Comments on: Leading Cause of Dog Behavior Problems

By: Roxana

Roxana — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:04:56 +0000

i think taking trips with your dog is a pretty good idea. when i had a dog, i would take advantage of the summer and take week-end trips in nature. she didn’t even need me much then, she would play and run around so much, she would sleep the whole night without problems. fresh air, new smells, new landscapes, new playmates. all in a controlled manner, of course, but it was really fun and they’re some of the best memories i have with her…

By: Tina

Tina — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:47:13 +0000

We have 2 beagles that we rescued from shelters. We walk them every day on wooded trails regardless of the weather and they LOVE it! Lots of smells and mental and physical exercise. They look forward to their walks and will run down to the garage door and sit by their leashes when they know it is time to go. They also keep each other entertained by having many plays throughout the day. Lucky will pick up a toy and Brandy will chase him all through the downstairs of our house (we call it our “racetrack”). They will also occasionally play tug-of-war. We don’t have any behavior issues w/ either dog. I will always have at least 2 dogs as they just love being w/ each other and the company of the other dog. Of course they both also get tons of people love and affection as well LOL

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:57:37 +0000

Just having fun with your dog seems to be the best dog exercise! I like the rainy day mental exercise options. Interesting thought about dog day care, I’m looking into that in my own community. I like to exercise my own dog, but there are some weeks that too many days go by with minimal exercise. I feel so bad, my dog looks really sad when we can’t go out for fun time.

By: brittany

brittany — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:47:28 +0000

Thanks Ellen! Coming home from college to a completely different dog than I left has been a little bit tough. She used to compete in obedience- now she won’t listen unless there is food, right there in my hand!!! And ohmigod, the chewing…

I’m trying, and hopefully some of this ideas will work. Walks seem inevitable, despite my bad shoulder and her bad pulling!

Thanks again,

Brittany

By: Mary Callahan

Mary Callahan — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:23:14 +0000

My 2 cockers are like kids! They just want some playtime and walks (and LIVE by a schedule!). Seems like a schedule and having some time for them every day is the trick. They seem to adjust to whatever I give them. they just want to know it’s the same every day! They sleep around the play times and walks (am & pm) – and are my best buds!

By: Ellen B.

Ellen B. — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:35:27 +0000

Brittany,

Don’t give up, old dogs can learn new tricks! Start with quick little things, and be sure to give LOTS of praise for any activity she engages in. Like Melissa’s article suggests, make her sit before she gets fed. After she sits, make a big deal about how SMART and WONDERFUL she is!

Most dogs do best with several exercise periods per day. Build up the length and intensity gradually.

I hope the comments in this post help you with more ideas on what might capture your dog’s interest. Start small, and just keep encouraging her to have fun with activities. Good luck!

Ellen

[Hi- I’ve got a dog who was completely bored for three years, and now I can’t seem to ‘unbore’ her. She does all the things you list, even when I try to keep her engaged, etc.

Any suggestions?]

By: Ellen B.

Ellen B. — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:18:16 +0000

Thank you all for sharing all the awesome ways you exercise your dog. So many ways to have fun!

Congratulations to the contest winner, Jada Edwards and her lab puppy Chewy.Missed the contest? Be sure to become our Facebook fan or follow us on Twitter!

Keep those pets active!

(Jada, please email your shipping information to Facebook@DrsFosterSmith.com)

By: Angie Sholar

Angie Sholar — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:58:22 +0000

We have 3 dogs (labchow mix, bulldog/beagle mix and a toy poodle.. Cosmo, our labchow mix prefers to lounge around and doesnt care one thing about playing.. He much rather just have you brush him or lay on your lap. Astro our bulldog/beagle mix is almost a year old and loves to play fetch and play with our toy poodle, Sadie, who is the same age. We usually go for walks and Sadie likes to ride the go cart with my 10 yr old daughter. It is so cute to watch. Our dogs range from 5 lbs to 80 lbs and if you sit down they are liable to be in your lap.. They are loving dogs..

By: Jean Lindgren

Jean Lindgren — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:53:37 +0000

My sons backyard is fenced in, so we take Ozzie there and throw the ball for him. He loves being able to run free. Then he chases the cats and they chase him. Ozzie is usually on a leash since he has not learned to come when called so this is a treat for him. He also likes us to throw the ball in the house-makes it alot easier since he has learned to bring the ball back to us. And chasing a laser light makes him go wild!

By: India Lipton

India Lipton — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:02:47 +0000

Charlton is our 7 month old blue Great Dane puppy. We take Charlton to a local outdoor mall that allows dogs and he gets lots of stimulation from all the people that we meet. He has obedience training classes, the dog park… fetch in our yard, neighborhood walks and soon we hope to bring him fishing! He goes to play dates for local meet up groups and weekly visits to at least one pet store.

He has the usual toys but what is most entertaining is he has our talking African Grey parrot to interact with. She likes to “play” with her brother and they both love our home baked cookies (they are safe for most animals) so she asks him if he wants a cookie to get his attention.

People that meet him ask how can a 7 month old puppy be so calm… we think it’s partly his temperament and the other part is being dedicated to his well being as a whole. It takes work… but it’s worth it!