9 Month Old Getting Very Tired On Walks

[Stressmagnet]

Just wanted to add my .02

I've an 8 month old lab boy. Our regime is as follows:

He gets an hour's amble in the morning. This walk is part exercise (off lead romping), walking, and some sits/stays/come etc. it's a mish mash.

He hangs out doing not much - getting himself into mischief but hanging with me or on his own for a bit until the girls get home. They spend an hour or a little less playing with him. There's some commands in there for practice.

He comes in for dinner.

Then - very important - he gets 15 minutes of structured brain games. If we skip this - he takes much longer to settle down. It's key. While he gets 5-10 of training every time I get a chance, it's that structured 15 minutes that works his brain and gets him ready to switch off. It's the time I teach him something new. You can see his brain working.

Like you, I used to think it was the physical exercise that wore them out but it's not. An hours walk tethered to a human who walks much slower than them will never tire a dog out. But couple that with making the dog think - and I reckon it's the magic combo. Plus, you end up with a really cool impressively trained (and bonded dog).

Would you mind explaining what you do during the structured time?

First we do 5-10 minutes of reinforcing what he already knows. Do each command 3 times ;sit/stay/cone/place/spin/roll over)

Then we do 10 minutes on a new trick. Currently we are learning to sit/stay before going for the tennis ball. If he's not getting it, we break it down into smaller steps that he CAN get.

We end it with 2 goes on a trick he does well so he's happy and feels like a smart boy. I usually end with 'go to your place' so it gets him where I want him for the evening.

I've a list of things to teach him when he gets this new one - I bought '101 Dog Tricks' - it's broken down by difficulty and really good for inspiration.

It's really important to throw a new trick in there to wear Ernie out. He's a cocky fellow and learns quickly so I need to ensure he's akways thinking. The next trick will be 'play dead' cos it looks like a hard one.

[sheena]

Thanks everyone.

I have just signed up for http://petlovers.com.au/puppy_club which I found on the forum. So we will give that some effort.

I genuinely thought that physical exercise what super important; I only want tye best for him.

Out of interest...when does the next group start...I couldn't find anything on their site, except that one started on 19th Nov.

[Cosmolo]

I would be getting hips and elbows checked PROPERLY (not just a vet having a glance at them) before anything else.

[kwirky]

Thanks everyone.

I have just signed up for http://petlovers.com.au/puppy_club which I found on the forum. So we will give that some effort.

I genuinely thought that physical exercise what super important; I only want tye best for him.

Out of interest...when does the next group start...I couldn't find anything on their site, except that one started on 19th Nov.

That's the one I signed up for. There were 2 weeks worth of lessons availabl.

[suziwong66]

Just wanted to add my .02

I've an 8 month old lab boy. Our regime is as follows:

He gets an hour's amble in the morning. This walk is part exercise (off lead romping), walking, and some sits/stays/come etc. it's a mish mash.

He hangs out doing not much - getting himself into mischief but hanging with me or on his own for a bit until the girls get home. They spend an hour or a little less playing with him. There's some commands in there for practice.

He comes in for dinner.

Then - very important - he gets 15 minutes of structured brain games. If we skip this - he takes much longer to settle down. It's key. While he gets 5-10 of training every time I get a chance, it's that structured 15 minutes that works his brain and gets him ready to switch off. It's the time I teach him something new. You can see his brain working.

Like you, I used to think it was the physical exercise that wore them out but it's not. An hours walk tethered to a human who walks much slower than them will never tire a dog out. But couple that with making the dog think - and I reckon it's the magic combo. Plus, you end up with a really cool impressively trained (and bonded dog).

Would you mind explaining what you do during the structured time?

First we do 5-10 minutes of reinforcing what he already knows. Do each command 3 times ;sit/stay/cone/place/spin/roll over)

Then we do 10 minutes on a new trick. Currently we are learning to sit/stay before going for the tennis ball. If he's not getting it, we break it down into smaller steps that he CAN get.

