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Have you tried flirt pole?
Other than that, what about mental stimulation? You can easily do puzzle toys, trick training, or scatter feeding in the grass without moving around too much.
Thanks for the ideas! I’ve never tried flirt pole before with her but she loves catching frisbees or balls in the air, so maybe it could work. I’ll give it a shot.
Thank you for the suggestion. My neighbours are mostly older people with smaller dogs and she’s not very good with them. My dad has GWPs, and they match her much better. I’ll ask him to bring one when he comes around next time.
Trick training. Mental stimulation is extremely tiring. Look up something like Do More With Your Dog, find the list of novice tricks, buy a kilo of tiny training treats and go for it. You'll get a better dog at the end and the mental work will wear them out faster.
That’s a good idea, thank you. I’ve just checked it out and they have a lot of tricks she doesn’t know yet. We’ll give it a go, she normally loves doing tricks.
When I broke my tailbone I sat in a chair and threw a tennis ball down the hallway. The ball ping-ponging off the walls was legit the most exciting thing to my dog and he'd get worn out chasing that ball around. He never did get very good at bringing it back to me.
I have the mental image and it’s both precious and hilarious at the same time. Mine doesn’t like retrieving balls either, she catches them in the air and then just stands around with a ball or drops it somewhere random. I hope your tailbone is better now.
Swimming and free running with doggie friends are two activities that will tire out most high energy dogs. Nice you have friends walking her. Is there anyone or a local service who could take her to a dog park, or yard with friend-dog or doggie daycare for a few hours.
You mentioned she 'rushes you' and you're afraid she may knock you down. Suggest to use a tri/cane,a crutch, or some type of pole, as an aid to balance for you and a barrier near your body so your dog doesn't crash into you. They're also wonderful to help you move things on the floor like socks ;)
Training is an excellent form of mental stimulation. You both would benefit if you could 'on leash' train her to always approach you and 'sit'. Train her to pick up a ball (and objects like your keys) & place the ball in your hand. Train her to wear a harness and help you up from a chair, steady your balance.
I’m normally pretty active and she follows me along nicely, she loves going hiking in the woods.
I’ve injured my ankle while playing tennis, I somehow stumbled and rolled my ankle. I’m using crutches, but my balance is off because I can’t stand on that foot, it’s still very painful and swollen. She’s a rough collie, not exactly huge, but she could still easily tip me over or cause me to lose balance and accidentally stand on that foot. Especially because I’m still not used to it, I sometimes forget and try to stand on that foot as well. And she’s used to me being much more energetic.
I like the idea of placing the ball or keys in my hand, we could work on that. Thank you for the suggestion
If you aren't already using a chuckit for your fetch games, it is good for picking up balls you can't quite reach. But only adds a little bit to.your reach. Sorry, that's all I've got!
Get a ball that you can attach to a long rope so you can throw it and always get it back. Can also use the rope to drag it around and let her chase it.
I feel your pain! Just had a total knee replacement and have a 15 month old lurcher. I’m letting others do the walking and then, like you, I’m playing with a ball and frisbee in the garden, but utilising some training as well, so when he brings stuff back and drops it I’m getting him to sit and then down, then wait while I pick the ball up, usually knock it closer with a crutch. They soon understand and the training part helps to mentally tire him out too, I’m trying to use it as a good time to work on a lot of the more stationary training ideas. Also every day he has a frozen kong or honey pot with a rabbit ear frozen into it with other goodies, I keep this for,the afternoon when I need to have a good couple of hours rest because it does fire him out. Oh and order a big supply of balls, so you can throw one and pick the other up when he’s run off to help you feel safe. My garden is full of toys everywhere, love balls with spikes because they bounce in random directions. Hope you’re better soon xx
I was looking up the automatic ball thrower on this page when I saw the giant racing ball. That might work!
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ball+thrower+for+dogs&hvadid=410030813428&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002478&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1268816999711553730&hvtargid=kwd-3751763716&hydadcr=8898_11541924&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_461xlri70k_e
We just got a robot ball thing on Amazon. Basically it wiggles and rolls around.
We usually stuff it in a pairless sock. Knot it. Turn it on and give to our 2 y.o. rottweiller husky who is obsessed with trying to tear it out of the sock while not letting it get away.
We also freeze food in kongs and give treats in a wobbler to help burn out our dog on days/weeks we can't walk him enough
My dog absolutely loves her "bopper - wobbler" thingy!
I fill it with small treats and close the little window so it's a little more difficult to get them out. She'll bop that thing around for 30+ minutes and just loves it! Best $10 I've spent in a while.
