[tehbeast87]

Hey all,

I cannot wear this puppy out for the life of me. He will just play play play for what seems like forever. We took him up to my fiances aunt's house where she has 3 mature Dachshunds who ended up worn out from this puppy. He played for a good 5-6+ hours non-stop. There is no way I could do that on a daily basis. Do you guys have any tips for games/training that really wears a puppy out? Currently he is crated from 11am-8:15 pm 4/7 days of the week with two breaks in between for potty and eating. I would like to start a daily routine of taking him to the local park in the early am and jogging for short distances with him. Is it too soon to have him run in short bursts in a field? Any and all tips/criticism is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Shell]

Mental training is tiring to dogs (and easier on their owners!). Start clicker training and use it to do shaping games like 101 things to do with a box, teach all the regular sit/stay/shake etc and then move onto things like play dead, wave, roll over

You can let the pup run around on grass now, but don't actually take him jogging in the sense of running in a straight line by your side (esp. on a hard surface) until he is physically mature (to protect the growing joints). But running around on his own in a yard or leashed in a park is just fine.

 

[macrat123]

Sometimes not all physical to wear them out. They are smart dogs. Try using dog toys for mental stimulation.

 

[wvasko]

I need help wearing out my 2 year old Boxer.

Mental training is tiring to dogs

Well sure it is, but you got to be smarter than the dog

 

[tehbeast87]

Mental training is tiring to dogs (and easier on their owners!). Start clicker training and use it to do shaping games like 101 things to do with a box, teach all the regular sit/stay/shake etc and then move onto things like play dead, wave, roll over

You can let the pup run around on grass now, but don't actually take him jogging in the sense of running in a straight line by your side (esp. on a hard surface) until he is physically mature (to protect the growing joints). But running around on his own in a yard or leashed in a park is just fine.

In the park he won't run unless I am. He would rather walk around and sniff. Would jogging around in random directions be ok? I'm talking for like 10-15 strides tops, then walking for a bit and repeating... I will check out the 101 things to do with a box once I get home. My work PC blocks that site :-/

 

[Shell]

In the park he won't run unless I am. He would rather walk around and sniff. Would jogging around in random directions be ok? I'm talking for like 10-15 strides tops, then walking for a bit and repeating... I will check out the 101 things to do with a box once I get home. My work PC blocks that site :-/

Yes, jogging around in the grass all over is just fine AND its a good way to work on teaching him to COME and to follow you. Him chasing you is good, you chasing him is the beginnings of a bad habit (dog thinking running away is fun times).
What you want to avoid is repetitive motions on hard surfaces (sidewalks, roads) in order to reduce the impact and stress on joints and his back.

 

[trainingjunkie]

Wvasko---

That CM rollerblading thing is MAGIC. My old boxer loved, loved, loved it. 10 miles almost took the edge off of her!

But don't do this with a puppy!!!!

 

[tehbeast87]

Yes, jogging around in the grass all over is just fine AND its a good way to work on teaching him to COME and to follow you. Him chasing you is good, you chasing him is the beginnings of a bad habit (dog thinking running away is fun times).
What you want to avoid is repetitive motions on hard surfaces (sidewalks, roads) in order to reduce the impact and stress on joints and his back.

I accidentally jogged with him ONCE on pavement and then decided to do some reading and found out about pavement being bad for them. I will only ever allow him to run on grass now. He runs just behind or beside me, never in front. He will walk ahead if we are near the house. If we are in a new area he doesn't walk off and stays close by. Right now he won't play in the field and would rather sniff around cause it's new. Hopefully in the future he will associate the park with play times and play a bit. Thanks for all the advice!