We end it with 2 goes on a trick he does well so he's happy and feels like a smart boy. I usually end with 'go to your place' so it gets him where I want him for the evening.

I've a list of things to teach him when he gets this new one - I bought '101 Dog Tricks' - it's broken down by difficulty and really good for inspiration.

It's really important to throw a new trick in there to wear Ernie out. He's a cocky fellow and learns quickly so I need to ensure he's akways thinking. The next trick will be 'play dead' cos it looks like a hard one.

i did the same with my 3yo labby boy and am currently doing the same with my 15week old labby girl; tricks have been a fabulous ways to add to the basic manners that we want from our dogs. I am very big on training for self regulation.

Yesterday morning she started learning 'shake' and by the evening i had build in the verbal and hand cues because she got it so quickly. Today i decided i would do a little free shaping with an upside down round washing tub...just to see where it took us. Well, it ended up taking us to back end awareness and she was turning on the tub by the end of the day; i'm happy that this is where ended up because it will eventually be very useful for tight turns i obedience and/or rally o. That's just three to four 5 - 10 minute sessions with breaks for a bit of flirt rag play. After each session she was tired, so she went into her expen for a snooze.

In the 7 weeks we've had her she's learned an incredible amount: coming in and out of ex-pen & crate & being leashed up before coming out; sit; drop, the beginnings of roll over, sitting under my chair when we're at cafe's; wait at the door and wait for dinner; release; sleep (trick); shake (trick); eye contact; doing LAT; toilet on command (i was a proud mamma last week when i took her into the CBD and then went down an alley to the gutter and asked her to evacuate and she did ); sitting/dropping nicely on back seat of the car; putting on her harness nicely.

I didn't do much rear-end awareness work with Wilbur and it showed today when i introduced a hula hoop for him to jump through so that's what we're doing with him atm

[Stressmagnet]

Just

Bought

A

Flirt pole.

Best thing ever.

[VizslaMomma]

Just

Bought

A

Flirt pole.

Best thing ever.

Love it.

Added to the list.

Going to beat the jumping at the garden hose, for sure.

[Stressmagnet]

Just

Bought

A

Flirt pole.

Best thing ever.

Love it.

Added to the list.

Going to beat the jumping at the garden hose, for sure.

My 11 year old played with Ernie using it for 15 minutes. He cried uncle and lay down in the shade.

HAHAHAHAHA! Revenge is sweet.

[flame ryder]

A flirt pole? Please explain

[VizslaMomma]

A flirt pole? Please explain

Have a look at K9's youtube on them.... brilliant for playing. Where needed good for encouraging drive in dogs too.

Edited December 2, 2014 by VizslaMomma

[suziwong66]

Just

Bought

A

Flirt pole.

Best thing ever.

they are, aren't they?!! My two love their flirt pole; i also have a leather flirt rag and some leather tugs.

[suziwong66]

A flirt pole? Please explain

Have a look at K9's youtube on them.... brilliant for playing. Where needed good for encouraging drive in dogs too.

Kong have a version too; it has replaceable empty stuffies.

[Jemmy]

I made my own flirt pole, there's some Internet how to's but it was essentially bungee cord, and a bit of pvc plumbing pipe (not sure of the technical term, but it all came from bunnings). I tie on one of her existing toys, and off we go!

[LuccatheLagotto]

I agree with the others to do more mental work as I have found that it tires Lucca out faster.

In the morning before work, an exercise I do with Lucca is bring him into the garage and scatter his kibble around. Then I give him the “find it” command and he runs around sniffing and searching. I then come in with a few known and teach unknown commands. The whole process takes only takes 15 minutes but it really tires him out and by the time I leave for work he is calmly chewing on a toy.

The best thing about this is that he is tiring himself out with little to no effort from me. I am usually enjoying my morning cup of coffee while he is doing this :D .

[Ryan Bowman]

Hi, I think this is very normal. So, nothing to worry on this! Yes, mental games do help for calming them down as Jemmy suggested.