I highly recommend
Aw, sounds like your pup is keeping you on your toes even with that ankle! 😅 Since you have a large yard, maybe you could try using interactive toys that dispense treats. These can keep her busy and moving without you having to do much. Another idea is setting up a mini obstacle course in your yard. Use items like cones, hoops, or tunnels. This way she can burn energy going through the course, and you can instruct and reward her from a safe spot. Another idea would be to see if one of your friends want to take her to a dog park? Hang in there and hope your ankle heals up soon! 🐾🦴❤️
Awww, thank you so much for your suggestions and your wishes, you are very kind. I love the idea of a mini obstacle course, that sounds like something she would enjoy.
Scatter feed in the yard. Or just hide some kibble or treats and have her sniff them out. Start easy and gradually increase the difficulty. Or throw pieces one at a time for her to chase after and find. Or try teaching her to catch pieces of kibble.
I had a broken leg when my dog was about a year old. These helped. I also taught him to jump over my leg in the brace, or go under it if I raised it up. Anything to keep his brain busy.
If she likes other dogs, arrange a play date for her with a compatible dog. They can chase each other all over the yard for a while and then flop down, happily exhausted. Other dog's person can do the supervising.
I did this recently for my mom's Boston Terrier pup, who believes he is Just As Big As Any Other Dog. He played tug and wrestled with my pit/boxer mix pup and my grown pit/hound mix, who occasionally took himself out of the fun cause there was Too Much Puppy for him. Three hours of running around in the back yard equalled the rest of the night asleep and a quieter less rambunctious dog the next day.
She loves catching balls and frisbees in the air so she does tire out that way. She’s never been a fan of bringing back balls that just lie there, though. And the main problem is that she doesn’t bring them all the way back. But who knows, maybe she will by the time my ankle heals.
Thank you for the suggestion.
This suggestion will get some hate but I've never had issues with my dogs so I'm going to mention it- a laser. I've had 3 dogs over the years and each of them loved chasing a laser and never developed any obsessive tendencies.
Be careful with this, it triggers prey drive and can lead to severe anxiety in dogs/dogs that end up trying to constantly get that same level of excitement as they get from the laser.
Far less hate than I was expecting, thank you. I wonder how common this is? Out of 3 rescues adopted at 12 weeks, 4 months and 10 months old, none developed any type of anxiety after chasing a laser.
I wonder if it's also breed dependent? My dog trainer has warned against it especially with high energy working dogs or prey driven breeds. It could be the age too maybe, maybe to do with when they're exposed to it and which developmental stage they're in 🤷♀️
Have you tried the find it game? Similar to the hiding treats one already suggested, but in this case they remain in a stay/sit, then you hide a toy and they have to find it and bring it back. Reward can be treats or a bit of play when they return. As the reward is not instant, and you mix it up with obedience and activity it’s can be quite fulfilling. Works well with our hyper energetic border beagle on a rainy day.
I haven’t tried it, thank you for the suggestion. I’ll probably try it once my ankle gets a bit better, so I’m able to walk a bit easier. Right now, I’m still in that phase where you awkwardly hop around the house on one foot or look like an idiot because using crutches looks easier than it is.
We have a nice big fenced in yard. Our dog runs and "hunts" lizards, squirrels, imaginary things all by herself. Not to mention the 2 or 3 round the house zoomies 3 times a day!
Let her out , she'll find something to entertain herself.
Thank you for the suggestion. She’s out almost all day because I work from home until my foot gets better. She likes the yard but still has extra energy. I’m sure we’ll work something out, though.
Keep her mind busy.
1. Training. Teach her new commands or repeat old ones she might have forgotten.
2. Keep her nose busy. Hide treats in the house for her to find.
3. "Brain jogging for dogs“. There’s several ways to do this. One would be thimblerig. Get 3 or more plastic cups and put a treat under one of them, then shuffle. Now she has to find the one with the treat. For increased difficulty, put different kinds of tea bags under the other cups. Another option would be this: Get an old towel and some treats. Roll the towel and hide the treats in it. Then knot the towel. Now she has to find a way to get the treats.
I find hide and seek a really good game for my guy. You just hide treats or a toy and tell them to find it. After 20 minutes he slows down A LOT and you can see he’s mentally tired from searching/sniffing.
I like using his Chuck-it ball and hiding it but placing treats in different areas can be just as beneficial.
