Enrichment - Seeking Input From Breeders & Multiple Dog Households

[colliehound]

Hello

I am studying companion animal certificates at the moment and undertaking a module on animal enrichment. The assessment requires me to talk to breeders and owners with multiple dogs to get thier ideas / input on the subject. Is anyone with more than the usual number of dogs (say 3 or more) willing to share .......

a) what breed you have

b) what special needs your breed has (eg working, terrier, sporting dog)

c) what 'enrichment strategies' you have to prevent boredom, destruction etc?

I would value any and all ideas please.

I will share mine - I have Collies - working dogs. Working dogs need very high levels of exercise and need both structured (walking) as well as unstructured (romping) time. They also need to be able to use thier heads and undertake activities that make them think.

I variously involve them in

a) daily walks of 10km

b) off lead time on acreage

c) formal lessons in herding, obedience, agility

d) games with toys, hide and seek food hunts, etc

Thanks

Colliehound

[Bjelkier]

Labrador x 1 and Samoyed x 2

The Lab is a gundog, he is very intelligent and needs a lot of mental stimulation (a normal Lab would get more exercise then my boy does, because of his HD we exercise him lightly, no long hikes for this boy even though he would love too).

Lestat is taken for light walks, on and off lead.

He is regularly taken swimming

Informal obediance and trick training

We also have taught him retrieving in and out of water

The Samoyeds are working dogs, like most working dogs they require a lot of mental and physical stilumation, not only on lead but off lead play time is also very important.

Regular walks of up to 4 km

Formal obediance and show training

Free running time on the property

Games of tugg o war, fetch, soccor and chew toys ( a huge house saver!)

Hope this is what you wanted

[voloclydes]

we have a mixed bag of doggies.

1 x foxie cross chi!

2 x jrt

1 chi x pom

1 dally.

we don't do formal walks as such. we have horses too so dogies walk with me/OH to feed horses, catch horses, rug horses work horses etc.

the dallys needs include sleeping as close to the heater as is possible is is suposed to run long distances um yes 3km behind the quad bike to letter box and back he needs a long lie down. if he manges not to trip over on the way.

the jrt (mine) he will accost the customers who come to the OH work shop to throw his ball is clock work... the humans give up first. his front teeth are worn down from carrying his ball. he will also hunt mice to the same degree. we say he is ball ocd.

the foxie cross is easy and will sleep all day and night.

the last jrt (OH's) is just a stick beak... so a huge wanderer.

my jrt will not allow any one else to fetch. they all do tricks.....OH's jrt can sit in beg for as long as he wants....30min not a problem.

the dally does the most with drop, sit, hi five, paws on your knee, comando crawl, roll over he now even does recall. none of which he could do before i got him a year ago. not even recall.

[cowanbree]

I have a troop of shelties and 2 aussies. Each dog is an individual and has different needs so it is difficult to generalise but are divided into a few different categories.

- puppies under 12mths don’t get formal walks but get to go to show training, basic obedience and a lot of different outings. I try to give them toys but to be honest my older dogs steal and destroy them and they seldom last beyond a day or two.

- Over 12mths to 8ish. This is my young pack. They play all day together, have a racetrack round my acre section and have a great time. They go for formal walks but have to take their turn so it is not every day. I normally take 4 out to a reserve where they have a free run for at least an hour. I seldom do formal lead walks unless I am road working a dog to get him fit for the show ring.

- Oldies. These are made up of my retirees. The ones that are fit enough come every where with me in the car, have free run of the house and sleep on the bed. As they get older they are not really that interested in going for walks although I do still take them for a toddle but it is more to get out and about than formal exercise. They would rather sit on my knee watching TV than go for a walk at the reserve.

In the middle pack I have 2 aussies. The youngest one esp is quite high energy. I try and play ball with him daily, he has a sandpit in his run and he is always walked daily. I also do things like hide and seek with toys etc

[Christina]

a) Toy Poodles x 5

b) Not couch potatoes as some may think, active little dogs with high intelligence, get mad, silly moods. People orientated companion dogs & can get clingy. Being alone is one of the worse things for them.

c) Lots of space outside for running & playing, lots of toys & frequent rotation/additions, walked & car rides individually, various stuff to chew on, lots of company, chucking toys/balls & cuddles, basic training, involve in all household goings on & live inside. Live well in a group & keep each other entertained but always want person interaction. Like other animal species too if used to them.

Not destructive at all.

[PAX]

a) what breed you have

2 x Border Collies

! x Koolie

! x Malinios.

b) what special needs your breed has (eg working, terrier, sporting dog)

All my dogs are fairly high drive but all have great training. They are all trained individually each day at least once, that gives them huge satisfaction, and all the dogs get to free gallop together on 8 acres most days at least once.

c) what 'enrichment strategies' you have to prevent boredom, destruction etc?

