "doggie pushups". Dog must stand, sit, down, up to a sit, and then up to a stand again. Reinforces their obedience commands, while tiring the body with the "pushups". Just did a few rounds with mine today, since its rainy out.
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Old 02-11-2010, 10:34 PM   #4
Ocqljudq

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Wow..i guess im the only moron that chases their pup all over the house
He loves it!especially if he has one of my socks
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Old 02-11-2010, 10:37 PM   #5
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Do you have a treadmill? Wilson is obsessed with "his" treadmill (it's one for humans, but you won't find me using it ). I usually put him on it for a mile a couple times a week.. should probably start doing it more because I'm a total wuss in the cold, and so is he.

Trick training surprisingly drains energy.. I can work with my dogs for maybe 15min. and after they're done, they go to sleep.

You can play games like hide and seek.. like hide a treat and have your dog search the house to find it. Start off at short distances obviously, then you can build up.

Elk antlers keep mine occupied for a long period of time, that drains energy as well. So do treat balls.. fill one up with some treats and let him roll it around. Or, feed him from one, that drains energy and works their brain too.
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Old 02-11-2010, 10:41 PM   #6
codecouponqw

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Have you tried jogging with your dog outside? Jogging keeps your core temperature up, the harder you work, the less cold you'll feel.
I want to start jogging with my boy but I'm totally clueless as to how to like.. "start", if you know what I mean. I mean, you can't just throw on some shoes and start running yourself into the ground. I wonder what a good routine would be to build up to jogging/running.
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Old 02-11-2010, 10:49 PM   #7
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I haven't tried it yet, but I hear lazer pens come in handy when the weather is bad outside.
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Old 02-11-2010, 11:12 PM   #8
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I haven't tried it yet, but I hear lazer pens come in handy when the weather is bad outside.
I would really advise against that. My BFs dad thought that would be funny when we first adopted Socrates and now whenever he is around Socrates turns into a psycho, fully alert, searching for the dot like a maniac. Some dogs get obsessive about it.

I like hide and seek. Start by putting a toy somewhere the dog can get it and then encourage them to go grab it, giving it a certain command like "find the toy!" Once they have the hang of it put them in a stay in one room and put the toy just outside the room and give the command so they go grab it. Eventually you can have them stay in one room and put it just about everywhere and let them search the house for it. I am having serious trouble challenging Socrates with this game now because he is so good at it. I buried it under all of his toys in his toy box the other day and he emptied the whole thing because he could smell it at the bottom. He LOVES it.

Obedience and tug are always great too.
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Old 02-11-2010, 11:21 PM   #9
codecouponqw

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I would really advise against that. My BFs dad thought that would be funny when we first adopted Socrates and now whenever he is around Socrates turns into a psycho, fully alert, searching for the dot like a maniac. Some dogs get obsessive about it.
For a hot second I worked at a doggy daycare and there was a dog there who acted like this, except about a thousand times worse. His owners would ALWAYS play with him (at home) with a laser, so when he came to Doggy Day Care, he was OBSESSIVELY looking for it. I mean, he wouldn't even play with the other dogs or have any fun; his noise was on the ground LOOKING for the laser, he'd even start digging to find it. Poor fellow
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Old 02-11-2010, 11:26 PM   #10
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Look for "from couch to 5K in 12 weeks" on the web, it is a great plan for starting running, for both of you. Not that I do it...lol. A friend of mine does it with her dogs.

Barbara
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Old 02-12-2010, 01:16 AM   #11
toreesi

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I want to start jogging with my boy but I'm totally clueless as to how to like.. "start", if you know what I mean. I mean, you can't just throw on some shoes and start running yourself into the ground. I wonder what a good routine would be to build up to jogging/running.
There's a LOT of guides on the web about how to train your body to run. It has a lot to do with distance and time; start with a medium distance, lots of walking, a little bit of jogging, and more walking. Eventually, a longer distance; lots of walking, more jogging, a little less walking at the end. It's a lot more in depth but it's the kind of thing I'm using now, trying to get in shape for the Army.
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Old 02-12-2010, 01:26 AM   #12
kanchouska

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My dog just runs infront of me and almost pulls me down the road lol.. i dont got the wind to tire em out lol
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Old 02-12-2010, 03:32 AM   #13
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I hide a favorite toy all over the house and my dog searches/finds it, she loves this challenging game. Also for inside a strong tug toy that has a handle on one end and I sit while she pulls my arm out lol.
The colder it gets outside the longer we walk.
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Old 03-11-2010, 02:53 PM   #14
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Alot of great ideas... thanks for the post Gritter99, I was kind off wondering the same thing
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Old 03-11-2010, 02:58 PM   #15
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If you dog is high drive like my Jake is, I really don't recommend the laser light. We did that with him when we first got him and he still fixates on just a spot of sunlight on the wall or floor. It's very hard to control that behavior.

I do on and off leash obedience with my dogs when we are stuck in the house. This seems to wear them out because they are using their brains.

For physical exercise, we have a treatmill set up. My dogs love this thing and will even go in and sit on it when they are bored and want to do something.
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Old 03-12-2010, 02:04 AM   #16
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Wow..i guess im the only moron that chases their pup all over the house
He loves it!especially if he has one of my socks
You are not alone. My husband started the "chase the dog" game and now it is expected at least twice a day. The dog loves it and it does tire him out. Our routine does not change much in winter. I still jog outside in the morning he gets a jacket and boots when it gets really cold.
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Old 04-11-2010, 09:48 PM   #17
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Some dogs can play great with the laser pens, some can't. Bella will do great with it, while Mollie tries to kill it... and if she sees it in your hands, she tries to destroy it without getting your hand.

Mental stimulation is great exercise too... work on hand signals instead of verbal. We taught Bella hand signals along with her verbal commands, so now, I can do a hand signal, and she will do whatever it is, instead of a verbal command. Like holding you hand up like you are trying to tell a car to stop... palm facing forward straight out in front of you... for stay. Palm facing toward the ceiling, from down by your side and raise it up toward the ceiling, for sit.... palm facing down and lower it down straight in front of you, for down. Pinch your fingers together and reach out in front of you and pull your hand back toward your side like you are pulling a string, for stand. Working on those hand signals will benefit you both. You can use them if you are somewhere where hand signals would be necessary, like if you are talking to someone, you can put your dog in a sit or down, without ever having to interrupt the conversation with the person you are with. And for now, with it getting cold out.. it will be great mental exercise for your pup.
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Old 04-11-2010, 10:06 PM   #18
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I do scent work. I saved up a bunch of plastic buckets, like 20 of them, and I hide treats under just a couple. I mark them by number so I know which have treats under them. Then I let the dogs find the treats. Using their noses that way really tires them out. You can do this with their meals as well. Once the dogs "get it," I hide treats in the furniture and use my hand to lead them to the food. Then, I stretch the length of the hunt until my dogs will work for minutes without finding food or abandoning the game of sniffing where I point. This wears them out fast! 10 minutes of this game and they are shot. And they love it.

You can also play this game using a tug toy as the find if you are opposed to food. Works exactly the same way. And if you are really into it, you can teach the dog to locate an irrelevant scent instead of food or toys, and then have the dog "mark" the find by sitting and staring and then tossing the toy in.
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Old 06-11-2010, 09:53 AM   #19
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What I do for my Mia is stand in a chair with her tug toy. she will jump and jump and then when I let her get it, we play tug of war. then I give her the command to drop it if she gets too hyper or agressive. And then we do it all over again. after about 30 mins shes worn out and she las learned a lifelong comman.I call it the human springpole lol
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