How do you curb the excess energy of a 10 month old 120 lb puppy in inclement weather?
With the severely cold weather and the constant snow cover (daily romps are treacherous right now), it’s been a struggle to fulfill Kizzy’s exercise needs. Subsequently, she has been just a tad on the crazy side lately (evidence A).
We do manage to get a little exercise outside, but not nearly enough.
One thing we do is practice obedience inside. Obedience training isn’t a replacement for exercise, but it helps curb some of the crazy by offering the dog a little outlet for mental and physical (albeit small) stimulus. Not to mention the obvious benefits of training!
You can also play games like hide-n-seek inside with the dog – by hiding people or toys/treats and encouraging the dog to find. Dogs can learn this game quickly. Take a treat and place it in plain sight, then tell the dog to “find it!” and allow him/her to go get the treat. As the dog starts to learn the “find it” command, increase the difficulty. With the dog watching, put the treat behind/under something easy and then give the command. Work up to doing this while the dog isn’t even in the room. They will quickly learn how to find the treats.
Of course, always a fall back is the chewie. I’m not a fan of raw hide chews as too many dogs swallow large pieces of them, which has caused blockages. Instead, we typically offer bully sticks or raw beef knuckle bones, which can often be picked up at your butcher’s for a decent price.
The dogs trying out some cow hooves:
Remember, a tired dog is a good dog! Find a way to offer some outlets for your dog so they don’t find their own!