Exercise for a puppy who can't go outside yet
I have an 8 almost 9 week old pup who can't go outside because he hasn't had all his shots yet. We live in an urban neighborhood, and our backyard is shared with another dog, so there is no good dog-free area for him to romp around. I'm finding it hard to use up all that puppy energy.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Carla on
-
Tie a string/rope to a stuffed toy and run around with it. He'll get lots of running in (so will you!) and it will help get rid of some of his energy. When I get lazy, I'll kneel on our loveseat, facing the back (which is in the middle of our living room with space all around it) and spin the toy around the loveseat (about 1 inch off the ground - so you have to pay attention to what you’re doing so the dog doesn't jump or accidentally bite the furniture). Casey will run in circles around the loveseat trying to get the toy - she does more of the work in this scenario than I do (although like I said, you've got to pay attention to where your spinning the toy so it's not 3 or 4 feet off the ground or getting stuck somewhere).
-
Permalink Reply by Susan S. on
-
The toy on a string was a great idea. He ran around and around chasing it until he finally just belly flopped on the floor in exhaustion.
-
Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on
-
He's cute as a bug!
He can go outside with the other dog as long as you know the other dog is healthy. He can go virtually everywhere, as long as he's had his first shot. It's not other dogs that are dangerous; it's sick puppies. So don't go to places that you know people will bring sick puppies to - don't go to dog parks or pet supply stores or dog beaches. DO go to beaches and on hikes and to friends' houses and so on.
-
-
That's kind of the problem, though. In SF, most of the places where dogs are allowed, there are tons of dogs and I don't know any way to guarantee there are no sick puppies. I've been told horror stories of puppies catching parvo just walking down the street.
-
-
If you're in SF, there are MANY puppy playgroups, and you can get him into Sirius classes (which you should do as soon as you can). Playgroups are usually very safe and very stimulating.
Parvo is indeed "everywhere," but a dog on a normal vaccination schedule should be relatively safe. Certainly safe enough to have normal outdoor activity in the yard and at friends' houses and to go to class.
-
Permalink Reply by Kari & Jackson on
-
Agreed!!! Susan, I was just in that same boat.
Check out www.sfpuppyprep.com. Jackson and I did the puppy play classes once a week until he had his full round of shots. They're $15 for an hour but well worth it in the end. Not only is the exercise important, but socialization is really priceless.
Other than that, I just made sure Jackson got in about an hour of play with me before bedtime. He was pretty content with bone chewing and sleeping in the mornings.
I also utilized friends with dogs and used them for play time lol
Now that he's almost six months old, it's a different story!!!
-
Permalink Reply by Kieu Huynh on
-
I highly recommend going to SF Puppy Prep for puppy playgroups! I've been going every single week since Kipper was 10 weeks old. I also took Puppy K there and currently I'm taking Junior High. The trainers are very helpful and will give you lots of great advice. There's also puppy playgroups at the SF SPCA every Sunday 12:30-1:30PM. You can try to make some friends there and set up your own playdates. Also if you know a friend with a dog, ask them to bring him/her over to play with your dog.
-
-
I am definitely going to take Søren to playgroup soon. Hopefully this week! I was also looking at SF Puppy Prep for puppy kindergarten. But, my vet recommended Sirius Dog Training. So, I'm not sure which one to choose.
-
Permalink Reply by MagnoliaFly on
-
Sirius is the way to go. I just went to a conference by the owner (Dr. Ian Dunbar) and you will get SO MUCH socialization out of the classes and learn behavior in the best way. I wish I lived there so all my puppies could go through his Puppy 1 & 2 classes.
-
-
I went to puppy social today! It was awesome. He definitely had a good time. I'm going to take him at least once a week until he's had all his shots.
-
Permalink Reply by Samantha, Ian, & Toast on
-
I agree with Joanna! We have a few places we take Toast so she has a lot of time to exercise. A few times a week we are either at our friend JD's or at Ian's mothers place. EVERYONE loves Toast there, so she gets chased around and played with wherever she is. There's also a black lab who loves chasing Toast around and is doing a very good job of teaching our dog how to play with other animals.
We were really careful with Toast when we first got her, but now that we know 'safe areas' we take her out a lot more often. I'm sure you have a few friends who would love to watch a little puppy scamper around their yard :)
-
-
I completely agree.
Puppies need to be socialized. The risk of having an unsocialized dog by keeping them isolated the first 16 weeks of life is far greater than the risk of developing an illness that will kill the dog if the owner has them on a regular booster schedule.
In fact, the most dangerous place to let a puppy walk around is the vets parking lot and waiting room area. Most vets typically clean their areas 1-2 times a day and think of how many sick dogs walk in and out of the clinic?
Get your puppy into classes NOW and reap the benefits as they get older. You will see such a difference with your dog compared to other people that waited until the dog was 6+ months old to socialize it and get it into classes.
Go with Sirius and you won't regret it. I'm really jealous you have the option to go there. I love the way they run their puppy classes.
Rescue Store
Stay Connected
FDA Recall
Canadian Food Inspection Agency Recall
Groups
We support...
Badge
© 2024 Created by Sam Tsang.
Powered by