I don't have any problems with boredom with the way we live and train. All my dogs sleep in the house at night in crates happily, they all have one on one time in the house. I am lucky that I am at home most days with the dogs:))

Edited June 2, 2010 by PAX

[OSoSwift]

I have 3 dogs, so I am not sure if I have enough but here goes

1 X 13yo Stafford - he does very little exercise, he follows the sun around the house, goes for the odd toddle and follows you in and out of the house.

2 X Whippets a 15mo and a 2 and a half yearold. They are with me pretty much all of the time. We have at least two distinct outside sessions where they run around and play chasey in 5 acres, Lewis runs aorund with a huge horseball in his mouth and Rommi runs around with a ball or toy of some sort in hers.

They get obedience and agility training 4 to 5 days a week (Rommi isn't at the moment as she is recovering from an injury) on lead walks 4 or more days (depending on the weather).

They have a large rawhide or bone everyday that takes a good hour to finish - if they manage to.

They also follow me wherever I am, on the quad, in the car, walking around feeding animals, going down to "the hole" in the front paddock to run around and dig sand holes with the kids.

At the moment they are warming the lounge

[W Sibs]

Dog 1 - CKCS x Shih Tzu

- He is a companion dog and he does a really good job. He needs to be with his humans most of the time. Even if it's just lazing around or going for walk, as long as he is with his humans, he is at his element.

- He gets walks daily, he has his 10 minutes training in the morning and evening. We play games likes Search to keep his brain working. But, boredom is never big thing for him, because he takes his sleeping very seriously

Dog 2 - Japanese Spitz

- Right now, her job is to be a puppy. Learning house rules, learning basic training and learning to be socialable.

- She is currently doing basic obedience but later down the track, we will be trying agility and flyball.

- She gets 2 daily walks (usually 10 - 15 minutes each walk). Along side training, she is learning how to do tricks. We play fetch and tug a war. She loves chew toys or loves chewing on icy cold face wash towel that I have in the freezer for her.

They also play together a lot. We have a big yard for them to run around and explore in. Neither my dogs are destructive (although Emmy is still young and has potential to destroy the house if I don't exercise her). They get a lot of attention separately and the boyfriend and I work hard to make sure that both their individual needs are met daily.

[colliehound]

That is just fantastic!! Thank you.

Please keep them coming!!

I have only ever had working dogs, so it is great to read about the needs of other breeds as well.

(Except for the greyhounds and well - as we all know - they take thier retirement very seriously)

Colliehound.

[Missymoo]

4 Cairn Terriers

1 Brittany

1 maltese

The Cairns are my show dogs. I have a large penned yard with dozens of toys for them when Im not at home and when I am we have 'toy time' where I go out and throw toys and they play keepings off eachother..(the Cairns run as a pack unless bitches are close to being in season, then the male gets locked away and playtime induvidually. Also periodically through the day I will call them from the back glass door in the kitchen and they all run up for a treat (which they have to do somthing for) ...ie stand, watch, circle..(treats are homemade pesto pasta atm)

Lots of BIG bones to chew all day.

Training time for the youngster (7ish months) induviduially and the young male get some training time too (2 years) We live in a court with lots of kids who have no dogs, so they all take it in turns (supervised) to walk different dogs, so plenty of socialisation! lol

The Brittany gets bike walks/runs with me, seperate 'toy time' (as her and a Cairn bitch cannot get on when we moved.) She used to be part of the main pack...she spends alot of time sleeping on our bed on her back, but does like to be with us, (on the couch, in the kitchen etc..She also has training time with my 4 year old, who gets her to sit, down, stay, come up and down the house! lol

The elderly maltese just hangs out where we do, sleeps when we are out and generally just potters about (we call her our 'cat!) Looking sexy in her Warley wear coat lol with hardley any teeth and crossed eyes!

I also currently have a welsh Terrier here I am showing for a couple of months, she started off as part of the pack, but after two fights and an attack on the young girl, she has her own kennel run and gets romping/ toy time when the others are crated for the night for about an hour. She also will get a walk on various days. Coming from a kennel environment with limited attention, she adores cuddles and pats and her 'people time!'

I have a very busy home!! But I love it!!

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Six shelties aged 19 months-12.5 years. One is shown.

All have free run of the house and house yard (about 1/2 acre) as we have a pet door for them. We play games with those who want to join in in the afternoons.

We run a sheep herding training facility and four of them participate on Sundays, usually take two and then rotate them the next week.

