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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Tiring out dog without walks

14 replies

Forestttheout · 13/07/2021 13:08

Hi All
My poor boy has ruptured his cruciate ligament, the vet has instructed 3 weeks of only very short walks on the lead, no running around, no wrestling with out other dogs while we wait for the surgery to take place. This was fine for the first week because it was clearly very sore and he didn't want to do anything but sit next to me and have his belly rubbed. He has now decided its all better and trying to keep him still is a nightmare. Any suggestions on how to tire him out? things we have been doing so far have been very slow walks up and down the road stopping to sniff absolutely everything for as long as he likes (this has been the most effective but I can't do this all day long). Working on practicing tricks and commands (this works for 5 minutes then he gets over stimulated and wants to do all the tricks at top speed and run around the house to celebrate).
He is not at all food orientated so my go to of food puzzles are out he just doesn't care.
He usually walks off lead for 1-2 hours a day with another 30min-1hour on lead. Swims a few times a week, spends hours each day wrestling with our other 3 dogs and playing tug of war. The poor thing is distraught and has taken to crying when the other dogs go on a walk, chewing at his paws while they are wrestling outside etc. even when I shut them all in with me so he doesn't feel left out he won't settle properly.

OP posts:
ferretface · 13/07/2021 13:30

Not sure if this is at all an option where you are but we took our boy out on a boat trip for a few hours and he was absolutely exhausted by it, all the smells etc. Maybe train ride etc? If he enjoys coming to pub gardens etc, take him there (not if he's not keen on it which a lot of dogs aren't!)

Basically ways he can experience new stimulating environments without moving much.

Scentwork is also good, you could look at teaching him to signal where something is hidden.

romdowa · 13/07/2021 13:33

Are you near the sea? Swimming will tire him out and might be gentle enough for his ligaments

tealappeal · 13/07/2021 13:37

My friend used to take her dog to a pool like this www.dogtherapypool.co.uk/
You could see if there's one near you.

Original poster
Forestttheout · 13/07/2021 13:58

@ferretface Thats a great idea, we are nowhere near the sea or a big lake sadly but he absolutely loves the car so perhaps some drives where he can stick his head out the window would work in a similar way.
@romdowa @tealappeal swimming is a good suggestion I'll call the vet and confirm if its allowed. Not in the UK so no such thing as a therapy pool here but we walk to several small lakes/ large ponds a few times a week usually and he swims. Issue is he alternates between swimming and then running up the banks at ridiculous speeds and launching himself in over and over again. He really is a lovable lunatic.
I wonder if he would agree to swim on a longline so I can contain him still.

OP posts:
AlCalavicci · 13/07/2021 14:07

I second things like train / bus /car rides as long as he doesn't get travel sick .

For things I the house while your other dogs are out , try kongs with tasty stuff on them .
Peanut butter
Shredded chicken
Frozen yoghurt
His fav snack / treat

Spudlet · 13/07/2021 14:11

Have you got a bike and could you get him into a trailer if so? Might be another way to get him out and about.

newmummy8789 · 13/07/2021 14:13

There is a really good canine enrichment fb page. I know he isn't food orientated but I'm sure the members there will have some food ideas

Original poster
Forestttheout · 13/07/2021 14:28

@AlCalavicci he doesn't get carsick at all, he absolutely loves it so will definitely be going for some drives to cheer him up. Sadly he has no interest in kongs. If food requires effort to get he'd rather no bother.
@Spudlet Thats a good suggestion but i'm not sure he could be trusted to sit sensibly in a trailer and not try to leap out every 2 seconds. Also not sure I could pull all 40kgs of him along up the hill I live on.

OP posts:
Aria20 · 13/07/2021 15:18

Made me smile at him doing all the tricks quickly then running around celebrating Grin

Does he like challenges? I know you said he's not particularly bothered about food, but if you put small treats in paper or plastic cups and build a tower would he enjoy knocking them over to get the treats? Or you could put small toys/balls under the cups? Another one is if you have an old muffin tin putting things hidden under a tennis ball so he has to remove the tennis ball out of the hole to get to what's under it? Burying toys/bones in a sand pit/ball pit and let him dig them out?

Original poster
Forestttheout · 13/07/2021 16:16

@Aria20 he makes me laugh when he does it. If you ask he catches on you're practicing tricks he quickly works through paw, roll, play dead and gets himself so excited by it he can't stay still Grin
I will try the challenges, he has a cuddly toy he loves so perhaps i can use that as motivation

OP posts:
Happenchance · 13/07/2021 21:36

You could teach him to settle on a mat (if he doesn't already know how to do this) then gradually build up the amount of time that he settles for. This will help tire him out mentally but will also help him to calm down because it is reinforcing a relaxed position.

Sadly he has no interest in kongs. If food requires effort to get he'd rather no bother. Have you tried giving him really easy Kongs (or other forms of food enrichment) to give him confidence in his ability to get the food, e.g. a big chunk of meat placed directly at the opening of the Kong? You can then gradually increase the difficulty as his confidence increases.

gogohm · 13/07/2021 21:40

Ddog has a pushchair these days due to injury, it attaches to a bike as well, he loves bike rides. He also seemed to like trips to do chores in the car even if he doesn't get out though these days he's older so we don't need to

Original poster
Forestttheout · 14/07/2021 07:03

@Happenchance thats a good idea, will try it this afternoon he knows how to settle in his bed but isn't very good at it so it would be good to work on anyway.
I have tried very easy kongs in the past but he just doesn't like them, he does love bones though so DP is going to stop at the butcher this evening and get him a giant bone to chew on.

We went for a drive yesterday evening, slowly around the farm we live on so he could hang out the window and it cheered him up a lot. He was back to his usual smiling self and settled in front of the fire for the evening when we got back so thanks to those who suggested that. I can do that each evening, now just to find something to occupy him while i'm trying to work from home

OP posts:
pilingup · 14/07/2021 07:26

Can you take him out in the car to different places for sniffing?

Are you using puzzle games for feeding? Hiding his food inside toy box etc?

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