Finding ‘jobs’ for collie in prep for new baby

[Sep88]

I’ve got a lab/collie cross she’s a darling, but currently gets 3 walks/runs/bike rides a day. My husband has a running addiction, so the two of them have the similar needs😂. However, I’m aware that when the baby arrives we might not be able to give her quite as much exercise as she’s used to, at least initially. Planning on getting a dog walker, but wondered if I could tap into her collie side and give her jobs in the house to keep her stimulated. Currently her job is ‘ball’ and making sure no one gets lost when going to the loo!

I’m teaching her to tidy her toys, but does anyone have any other ideas?? She’s very used to children, and luckily isn’t a herder. Thanks in advance! ☺️

…And any advice how to manage an exercise addicted husband post partum is welcome too 😂

Love the idea of getting a small flock of sheep.

We have a collie with a very active mind, some things we did to keep him occupied when our kids were babies:
In the house:
Stuffed frozen kongs filled with his normal food plus a few delicious left overs. Wrapped in a towel and hidden to find and extricate.
Hiding treats all over the house, building up the time he has to sit still before 'find it!'
Rolling tennis balls back and forth on the floor, he has to watch three at once then suddenly roll one towards him to stop. Add a 'in my hand' command so he knows to drop toys/balls back in your hand not on the floor in front of you, essential for when you're heavily pregnant or breastfeeding and can't bend down.
Dog talk buttons - so he can tell us what he wants (his include garden, food, water, park, play)
Teaching 'settle' in his crate, building up the time in there slowly to 30 mins.
Learning to stand still balancing a kong bone with treats in on his head until told 'go!' To flip his head up and grab it!
On walks
Teaching him 'touch' - to touch something with his front paw/s. Go along a row of posts, he doesn't know which ones you'll say touch next to so has to concentrate really hard. Lots of praise when he reacts quickly.
Teach 'step on' to jump onto things and 'jump down' and 'over' to jump over things, 'around' to circle something. Make walks an obstacle course.
Learning to circle a football using 'away and 'come by' and predict which way you'll kick it for them to stop.
With the running, I'd say this makes a dog physically fit but isn't anywhere as much of a mental workout as a sniffy onstacle course walk. If you can't maintain as much running once baby comes I'd start reducing this now so she doesn't associate baby's arrival with a sudden stop in something she enjoys and start teaching some new commands that the dog can do while you're pushing a buggy.

Re buggies we have the Out & About Nipper and it's great. Can be used from birth with the newborn insert, pushed with one hand so you can hold the doglead in the other and easily goes over fields, beaches footpaths etc. Just needs a cup holder adding for your early morning dog walk coffee!!

I have a lab-collie cross. She's still pretty young so has two walks a day plus a couple of play sessions with tennis balls and Frisbee in the garden. Today we set up an obstacle course at home and she's learning to go under and over things, along with DS, almost 7. Kept them both entertained 😀

This made me laugh so much!

Great thread. No idea collies could do housework! Regretting my lazy tabby cat.

Lots of nosework games, hide things for the doggy to find. Coins, toys, scent bits of cloth to hide. Play hide and seek.

niece taught her3yr old mix to get nappies, pick up blankets, sat on her feet(cold)if she can pick up her toys she can help you and make the baby her baby
rook would wrap her legs around the baby when sleeping

when she was 8 months along he would sit and press his nose on her belly
they smell and hear the movement

newuser75 is right too
bless your babe

I always used to forget my phone or the TV remote before getting trapped under a sleeping / breastfeeding baby. Having a dog trained to bring them to me would have been a life saver!

You clearly have no idea about dogs. OP’s dog is a collie which … out of all breeds … needs a job the most.

Hehehe thank you for posting pictures 😍😍 I've never seen anyone else with a collie/lab. Here is mine her name is Riley. More lab but has the brown and white collie colours through her. She is 2. Loves to run like a collie and steal socks and eat like a lab xx

She's beautiful xx