Although we have 40 acres they are not allowed romp of their own free will as we have other stock.

If we have any youngsters then they are taken out and socialised e.g. show training, walk in the local village. etc.

[helen]

a) what breed you have - Brittanys - 3

b) what special needs your breed has (eg working, terrier, sporting dog) - active gundog, so need mental stimulation firstly, physical exercise 2nd

c) what 'enrichment strategies' you have to prevent boredom, destruction etc?

Having three dogs I really find life for me easier as they play and entertain each other a lot, making it easier for me.

They have all attended formal obedience classess and agility classes. Walks need to be very regular and more often when they are younger, you can get away with a little bit more when they are older, mind you my 10 year old still comes out and walk all day and loves it. Walks vary in length immensely, quick walks are about 20 minutes. I believe the mental stimulation is even more valuable then the physical exercise.

I am lucky to have the perfect environmental enrichment for my dogs too, big trees with lots of birds, can keep them amused for hours

ETA - a good marrow bone keeps them amused for hours/days too and is great for the teeth. When my oldest girl came into season the first time and was locked inside she chewed a mattress. After that I made sure I had amusement for her, the Tucker Balls worked really well due to the continued noise even when the food ran out, and of course bones

Edited June 2, 2010 by helen

[Mas1981]

I have a 14 month old lab, he is walked everyday for about 30-45 minutes and he has offlead time with the dog across the road at the local park, I take him to the beach and/or a different park 2x a week with my friends lab and they play for an hour or so and we try take them somewhere they can swim. On a sunday I take him to obedience training and I try do a bit of work with him each day, I am also trying to train him for retrieving at the moment.

[ophnbark]

We have got 9 Schipperkes ranging in age from 11 years down to 3 months. They all get play time with us and some sort of training games and fun games. They all have numerous toys to play with and chew on. They have got half an acre to run around together in (except for a couple who hate each other and they run with others) and they are out in that area for an hour morning and night. After their mad games in the morning they usually laze around all day. If the sheep are in the paddock behind where they run they usually herd them through the fence as well. Some chase birds, some hunt mice but they all enjoy their quiet time during the day to bask in the sun or curl up together if it's cold and wet. Some go to shows, some to obedience or markets or wherever we go so they all get out and about.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

Special needs - being sighthounds they have a lot of down time which means they don't need as much "work" to do as a herding or guarding breed. However they do need free running for mental happiness and exercise for physical well being.

- They have a large fenced free run area which they zoom about in every morning and evening stalking magpies, playing chasey etc

- They get their breakfast in buster cubes and kongs which keeps them busy for a bit

- They have different toys and also chew objects including RMB a few times a week

- Training

- "Outings", for the ones being campaigned it's shows, for the others they come with us to do messages in town or come out for the day somewhere. We are very conscious that while there are many advantages to a country property the big disadvantage is missing out on suburban socialisation opportunities.

- They are inside with us at night so get quite a lot of human company, when we are out they are in runs where they can see each other.

- The Afghans get significant one on one time each week just because of the grooming that is necessary.

[FHRP]

a) what breed you have

2 x Hungarian Vizsla (12yrs & 8 yrs), 1 x Whippet (10yrs) & 1 x German Shorthaired Pointer (3yrs)

b) what special needs your breed has (eg working, terrier, sporting dog)

The 3 gundogs are high eneergy dogs that are bred to work for their people. So they need both physical and mental exercise and training. Lots of it The Whippet is a sighthound that requires far less exercise or training. Contrary to what a lot of people say, my Whippet is trust worthy off lead and has been since young.

c) what 'enrichment strategies' you have to prevent boredom, destruction etc?

The two youngest get free running exercise every day, often swimming during this time also. I train my youngest each week in obedience and retrieving and sometimes in agility. The 8 year old gets training in agility most weeks (used to do retrieving and obedience). The two older boys get outings usually for shorter distances and until recently that was daily. My dogs also get to spend the days with each other and the younger two do play a fair bit. My dogs aren't destructive and don't seem bored.

Edited June 3, 2010 by FHRP

[lappiemum]

Hi Colliehound-

a) what breed you have

Finnish Lapphunds (3)

b) what special needs your breed has (eg working, terrier, sporting dog)

Working dog, and spitz(es) ;)

c) what 'enrichment strategies' you have to prevent boredom, destruction etc?

Our dogs are part of the family, so there is constant interaction between us and them as well as between each other. We crate at night, but other than that they have free run when we are home and the rear of the house and yard when we are out.

