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Permalink Reply by Kari & Quin on October 6, 2011 at 11:02am

Walks!!!!!  these dogs need to be outside and walk for at least 1 hour a day.  I got mine because I knew I wanted to walk for myself' and just couldn't keep it up on my own so I figured if I got a dog I would have to walk for it.  I was right.  Quin is now almost 2 and we are walking 3 miles a day minus Sundays and she is a happy well adjusted dog who now that she is past the puppy stage doesn't chew on house hold things even when I leave her to go out for the day. And bonus, I have dropped over 35 pounds so far:)

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Permalink Reply by Jane on October 6, 2011 at 11:12am

How much exercise is she getting a day?

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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on October 6, 2011 at 11:21am

First and foremost should be walks, if you're not doing so already.  Walks will help to burn off excess energy and stimulate her mind and senses.  She can see animals (both wild and domestic) running around, smell all sorts of tasty and stinky things (why must they roll in the stinky stuff?!) and generally enjoy the outdoors.  And as Kari said, about 3 miles a day is a good walk for an adult corgi, though they can certainly do more.

 

Second, try to find toys that you can hide her food in.  I use this treat ball for my Eskimo Dog, Yuki, and it's the high point of his day.  I put his breakfast into it in the morning (or sometimes his supper at night) and he pushes it around for up to an hour at a time.  There are other toys that are softer if you think Ripley might try to chew her way through the hard plastic.  But if she has a sensitive stomach, then I would definitely try to find toys that you can put her kibble into.

 

Third, you could try a more natural chew.  Does bone bother her stomach?  I've purchased elk antlers for both Yuki and Ellie and they go nuts over them.  They can't chew through it quickly like a nylabone and I don't have to worry about them ingesting plastic.  You do have to supervise, though, just like any other chew toy. 

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Permalink Reply by Sandy Stickney on October 6, 2011 at 11:25am

We have 2 cardis and we had an in-home training for them.  One of the things the trainer recommended was playing a game at feeding time where one of us holds onto the dog, the other takes about a quarter of their dinner at a time and lets them smell it, and then, while the dog is watching, pretend to "hide" the food in different locations, but deposit it in one location.  Then let the dog go and "hunt" for it.  It helps stimulate their mind, and it really helps them use up their energy because they really have to think about it and problem solve.

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Permalink Reply by Beth on October 6, 2011 at 12:05pm

I agree walks are important BUT for a high-energy Corgi, they are not enough.  Jack can do a couple hour off-leash hike and after a power nap is dropping tennis balls at me. 

 

Honestly I signed him up for agility because he was always driving me crazy.  He needs to be doing something that makes him think or he's always bored.  He's not destructive, but he starts pushing around toys and asking to play.   My experience is chew-toys hold Corgis' attention for only a short time unless they are actually edible.  And antlers lasted mine only a couple days so I can't justify the cost.

Mine do like to shred cardboard boxes, but Jack is the type of dog who won't touch stuff unless you give it to him so we can safely leave boxes around that are not his.  Maddie also isn't one for looking for trouble.  For some dogs it's a bad idea since some dogs over-generalize and think if one box is theirs, they all are.  Really you need to know your own dog.

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on October 6, 2011 at 12:35pm

Exercise, exercise, exercise. It's the only way to burn off some of that destructive behavior. Franklin gets 1 hour a day rain or shine. He gets a 1 1/2 mile walk with about 15-20 minutes of fetch and swimming squished in the middle...usually averages around an hour a day. EVERYDAY! I also feed him breakfast and dinner in 3 different interactive toys. He gets his food in a tug-a-jug, an omega treat ball, and linkables. He also gets his dental kibble in 4 different toys (mostly the everlasting toys made by StarMark, without the actual everlasting treat in it). I finally bought a Kong Genius toy and that works really well for a bit. Its the cylinder one and I take one big biscuit and break it into about 4 or 5 smaller pieces and stuff it in there and it lasts him a while. He isn't the type of dog to chew on stuff so although I have about 10 rawhides, most of the time he doesn't touch them, braided bully sticks last him about 5-10 minutes before he has eaten the whole thing, and a raw bone will usually occupy him for a bit but if it has too much marrow he will get an upset tummy. Anyway, this is what has worked for me. He's an only dog and lately has had to spend a majority of his day alone and he still seems pretty happy and well adjusted with this routine.

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Permalink Reply by Cathy on October 6, 2011 at 3:31pm

Exercise like everyone is saying but, you can't be running with them 24 hours a day.  Luci is more the hyper one out of my two Pems.  She loves her Wubba toy.  Also the ones with the rope "hair" coming out of the ball (not tennis balls she tears them apart, it is a rubber ball).  She shakes it around, smacking herself in the head and she throws it and catches it.

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on October 6, 2011 at 9:09pm

Walks and more (preferably 45 minutes 2 or 3 times a day at her age)! Then a Kong with cheese smeared inside can hold attention for some time. If you do not have the time, how about a treadmill? I found when my Sparty was young obedience classes really helped. Learning is great exercise!

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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on October 7, 2011 at 7:03am

I agree with the treadmill idea.  I used to put Yuki on the treadmill and it was really great in the winter when snowed in.  He was terrified of it at first, but I kept giving him a gentle push to keep trying and eventually I just had to say "Treadmill" and he would take off and jump onto it, waiting for me to turn it on.  Unfortunately, it has since stopped working.  :(

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Permalink Reply by Joanna Jahn on October 7, 2011 at 8:57am

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Ripley gets lots of exercise, just not usually in the form of long walks (she injured her leg when she was young and we've found that going too long on it, it leaves her limping for the next day or so, our vet has said that it's something we're going to have to watch for the rest of her life.)

We're currently living with my parents, they have a big yard and Ripley has 3 other dogs and 3 cats to play with (and she does... when our smallest cat gets bored she'll saunter up to one of the corgis and nip them on the neck until they all chase her) and she goes for quick laps around the track behind our house. Up until recently we've used about a half hour of fetch outside twice a day to burn off any extra energy, she just seems to have lost interest in it, she'll bring it back two or three times then go look for something else to do.

 

I'm hitting the pet store this morning, and I think we'll try some kibble-based brain toys first, might help her sensitive stomach while we're at it (she might even actually have to CHEW her food, what a concept!)

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