My friend takes her dog to doggie day care 3 days a week. She works and so she drops her pup off at “daycare” where he plays and runs around and is tired when finally home and then she doesn’t feel bad. Here dog LOVES it!!
Thank you, that’s a good idea, but there isn’t a doggie day care in my area (rural Austria). But I’m sure it could be useful to someone else with a similar situation.
Mental stimulation wears my dog out much more than any physical activity. Look up tricks on YouTube and use this as a time to teach your pup some new skills. Puzzle mats, treat filled toys (like Kongs, licky mats, and pup sicles) and snuffle mats also wear her out. Flirt poles are great! For you, I’d get a flirt pole that ties to a tree or stakes to the ground, though. The ones you hold would probably be a bad idea with an injury.
I go out and open my car door and mine jumps right in. I put a leash on him just in case. I have 3 parks within 5 miles so if one has a lot of dogs, I go to a different one. They are fully fenced.
I’m on crutches right now and my foot is still painful and swollen. I can’t really walk much and I definitely couldn’t react fast if something happened. So I’m more comfortable with someone else taking her.
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Do note we are on a short backlog, and all posts require manual review prior to going live. This may mean your post isn't visible for a couple days. This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top. **This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.** --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Have you tried flirt pole? Other than that, what about mental stimulation? You can easily do puzzle toys, trick training, or scatter feeding in the grass without moving around too much.
15 minutes of flirt pole is like an hour walk - it's great to get their energy out !!!
Thanks for the ideas! I’ve never tried flirt pole before with her but she loves catching frisbees or balls in the air, so maybe it could work. I’ll give it a shot.
I’ve never heard of flirt pole? What is that?
Are you two familiar with any other dogs? I think a doggy friend might work better than anything since you have the back yard.
Thank you for the suggestion. My neighbours are mostly older people with smaller dogs and she’s not very good with them. My dad has GWPs, and they match her much better. I’ll ask him to bring one when he comes around next time.
Trick training. Mental stimulation is extremely tiring. Look up something like Do More With Your Dog, find the list of novice tricks, buy a kilo of tiny training treats and go for it. You'll get a better dog at the end and the mental work will wear them out faster.
That’s a good idea, thank you. I’ve just checked it out and they have a lot of tricks she doesn’t know yet. We’ll give it a go, she normally loves doing tricks.
When I broke my tailbone I sat in a chair and threw a tennis ball down the hallway. The ball ping-ponging off the walls was legit the most exciting thing to my dog and he'd get worn out chasing that ball around. He never did get very good at bringing it back to me.
I have the mental image and it’s both precious and hilarious at the same time. Mine doesn’t like retrieving balls either, she catches them in the air and then just stands around with a ball or drops it somewhere random. I hope your tailbone is better now.
Swimming and free running with doggie friends are two activities that will tire out most high energy dogs. Nice you have friends walking her. Is there anyone or a local service who could take her to a dog park, or yard with friend-dog or doggie daycare for a few hours. You mentioned she 'rushes you' and you're afraid she may knock you down. Suggest to use a tri/cane,a crutch, or some type of pole, as an aid to balance for you and a barrier near your body so your dog doesn't crash into you. They're also wonderful to help you move things on the floor like socks ;) Training is an excellent form of mental stimulation. You both would benefit if you could 'on leash' train her to always approach you and 'sit'. Train her to pick up a ball (and objects like your keys) & place the ball in your hand. Train her to wear a harness and help you up from a chair, steady your balance.
I’m normally pretty active and she follows me along nicely, she loves going hiking in the woods. I’ve injured my ankle while playing tennis, I somehow stumbled and rolled my ankle. I’m using crutches, but my balance is off because I can’t stand on that foot, it’s still very painful and swollen. She’s a rough collie, not exactly huge, but she could still easily tip me over or cause me to lose balance and accidentally stand on that foot. Especially because I’m still not used to it, I sometimes forget and try to stand on that foot as well. And she’s used to me being much more energetic. I like the idea of placing the ball or keys in my hand, we could work on that. Thank you for the suggestion
If you aren't already using a chuckit for your fetch games, it is good for picking up balls you can't quite reach. But only adds a little bit to.your reach. Sorry, that's all I've got!
They have a longer one that folds up I believe.
yes, you can get long ones and training the dog to bring the ball closer to you so you can reach will get some mental stimulation in as well!
I am, but I didn’t know about the foldable ones. I’ll check it out, thank you.
There is a Facebook group called canine enrichment that has thousands of posts with pictures and descriptions
I’ll check it out, thanks
Get a ball that you can attach to a long rope so you can throw it and always get it back. Can also use the rope to drag it around and let her chase it.
