Jesus wept! Please help, rescue dog needing entertained

[Marleyisme]

Good Morning, so I have a rescue sprocker. Had her since 10 weeks (born in the rescue). She is 4. Tiny, trained and generally a delight.

I now help out a small rescue and last week went to pick up and foster another sprocker, from the family he lived with. We were told he was 5 months (he is actually 7), they said they had him from birth (his chip says I am his 4th home), we were told his name was one name, then told it's actually another. You get the gist. Anyway we were also told he was vaccinated. He only had one set as a puppy, so needs to start again. He is booked in next week.

Now he is a delight too. So loving just wants to be cuddled and stroked, absolutely adores me. He appears to be crate trained as he got in the other dogs and closed the door on himself. he did calm ( a bit) after we got him a crate and he had that available. He doesnt chew, doesnt bother with the tree, steal things he shouldnt.

But my god, he is massive, untrained, springy (totally normal) and cant go for walks.

We have a plethora of toys. Kongs, soft toys, toys he has to work at to get the treats out of.

We are running our of ideas to keep him entertained. He obviously needs physical exercise. He was much calmer the day I took him to the vets, being out and about burnt some energy off. I spend a few hours training him in the house and he is very clever.

Please has anyone got any other ideas? The people who run the rescue are great. The woman that runs the rescue is going to take him 2 days during the week this week as she has a few dogs and all are vaccinated. So that will help, but we are all running out of ideas.

To be clear, he is staying. I adore him already. This isnt a post saying if he doesnt calm soon he will have to go. I am adopting him. I just want him to be happier and burn some energy off, until I can get him out walking. He is even exhausting the other sprocker who, I am sure, just wants him to sit down occassionally

This is my lovely boy

[BiteyShark]

With him being a sprocker I would focus on scent type training to tire him out.

Use tiny treats and scatter them about the house and garden.

My cocker is far happier and tired after having to use his nose.

[Marleyisme]

Oh and his recall is horrendous. Probably, in part, because we dont know his actual name. Me and my son are training him in the house and garden to recall.

[Booboostwo]

Given the situation I would take the risk and walk him after his first vaccinations, choosing places where you are not likely to meet other dogs and stopping him from sniffing poo or drinking water from puddles. He needs to expend energy which will help him learn how to focus and how to calm down. If he keeps too much energy pent up he will find ways to amuse himself and reinforce bad habits which you will then have to train him out of.

[Bobstergirl]

Sniff sniff and more sniffing. Scatter feed all his meals, hide balls, hide treats. If you have time introduce him to clove scent and get him working on the scent.

Work on a passive indication and stillness away from any scent and you can have a fantastic relaxed sniffy sprocker.

[Marleyisme]

Thank you. I am glad you said that because it's what me and dp have been thinking.

He needs to exercise and I am worried not exercising will make his behaviour worse.

Dp is home during the day so can take him for a long walk, while it's still light.

I just want to do what's best for him and no walks definitely isnt good for him.

[Marleyisme]

Sniff sniff and more sniffing. Scatter feed all his meals, hide balls, hide treats. If you have time introduce him to clove scent and get him working on the scent.

Thank you. We have done some of that but he seems to not really care. I suspect he was removed from his mum and litter early. He doesnt rely know how to play or communicate with other dogs.

It took a few days to get him to chase a ball.

[perpetuallybewildered]

Do you have stairs? Throw a ball or a toy to the top of the stairs repeatedly until dog is exhausted.

[Ohffs66]

I was going to suggest scentwork as well, I do it with mine when the weather is too bad to go out and it totally exhausts her. You can start with something easy like a small Kong...First just get him to connect putting his nose on the Kong with getting a high value treat and work up from there. We now hide one all over the house and she goes mad trying to find it.

[Ohffs66]

Also if you have any enclosed tennis courts locally they can be good for an off lead run around with no other dogs about!

[Clymene]

Do you live near the coast? Going for a beach walk as the tide goes out at weird times of day in winter pretty much guarantees you won't meet anyone or come across any dog poo. You could put him on w long line and get him to run back and forth between you and your son

[adaline]

Do you have stairs? Throw a ball or a toy to the top of the stairs repeatedly until dog is exhausted.

Please don't do this - at seven months the dogs joints won't be properly formed and you could end up doing a lot of damage to his knees and hips. The last thing you need is a hyper sprocker that has to have 6-8 weeks of crate rest!

Lots of scent work will be good to tire him out, as well as recall games inside. You can play hide and seek (one of you hold him, the other one "hides" and then shouts the dog to find you), "find it" with treats in the garden or around the house, feed him out of stuffed kongs or snuffle mats to help him use his brain, and lots of short training sessions through the day (10 minute bursts are best).

