Exercising Joy:

[haleigh]

How much? Right now I'm at an hour of vigorous exercise...running around in the back yard with me, tug of war ( not just the little, you give one pull, and I drag you the rest. This is really labor intensive for both of us) Really fast recalls. I jog on concrete with Joy on the grass about 20 min. everyday, but it doesn't make much of a dent in her energy level.

[Samantha J]

That sounds about right for a young Border Collie, hehe, Holly has always been energetic but i have always tried to be careful about her over doing it with the excercise. She comes from parents who have had all the hip scores tested etc but still you are not supposed to do to much for to long. Its really hard though i know when they dont seem a bit tired!

I always found that doing training type excercise has worked with Holly, like using treats to teach sits and downs and so on, i think this does tire them out as they have to use thier brains.

I think little and often is better at that age than long sessions of play.

I am no expert, Holly is my first Border Collie but i do remember how hard it is to do enough with them but without overdoing it.

[WyoBC]

I would say maybe a little more mind exercising too. Like "sit" "down" "come" and so on. They are really good ways to tire them out. Plus before you know it, she'll be great with all of her tricks. Good job taking that much time to work and play with her. I wish more people would.

[clara]

Sounds like the your excercise level is good. I would second what everyone has said about brain work. Since I started teaching Ling tricks, I've been amazed at how fast she'll pick up a new one. If Joy loves her tug toy, use it for motivation if you don't want to increase her treat level too much. I just hold the tug tucked under my arm and when she gets a trick right, or the beginning of a more complicated trick I'm trying to shape, she gets to tug for a few minutes. That way we're getting both kinds of excercise at the same time!

[jackpine]

How much? Right now I'm at an hour of vigorous exercise...running around in the back yard with me, tug of war ( not just the little, you give one pull, and I drag you the rest. This is really labor intensive for both of us) Really fast recalls. I jog on concrete with Joy on the grass about 20 min. everyday, but it doesn't make much of a dent in her energy level.

 

My Bucky is almost 5 months and I've found that the most important time for exercise for him is first thing in the morning. He gets a really long free run about and then a fast walk on the leash with lots of stops and sits along the way. This morning exercise seems to set him up right for the whole day. Then he settles down for breakfast and a relatively quiet time till about noon, when he gets frisbee/ball time outside and another long walk. Then lunch. Now that it's warmer, I put him on the deck for much of the afternoon and he seems to like this. Lots to look at out there, birds, rabbits etc. I give him a bone to chew on when he needs to settle down.

Before dinner he gets a run about ('bout five min.) and then training (the training is really at any time during the day though, when he is receptive to it,) then a walk. Then he gets dinner and if he won't quiet down when we are eating, he goes in his crate. If he is calm during the evening, he gets to hang out with us in the living room, if not, he goes in his crate. Another walk at about 8 o'clock in the evening and then a quick "round about the property" before we all go to bed, about 10 or 11pm.

 

I used to do short training times during the day but now I just sort of incorporate his training with whatever he is doing, ie: he has to sit before he eats, etc. When I want to teach him something new, I pick a time when he is "physically" tired to introduced new things.

 

But I'm not rigid about the whole thing because I want him to be flexible and adaptable. So when I took him into town with me today for my shopping and such, he didn't get his usual routine. So when I got there, I first took him to the park in town and threw the ball and frisbee till he was tired out before I took him into the pet store and the other shopping places I needed to go visit.

 

I think each dog is different in their energy level and I think Bucky is sort of medium energy level for a BC.

 

What do I do though, when the weather is very bad and I just want to stay in and veg? I find that this is a challenge for me (and for him too, I guess). I think that I've set him up to need a lot of walks and outdoor stimulation. On those days, when we don't get out much, I spend a lot of time training him indoors to tire him out. And I do have a long hallway that I throw his ball down till he is whacked. I'm lucky that he loves to retrieve. I also try to think up things for him to do, like help me with the laundry - pick up the sock and put it in the dryer...things like that.

[haleigh]

I do all of Joy's training at the end of the day. I'm a trainers assistant and study dog psychology a ton, and according to my studies, I found dogs work better when physically exhausted

[jackpine]

I do all of Joy's training at the end of the day. I'm a trainers assistant and study dog psychology a ton, and according to my studies, I found dogs work better when physically exhausted

 

Right! this is what I've found to be true also. My Bucky can't fully concentrate unless he is first physically tired. So I make sure that this is the first criteria. |A tired dog is a good dog, eh. If you want him to walk nicely on lead, listen to your commands, be open to new things, tire him out first.

It works! Basic, simple stuff.