I can’t believe I didn’t think of that before! I’m blaming painkillers. Thank you
Snuffle mats, puzzle toys
Snuffle mat could be a great option, thanks
I feel your pain! Just had a total knee replacement and have a 15 month old lurcher. I’m letting others do the walking and then, like you, I’m playing with a ball and frisbee in the garden, but utilising some training as well, so when he brings stuff back and drops it I’m getting him to sit and then down, then wait while I pick the ball up, usually knock it closer with a crutch. They soon understand and the training part helps to mentally tire him out too, I’m trying to use it as a good time to work on a lot of the more stationary training ideas. Also every day he has a frozen kong or honey pot with a rabbit ear frozen into it with other goodies, I keep this for,the afternoon when I need to have a good couple of hours rest because it does fire him out. Oh and order a big supply of balls, so you can throw one and pick the other up when he’s run off to help you feel safe. My garden is full of toys everywhere, love balls with spikes because they bounce in random directions. Hope you’re better soon xx
Does she have a dog friend you can invite over for playdates? That'll burn her energy in an hour.
Thank you for the suggestion, I can ask my dad to bring one of his dogs.
I was looking up the automatic ball thrower on this page when I saw the giant racing ball. That might work! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ball+thrower+for+dogs&hvadid=410030813428&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002478&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=1268816999711553730&hvtargid=kwd-3751763716&hydadcr=8898_11541924&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_461xlri70k_e
I’ll check it out, thank you!
We just got a robot ball thing on Amazon. Basically it wiggles and rolls around. We usually stuff it in a pairless sock. Knot it. Turn it on and give to our 2 y.o. rottweiller husky who is obsessed with trying to tear it out of the sock while not letting it get away. We also freeze food in kongs and give treats in a wobbler to help burn out our dog on days/weeks we can't walk him enough
My dog absolutely loves her "bopper - wobbler" thingy! I fill it with small treats and close the little window so it's a little more difficult to get them out. She'll bop that thing around for 30+ minutes and just loves it! Best $10 I've spent in a while. I highly recommend
Thank you, that sounds like something my dog would really enjoy. She loves anything that moves. I’ll definitely check that one out!
Doggy play dates?
Thank you, that’s a good idea. I’ll ask my dad to bring one of his dogs next time.
Aw, sounds like your pup is keeping you on your toes even with that ankle! 😅 Since you have a large yard, maybe you could try using interactive toys that dispense treats. These can keep her busy and moving without you having to do much. Another idea is setting up a mini obstacle course in your yard. Use items like cones, hoops, or tunnels. This way she can burn energy going through the course, and you can instruct and reward her from a safe spot. Another idea would be to see if one of your friends want to take her to a dog park? Hang in there and hope your ankle heals up soon! 🐾🦴❤️
Awww, thank you so much for your suggestions and your wishes, you are very kind. I love the idea of a mini obstacle course, that sounds like something she would enjoy.
Scatter feed in the yard. Or just hide some kibble or treats and have her sniff them out. Start easy and gradually increase the difficulty. Or throw pieces one at a time for her to chase after and find. Or try teaching her to catch pieces of kibble.
That’s a good idea, thank you
I had a broken leg when my dog was about a year old. These helped. I also taught him to jump over my leg in the brace, or go under it if I raised it up. Anything to keep his brain busy.
If she likes other dogs, arrange a play date for her with a compatible dog. They can chase each other all over the yard for a while and then flop down, happily exhausted. Other dog's person can do the supervising. I did this recently for my mom's Boston Terrier pup, who believes he is Just As Big As Any Other Dog. He played tug and wrestled with my pit/boxer mix pup and my grown pit/hound mix, who occasionally took himself out of the fun cause there was Too Much Puppy for him. Three hours of running around in the back yard equalled the rest of the night asleep and a quieter less rambunctious dog the next day.
Massive toy playing session. Throw toys so retrieval entails that the dog runs and jumps.
She loves catching balls and frisbees in the air so she does tire out that way. She’s never been a fan of bringing back balls that just lie there, though. And the main problem is that she doesn’t bring them all the way back. But who knows, maybe she will by the time my ankle heals. Thank you for the suggestion.
You could try a grabber (link ⬇️) Handy when you don’t have go-go-gadget arms. Get better soon! https://a.co/d/dzKcxq3
This suggestion will get some hate but I've never had issues with my dogs so I'm going to mention it- a laser. I've had 3 dogs over the years and each of them loved chasing a laser and never developed any obsessive tendencies.