Best of luck!

[IckleBear]

It says in op he can't go for walks yet!

[Marleyisme]

Do you have stairs? Throw a ball or a toy to the top of the stairs repeatedly until dog is exhausted.

Yes I could do that. Though I would have to sit at the top as he tries to get in my sons bed and peed on it once 🙈

Also if you have any enclosed tennis courts locally they can be good for an off lead run around with no other dogs about!

We do, but no dogs allows unfortunately.

Ohffs66 we have started to do that. But he doesnt seem to care to go look. Just wanders off.

He would be quite happy in the garder most of the day, However, only if we are there and we cant be. As soon as we are out if sight he barks and barks until we come back. So I am working on that. Het him in the garden then leave him and build up the time before I appear.

I am going to take him to a friend who has a large enclosed garden at today and another dog. Let him tire himself out there. We can sit in her kitchen and he can see me. I just cant do that during the week.

[Marleyisme]

Please don't do this - at seven months the dogs joints won't be properly formed and you could end up doing a lot of damage to his knees and hips. The last thing you need is a hyper sprocker that has to have 6-8 weeks of crate rest!

Oh, I will speak to the vet about that. Thank you

[Marleyisme]

Clymene no, no coast. Sadly.

[BiteyShark]

My dog wasn't motivated by balls initially. I think looking back it was because we weren't playing with them in the way he wanted e.g. expecting him to chase and return the ball.

He is now ball obsessed but still won't 'play' if it isn't how he wants. For balls having two and batting them about inside is really fun for our cocker and tires him out without too much running about. That is because he wants the one you have but can't fit both in his mouth so when he leaves one we grab the other. In fact we tired BiteyDog out doing this on the lounge floor yesterday and he was out of breath even though he had not moved more than three feet.

For scent stuff we put ours behind a baby gate and hide little piles of treats around the house. We put a small pile in front of him so he know what he is expecting to find then give him a command to 'find' them. At first you may need to help your dog understand what he is meant to do but being a sprocker it won't take long for him to work it out.

[Clymene]

Oh that's a shame. Have you tried playing hide and seek games? That's quite a good one

[Marleyisme]

Yes we do hide and seek. Dp usually hides.

Though to be fair that's resulted in dp not being able to have a bath or go to the loo in peace. The dog always thinks he has found him and bangs on the door he comes out. Even when we arent playing

[Booboostwo]

If he was removed from his mum early, stress may be an underlying factor in all his behaviors. Try an Adaptil collar for him and see if it helps, not so much calm him physically down, but tone down his responses. It might help him with meeting other dogs. Also, talk to your local dog training club, they may have a socialization class they would allow him to join when he's had his vaccinations.

[Marleyisme]

Yes we have a socialisation and training ready for when his injections. Its something I did with my first so always Intended to. Once his injections are done there will be plenty to have him occupied.

[Marleyisme]

Sorry posted too soon.

Yes, I think stress is his issue and lack exercise isnt helping.

[koshkat]

Do you have stairs? Throw a ball or a toy to the top of the stairs repeatedly until dog is exhausted.

Bloody hell this is TERRIBLE advice! Do not do this!

We have had very many working bred spaniels and the thing to do with them is tire them mentally. Overdoing exercise with a pup can harm his joints and will also fitten him up to the point where you cannot tire him out so it becmes a vicious circle.

Mind games, scent games, meeting new people (always wore my pups out the most) and being calm with him and starting his obedience training will all help.
I take all mine to obedience classes as soon as they are vaccinated and able to go and they do the KC Good Citizen awards. It is hard work with spaniels but so rewarding and much fun.

I would have no other breed!

[Marleyisme]

So today we had an hour in the garden playing games. Obviously in and out to the loo as well. I took them both to a friends who has an enclosed garden and her dog is vaccinated. The 3 of them played for a couple of hours.

Dont some recall training, hide and seek with DS, command training, sat on the floor with 2 balls rolling them about, we had human visitors (which pleased them both).

He is currently in his crate, napping and generally calmer.

Tonight another game of hide and seek, some more training, rolling the ball and a kong later for them both.

We just need to keep this up and keep changing it. Cant wait to walk him though

[Chancey1982]

I walked my puppy a bit early but stuck to pavement, no grass. Just to wear him out and give our older dog (who has since passed away) a break. The vet said should be fine.

[Chancey1982]

We also threw a ball from the top of the stairs for him to bring back. We got desperate! Lol