We walk them daily (although we may miss a day or two in the winter months!), they get lots of toys/bones etc, and I will give them food orientated tasks - fav at the moment is to put a handful of kibble in toilet rolls, taper/fold up the ends and hide them around the place. Thats a good game, apparently!

We show regularly and do dog orientated social outings like Kepala or going down to the local cafe (cafe trips are usually one dog at a time, just because you never know what can happen out in public - our dogs are fine, but sometimes you have situations where there is another dog who isn't!). I don't like dog parks, as my dogs have been gone at by other dogs who are off leash and not controlled, however, we will go out to beaches etc and do leashed walks.

We spend a lot of one on one time with them, and we haven't have any jealousy issues or problems. If we go on holidays they come with us. They are still young though, so will occassionaly do things like steal a toilet roll and shred it, or my stockings (!), but I would class that more as puppy fun rather than wanton destruction. Generally though, they are very easy going and good dogs.

We'll be adding to our pack sometime soonish to make 4, but after that I think we're going to have to move house!

[Kissindra]

a) what breed you have

b) what special needs your breed has (eg working, terrier, sporting dog)

c) what 'enrichment strategies' you have to prevent boredom, destruction etc?

a) 2x Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 1x Great Dane (puppy)

b) Cavs: as individuals, drive and energy levels can differ but in general terms they are fairly forgiving of a low activity lifestyle yet just as happy with a higher activity one - however Cavaliers are prone to packing on the weight, and with heart problems being a major concern in the breed a moderate amount of exercise is required. One of my cavaliers is a foster and with her background opportunities to socialise in a variety of places/situations are necessary part of her care. Great Danes being a giant breed need special care when still growing - exercise is limited to free play and short walks. Getting out and about is still a big consideration(particularly for socialisation), he just isn't allowed to be as physically active as other breeds (suits him fine) and jumping or activities which might impact on joints are avoided.

c) we always have a variety of toys available and swap them periodicly, we go to obedience once a week, bones to chew, frequent trips to the dog park, frequent trips to schools/cafes/shopping centes/dog shows ect., short walks, games, training, lots of human time and one on one time.

I could get away with a lot less and they would be fine with that but I like them to have variety, I have the time and I enjoy being with them! Remembering to give them alone time without me is probably more significant for me in terms of avoiding unwanted behaviours.

[indigirl]

1 golden retreiver

1 kelpie cross

4 italian greyhounds

1 elderly sheltie

Wally the sheltie sleeps most of the time and toddles around the yard when hes in the mood. He lives indoors.

The golden and the kelpie cross share a yard, they have a stock watering trough as a swimming pool, a sandpit, loads of toys plus each other to play with while im at work. I walk them or play with them everyday after work. Lots of running, fetching etc.

The iggies all share a yard. They dislike being walked on lead so dont get walked as such. They have plenty of toys in their yard, plus different dog beds and places to snooze. They run around and do zoomies for a while then curl up and sleep together, then run around and do more zoomies etc.

One thing I try and do is spend individual time with each dog for about 30-60 mins every night. I pat them/brush them/ trim their nails/play with them during this time. They all love this one-on-one time with me. I have toddler gates in the house and i allow one dog into the loungeroom with me at a time. During 'their' time im completely focused on the one dog and they will often fall asleep in my arms. I also rotate which iggy gets to sleep with me at night. Again its one dog at a time but they all get a turn once a week. On weekends I try to take the bigger dogs out for a good run in the creek bed. They love running free and we all enjoy this time.

[Tapua]

Well enrichment... well we have

1* geriatric 11yr old Kelpie 1* 5yrold Border Collie X Coolie, 4 * Labradors, 3yrs, 2yrs, 18 months and 5 months

We own a 1acre property, 3/4 fenced off for the dogs.

They all have group and individual inside house and outside in yard time

With the exception of the geriatric who is a retired Aus CH - the others have either attained CD or getting CCD or training for CCD - as well as 2 are being shown all of which involves lots of hands on motivational training

Their various yards, both the big kids kennels and the baby puppy yards, have dog safe toys, tunnels and trees (generally with a tree guard because the buggers chew them)

Plus - all pups we have bred have had the neurological stimulation training between 2-16 days which makes them painfully bright anyway.

Outings - well there is a dull day at a dog show, a less dull day at obedience and then when we go on holidays the furr family come with us to the beach which is megga fun, locally there is swimming in the dam regularly ... which is megga fun and going for drives to anywhere ranks pretty highly too - plus visitors, visitors with kids and visiting friends with kids and other dogs - though we tend to leave the geriatric home because thats too much for her.

So I recon their lives are pretty enriched - their not locked in a kennel all day every day with a couple of runs. So I am happy with that.

Edited June 3, 2010 by Tapua