urge to herd Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 Gibbs turned 11 in October, and with his knee issues, he's not allowed to chase things anymore. We weren't doing a lot of it, but I guess there's a difference between a little bit here & there and NONE. EVER. Every time I take him out to the yard to relieve himself, I swear that dog sighs heavily and lets his shoulders slump. Pitiful, I tell you. He goes on 3 walks a day, (level ground, not too far) and thank goodness for that. I've got one maze-like feeder that he gets a few times a week and a rolling thing that dispenses kibble as he nudges it. And we get in a nose work class usually 3 times a month. And I hide his kibble dispensers so he has to find them. Not Enough. I'm waiting for some trick books from the library, everything I've seen so far on the Web has been like, 'teach your dog to skateboard!' and such. No. And the Crate Games seem to be either about teaching your dog to love a crate, (he's okay with one) or teaching things that he already knows. Who's got a few ideas for tricks to teach a creaky dog, who is still eager to do SOMETHING with his human? PS ~ he has no interest in watching talk shows. Ruth & Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptJack Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 http://www.domorewithyourdog.com/trickdog/images/titles/new-7-page-application.pdf Look through that list of tricks. Some are pretty intensive, but a lot aren't and some might serve as jumping off points for you in figuring out alternatives or modifications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 Thank you! R&G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 Does he tug? That has always been Kit's favorite, and she still loves it. The great thing is that it can be tailored to exactly what energy and strength level the dog has today. Kit, by the way, is 17 now and I will be having a little birthday celebration for her in a few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted December 2, 2018 Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 Yay for Kit! Happy birthday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2018 1 hour ago, D'Elle said: Does he tug? That has always been Kit's favorite, and she still loves it. The great thing is that it can be tailored to exactly what energy and strength level the dog has today. Kit, by the way, is 17 now and I will be having a little birthday celebration for her in a few days. I had assumed that tugging would be too much stress on his knees, but in pondering it a bit, I realize much more of the pressure is on the front legs and shoulders than the back. We shall investigate and report back. Thanks for the idea! R&G ETA - Happy Birthday, Kit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shandula Posted December 5, 2018 Report Share Posted December 5, 2018 Nosework? There are lots of online classes, and if you dont want to teach the oils, you could always teach your own scent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 5, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2018 I do nosework classes with him, 3-4 times/month, and have for several years. I've got no interest in competing, so it's always close to home. And I do hide stuff w/the scent in it around the house for him to find. He's really, really good at it. Ruth & Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyRuna Posted December 6, 2018 Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 Maybe a snuffle mat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted December 6, 2018 Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 Ha. My dog would just pick that mat up and shake it. All treats fall out. Done in 30 seconds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urge to herd Posted December 6, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 I have a DIY version of bobbing for treats. I have old clothing, towels, etc, that I toss into one of those under the bed clothing storage bins. Scatter his kibble in amongst the clutter, give it a shake, and put it down for a little hunting down the kibble. He's really good at that, too, so it doesn't take too long. Sigh. Smart dogs are sometimes NOT the easiest to live with. Ruth & Gibbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy1961 Posted December 6, 2018 Report Share Posted December 6, 2018 I purchased a snuffle mat, our pup, six months old, went straight in and found them in no time, the next time he just picked it up and gave it a shake. The box for bobbing sounds like an idea. I keep any small cardbard box, put kibble in and hide it around the room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted December 8, 2018 Report Share Posted December 8, 2018 Maybe treats scattered among lots of plastic balls or wads of paper. Jester always loved hide and seek and we played it all his life even when he was almost blind, because he was using his nose. Take favorite toy, hide it somewhere and tell him to find it. He loved that game especially because finding it meant I would throw it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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