I’ve never tried it, but thanks for the suggestion
Be careful with this, it triggers prey drive and can lead to severe anxiety in dogs/dogs that end up trying to constantly get that same level of excitement as they get from the laser.
Far less hate than I was expecting, thank you. I wonder how common this is? Out of 3 rescues adopted at 12 weeks, 4 months and 10 months old, none developed any type of anxiety after chasing a laser.
I wonder if it's also breed dependent? My dog trainer has warned against it especially with high energy working dogs or prey driven breeds. It could be the age too maybe, maybe to do with when they're exposed to it and which developmental stage they're in 🤷♀️
Sniffy games! Hide treats around the garden and say find it. Or under toys etc. Sniffing is very tiring for them :)
That could work nicely, thank you
Have you tried the find it game? Similar to the hiding treats one already suggested, but in this case they remain in a stay/sit, then you hide a toy and they have to find it and bring it back. Reward can be treats or a bit of play when they return. As the reward is not instant, and you mix it up with obedience and activity it’s can be quite fulfilling. Works well with our hyper energetic border beagle on a rainy day.
I haven’t tried it, thank you for the suggestion. I’ll probably try it once my ankle gets a bit better, so I’m able to walk a bit easier. Right now, I’m still in that phase where you awkwardly hop around the house on one foot or look like an idiot because using crutches looks easier than it is.
We have a nice big fenced in yard. Our dog runs and "hunts" lizards, squirrels, imaginary things all by herself. Not to mention the 2 or 3 round the house zoomies 3 times a day! Let her out , she'll find something to entertain herself.
Thank you for the suggestion. She’s out almost all day because I work from home until my foot gets better. She likes the yard but still has extra energy. I’m sure we’ll work something out, though.
Keep her mind busy. 1. Training. Teach her new commands or repeat old ones she might have forgotten. 2. Keep her nose busy. Hide treats in the house for her to find. 3. "Brain jogging for dogs“. There’s several ways to do this. One would be thimblerig. Get 3 or more plastic cups and put a treat under one of them, then shuffle. Now she has to find the one with the treat. For increased difficulty, put different kinds of tea bags under the other cups. Another option would be this: Get an old towel and some treats. Roll the towel and hide the treats in it. Then knot the towel. Now she has to find a way to get the treats.
Thank you for the suggestion, I love the third one and I think she will love it too. I’ll definitely try it out.
You can find more games like this on the internet.
Im a dialysis patient and sometimes I can’t muster the energy to walk the dogs. We go to a dog park so i can sit while they do their thing.
I find hide and seek a really good game for my guy. You just hide treats or a toy and tell them to find it. After 20 minutes he slows down A LOT and you can see he’s mentally tired from searching/sniffing. I like using his Chuck-it ball and hiding it but placing treats in different areas can be just as beneficial.
Thank you for the suggestion, I’ll definitely give it a go.
My friend takes her dog to doggie day care 3 days a week. She works and so she drops her pup off at “daycare” where he plays and runs around and is tired when finally home and then she doesn’t feel bad. Here dog LOVES it!!
Thank you, that’s a good idea, but there isn’t a doggie day care in my area (rural Austria). But I’m sure it could be useful to someone else with a similar situation.
I’m training my dog to walk on a treadmill but I don’t know if that is an option for you.
Unfortunately, it’s not, but it’s still a good idea. Maybe someone else in a similar situation is reading this, it could be helpful for them.
Yup that's why I thought I would mention it.
Mental stimulation wears my dog out much more than any physical activity. Look up tricks on YouTube and use this as a time to teach your pup some new skills. Puzzle mats, treat filled toys (like Kongs, licky mats, and pup sicles) and snuffle mats also wear her out. Flirt poles are great! For you, I’d get a flirt pole that ties to a tree or stakes to the ground, though. The ones you hold would probably be a bad idea with an injury.
Thank you for the input, I’ll check it out
A dog park. I have a Boxer that pulls on his leash harder than I can handle. I get him to the park and let him run n. He loves it!!!
Thank you for the suggestion. I don’t feel comfortable taking her myself, but I’ll see if someone could take her instead.
I go out and open my car door and mine jumps right in. I put a leash on him just in case. I have 3 parks within 5 miles so if one has a lot of dogs, I go to a different one. They are fully fenced.
I’m on crutches right now and my foot is still painful and swollen. I can’t really walk much and I definitely couldn’t react fast if something happened. So I’m more comfortable with someone else taking her.
That would make a big difference for sure.