Best Ways To Really Wear A Dog Out

[chuckandsteve]

Just looking for things people do to really wear out their dogs that would hopefully not increase fitness therefore needing more of a workout in a future.

My dog is reactive and the more tired he is the less reactive he is

All ideas are welcome

[Chezy]

training the brain tires them more than physical workout

the more excercise oyu do the more they can do, my two dogs can go all day, but make the use thier brains and they conk out

[Staffyluv]

Brain training..

Teaching tricks and playing games. Games like tug, fetch - just basic stuff but he loves it.

I teach him to catch things, find things, bring things etc.

We do lots of heeling, staying, dropping, sitting, waiting, recall work in the back yard and the house.

I tend to use every opportunity I can do do something with Zig.

I work from home, so just going from my office to the house to make coffee is a good change to do heel work and left and right turns as well as stop/halt and then I walk inside and call him in.

We do the same at the park when we go for a walk (all on lead) - we walk for 10 minutes, train for 5-10 minutes, walk another 10 minutes etc for about 45 minutes all up.

[megan_]

Look at the first few posts in the reactive dogs thread (in the training sub forum). Free shaping with the clicker is the best thing for exercising their minds. I taught my dogs to touch a target now I hide it around the house and then they seek it out. They absolutely love this game

[Chezy]

you shuld look in this thread,

http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/232274-exercising-reactive-dogs-thread/

it is theone megan above mentioned , while i was looking for it :laugh:

Edited February 17, 2013 by Chezy

[chuckandsteve]

Thanks I have read that thread.

I guess i was more looking for games, I'm not big on training to start with and we do so much of it and his attention span is short.

[wuffles]

Training = games in my house.

Obedience games involving finding heel position, fast pace, lots of turns, throwing food, funny shapes, running to hidden rewards, retrieves with different items, scent work, distraction training with toys/noises, learning new tricks, sequencing tricks together, flirt pole, teaching to go out and around objects like a cone, rally type exercises like heeling backwards or pivots, speedy position changes, 2 food game, short agility sequences, ummmmm... my dog loves training, I wonder why :laugh:

[Weasels]

The last week I've been putting their dry food on a table and given it to them a bit at a time for heelwork, perch work, downstays and contacts. Every time they get up from sleeping they get a bit of training - and they're bloody exhausted :laugh:

[Chequeredblackdog]

I think that 'brain training' type stuff is awesome. even games really fall into the category of Training. I'm assuming you want stuff that is easy to do/ set up but is fun for the dog (and you?)

I've tried/ use:

*Interactive Puzzle games eg. Nina ottosson

*Treasure hunt style games.

*Fetch. though this can definitely increase fitness i find it something that both my dog and i really enjoy. My beast is a ball nut and loves chasing a ball, so I mix fetch with doing tricks/ obedience. He does stuff for me so I throw the ball for him :D

With fetch you can also change the surface eg grass/ sand/ water. And add stuff like hills etc

*free running

*If you can set up a play date with a dog he gets on well with, I find this tires them out more than just playing by himself. Though I know with a reactive dog this ca be easier said than done!

*agility type stuff- I actually do agility (twice a week, plus stuff at home) and find it really tires him out! But you don't need fancy/ proper stuff to have fun. You can do HEAPS of different things with something as simple as a single jump,

*or you could make an 'obstacle course'.

* brain games like distinguishing between his toys is fun too. We have 'hippo' 'ball' 'kong' and a general 'get it' (whatever I point at) so far and he is soo pleased with himself when he gets it right!

* I find even on walks we occasionally go somewhere new, vary the routine.

* car rides are a favourite with one of my dogs too!

* tug/ flirt pole

* my guys are crate trained but I find Susan Garrett's 'crate games' are fun so we keep doing them!

* my dogs love doing stuff with me, doesn't matter what it is (ok maybe not nail trims!) if I look like I'm having fun, they want in!

I suppose it really depends what you and the dog enjoy doing. I like to treat everything as a game rather than 'training', i find that there is so much overlap. If the dog and you are having a good time who is too say that it isn't a game? :D

Edited February 18, 2013 by Chequeredblackdog

[RiverStar-Aura]

Anything to tire the brain is best for not building stamina -- I learned this the hard way. As a puppy, Zeus was very hard to tire so I'd take him to the dog park for hours and hours letting him run failing to realise this only served to build stamina, not wear him out.

It wasn't until I started serious obedience training with him that I realised what a highly intelligent dog he is and he's thrived from learning. He's part beagle so he loves tracking games and it actually wasn't until last night that he'd been truly tested. We were playing fetch with his duck when he decided he'd take it for zoomies around the park. Five minutes later he comes back without the duck and I'm thinking "great. There goes another $15 duck" so I asked him "where's the duck?" (his search command) and he actually went and sought it out and comes back with if grinning.

I was so proud of him!!

You could invent your own hide and seek/tracking games too with your dog. It's the most fun game ever!!!

[W Sibs]

Swimming

training/brain games

free running

play sessions

[BDJ]

I think it depends on the breed, and what their natural 'state' is

If you have a working or highly energetic breed, then I agree that something that works their brain, or involves lots of changes etc will tire them quicker than trying to run them tired. Otherwise you simply end up with a very fit dog :-)

But if your dog is naturally quiet and leads a sedintary life style, then a quick run or change of scenary can work wonders. My mothers dog is naturally fairly quiet and enjoys a potter at the dog park, quite stroll etc. He will participate in zoomies if invited, but after 5 mins is quite pooped (and no he is not overweight or unhealthy, just not used to running). He is quite obedient for what he knows (come, leave, heel etc) but has never done any obedience above that level, and without being nasty he is not the brightest plate in the cupboard, so teaching him anything takes quite a bit of patience etc. And with him, there is no need (he is loved etc, but is in a quiet household and his level of training makes him a wonderful citizen in his world)