Work on training daily, using reward-based methods. Add in some fun tricks. They're low-stress, help build your bond, and get your dog thinking and problem solving. Plus they can be surprisingly useful - I use a nose target and stepping on a platform to help weigh my dogs at the vet, for example.
Encourage sniffing. Do treat/kibble scatters in grass, or hide treats/kibble around the house and have him search them out (make it pretty easy the first couple times so he learns it's a fun game, not a frustrating one). put kibble or treats in toilet paper tubes or empty cereal boxes and fold them closed so he can figure out how to get at them. If he's not interested in stuffed food toys as a treat, try feeding part of his meals in one. Start easy, just loose kibble or kibble that's just a little sticky with peanut butter, unsweetened yogurt, etc. You can increase the difficulty by packing food in there and/or freezing it later.
Slow down those outings. Doesn't have to be all of them. Runs are fine so long as he's fully physically grown and those growth plates are closed. But running being his only outings only gets you a dog that's fitter and fitter - therefore less tired each time - without much brain stimulation. Let him sniff and explore interesting (safe) places. Take him out to wilder areas as much as possible (forest trails are awesome if you have access, otherwise somewhere like parks with lots of plants and critter smells). Use a long line and don't worry about enforcing leash manners beyond what's necessary for safety (with my dogs, that's 'you can't lunge/pull on the leash, you have to come back and wait with me when people pass, and I get the last say in which path we take'). Dogs take in so much information by smell, and a leisurely 20 minute walk that's mostly sniffing spots that seem terribly uninteresting to us humans often does more to help a dog chill/settle than a physical workout does.
The Facebook group Canine Enrichment has a lot of ideas, frequently with cheap/free things around the house, if you want to get a feel for what other people are doing.
Oh, and there's no official registration for ESAs in the US. All you need is a note from your doctor/mental health provider saying an ESA will be helpful for you, and you'll get the housing rights under the FHA and the ability to take him on an aircraft. ESAs do not have public access rights (eg restaurants and non-dog-friendly stores), so no special training is required. Any organization/website telling you otherwise is either misinformed or trying to get money out of you for a bogus registration certificate.
Encourage sniffing. Do treat/kibble scatters in grass, or hide treats/kibble around the house and have him search them out (make it pretty easy the first couple times so he learns it's a fun game, not a frustrating one). put kibble or treats in toilet paper tubes or empty cereal boxes and fold them closed so he can figure out how to get at them. If he's not interested in stuffed food toys as a treat, try feeding part of his meals in one. Start easy, just loose kibble or kibble that's just a little sticky with peanut butter, unsweetened yogurt, etc. You can increase the difficulty by packing food in there and/or freezing it later.
Slow down those outings. Doesn't have to be all of them. Runs are fine so long as he's fully physically grown and those growth plates are closed. But running being his only outings only gets you a dog that's fitter and fitter - therefore less tired each time - without much brain stimulation. Let him sniff and explore interesting (safe) places. Take him out to wilder areas as much as possible (forest trails are awesome if you have access, otherwise somewhere like parks with lots of plants and critter smells). Use a long line and don't worry about enforcing leash manners beyond what's necessary for safety (with my dogs, that's 'you can't lunge/pull on the leash, you have to come back and wait with me when people pass, and I get the last say in which path we take'). Dogs take in so much information by smell, and a leisurely 20 minute walk that's mostly sniffing spots that seem terribly uninteresting to us humans often does more to help a dog chill/settle than a physical workout does.
The Facebook group Canine Enrichment has a lot of ideas, frequently with cheap/free things around the house, if you want to get a feel for what other people are doing.
Oh, and there's no official registration for ESAs in the US. All you need is a note from your doctor/mental health provider saying an ESA will be helpful for you, and you'll get the housing rights under the FHA and the ability to take him on an aircraft. ESAs do not have public access rights (eg restaurants and non-dog-friendly stores), so no special training is required. Any organization/website telling you otherwise is either misinformed or trying to get money out of you for a bogus registration certificate.
