Two Parter
Merlin is about 7 months old now and is the most active dog I've ever seen. I'm pretty sure he's awake about 23 hours a day! Unless we give him a pig ear or something to chew on he won't stay still for a second. My question is - Will he slow down as he gets older? Sometimes you just want to lazily hang out with him on the couch but its impossible.
Second question is this - We live in an apartment complex and most of the people around here are real bad about picking up after their dogs. Merlin has never eaten any of his own poop but when we step outside its like a salad bar for him. Its especially hard at night when you can't see. Does anyone know of any way to stop this? How should I correct it?
Second question is this - We live in an apartment complex and most of the people around here are real bad about picking up after their dogs. Merlin has never eaten any of his own poop but when we step outside its like a salad bar for him. Its especially hard at night when you can't see. Does anyone know of any way to stop this? How should I correct it?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Sam on
-
Sounds like Merlin needs a much bigger energy outlet! I would lengthen his walks and if you jog at all I may add a bit of that during your walk. Probably need to up the number of walks he is getting too. If you have some sort of access to a confined area it may be fun to play ball, frisbee or some other interactive game. If you have a friend with a nice dog it may be nice to arrange puppy play times. I would also suggest that you find a training class in your area. This will help with his mental exercise as well.
Regarding his "dining" habits supervision is the only key here. While humans find this practice most distasteful it is not uncommon in the dog world.
-
Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
-
Hey Josh, you can try and wear Merlin out by taking him on longer walks, play fetch with a ball, or go to the dog park and let other dogs do the job for you :)
-
Permalink Reply by NatalieJJ on
-
I had to laugh at both these scenarios! I think you have an "active" dog, and may always be up for playing, but I would make sure you get him good and tired with outside romps, and then a leisurely walk closer to bedtime. Also, giving him some "work" to do will also stimulate him mentally and may cut back on the hyper. Teach him some commands and make him go through the drill a couple of times per day, for his dinner, and for life rewards, like walks and toys.
As for the salad bar, I have seen dogs eat poop, most disgusting, and have not heard of a solution. Check with vet, maybe some diet deficiency? Anyone else got an idea?
-
Permalink Reply by Florence Fong on
-
Hi Josh,
I came across this article about exercising your corgis in a book. The last sentence is so true - `tired dogs are good dogs'. :o)
-
Permalink Reply by Josh on
-
Fantastic! Thanks so much for all your input! Tomorrow's forcast? Running with a chance of being drop dead tired!
-
Permalink Reply by Avyon on
-
We live in a small apartment as well so getting energy out of Roxi was something to get used to when we got her.
Buying one of the doggy small balls is great for a corgi's mouth :) its also a little harder for them to chase since its smaller and bounces easier then the bigger tennis balls.
I also recommend a lazer pointer and busybuddy toys. We got her the tug-a-jug and she has gone nuts by herself with it.... though watch out when they swing it around lol.
When it was warm outside we made sure to go out on a field or outside for exactly an hour.. so about 45 minutes of constant movement. We would throw the frisbee till she got bored.. then the tennis ball till she got bored.. or tired actually then we would start walking and doing little jogs around the field up until the time was up. Just making sure she was moving that little rump!
by the time she got home she was pooped and happily chewed or snoozed the rest of the evening allowing us to watch tv/play games.
just a side note - we did however build her up to the longer time of movement since her body wasn't used to it.. so it actually sadly started with only 15 minutes.. when she stopped pooping out so much when we got home we made it longer till 45 minutes was basically the perfect time for her.
Goodluck wearing your puppers out! :)
-
Permalink Reply by Corgi Mom on
-
You might also want to enroll Merlin in agility trials or flyball. Some people even put their dog on a treadmill - set at a speed that their dog can maintain. This helps especially if it's too hot or cold out or when it's raining. Good luck. :-)
-
Permalink Reply by Little Bear on
-
I have two words for you: DOG PARK. It is God's gift to all dog owners. It lets them run and be insane in a reasonalbly confined area.
I have the EXACT same problem with my 8 month old corgi. He is NUTS and we have a tiny apartment, too. He will not calm down worth anything and he is quite the exciteable little man. Luckily, the neighborhood I take him walking in has a really nice house that's been for sale for about a year and a half that has a wonderful backyard. We go in there everyday and play with the frisbee and it has done WONDERS.
The only other thing I can advise is yes, longer walks. Even though he has much more energy compared to older Corgis, when I take him on a 30 minute walk, he's out 2 hours later. We play a lot, and when I have to crate him when I go to work, he';s out like a light. He won't touch his Kong balls.
Can I make one more suggestion? GET A LASER POINTER RIGHT NOW. Get up, go to petsmart and go get one. It is the ultimate play toy for those of us who don't want to get out in the cold and worry about our baby's health (or if we just want to sit down, lol!!!) I cannot even begin to explain how exhausted Little Bear is after we play with it. I'll post a video later, but it is the silliest, most wonderful gift I could ever buy for $7.
About the eating other dog's poop... That's what puppies do. Discourage it, but also understand that they are used to eating the soft food provided by their mother and the breeder. So naturally, they're gonna eat.... yeah., It's soft and mushy. Eew, but its what they're used to. It's a phase. Bear grew out of it, and I'm sure your baby will too.
Seriously though... get a laser pointer. You will thank me.
Good luck!!!
Rescue Store
Stay Connected
FDA Recall
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall
Groups
We support...
Badge
© 2024 Created by Sam Tsang.
Powered by
