Still...not...tired!

[boxofrox]

I was wondering if anyone out there had suggestions for tuckering out a 1 yr old male boxer??

Radar is sooo extremely hyper, and he seems to never get tired. A couple of weeks ago we took him to Providence Canyon in Lumpkin (Georgia) and spent four hours there. He was running through mud, climbing big rocks, off leash almost the whole time (it was a Monday and no one was there) so when we got in the car we expected him to crash (we had an 1 1/2 hour drive) and not only did he NOT crash, he got home and played with his brother (chihuahua shitzu mix) for another couple of hours! He did sleep well that night though!

I work at home all day and I make sure I take him for a 30 minute walk/jog just about every morning (i've been slacking on the really cold days!) and he also has plenty of toys to play with. Gizmo will play with him some, but he is pretty lazy and gets fed up with Radar's antics pretty quickly. I take him out back and let him run for a few minutes, but we live in a duplex without a fence so I can't let him out without constant supervision...and at some point I actually have to WORK during the day!

So does anyone have any ideas? I wish I could harvest some of his energy for myself! My house would be clean, school work done, work work done...and I'd probably save the planet or something too

 

[johann]

Can he go to doggy daycare? That always tires Johann out....he sleeps the whole next day.

 

[boxofrox]

I wish

I would love to be able to do that once in awhile...there is a place in town, but not sure how that would go over with the hubby... "I'm sending Radar to daycare even though I'm home all day!"

But this is a DAILY thing...he's always hyper! Most dogs will at least go lay down after awhile of ignoring them, but he doesn't, ever! He will stand there and stare at me and then bark and holler at me until I get up and take him out (even though he just went out) or take him for a walk or play fetch or something...and then we repeat

I can't figure out what it is he wants...that's the most aggravating part! He has water, food, exercise, attention...what am I missing?

The only time he does chill out is if he lays on the couch with me...which I have been trying hard to avoid (they're new couches...I'd like to keep them decent for a couple of years!) I have a doggie bed that I put right next to me, not good enough...I've tried working on the floor with my laptop and he puts his head ON the laptop...

So what can I do for stimulation for him? My mom keeps telling me to get him a doggie treadmill but 1) they are expensive and 2) I would need to stand there and supervise, meaning I couldn't work!

 

[LILYLARUE]

I had the same problem with Lily and she's almost 3! LOL The most expensive, but well worth it toy, I got was a tricycle with arm attatchments for the dogs. I can't walk long and certainly never be able to run again with my back problems. So, the only way for them to excercise was for me to sit while they work out ~ hence the tricycle. 30 minutes of me relaxed and them running their arses off gives me atleast 3 hours of total quiet time while they are passed out from exhaustion! Maybe getting a bike with a dog arm would be the best for you? It's really fun for both of you and he can't get a better exhausting workout than running full speed!

 

[johann]

I'd say he needs a lot more exercise. 30 minutes isn't enough for a young crazy boxer (trust me, I have all the destroyed furniture to prove it).

We send Johann to daycare on days that I'm home. Some days I have to sleep (work overnights), but other days its good to just be able to wash the floors, etc without having to amuse him. He has a blast and sleeps for the entire next day.

He's barking because he has you well trained. Barking = mom paying attention to me, playing, bringing me for a walk.........Johann does the same thing. I'm trying to type this with him woo-wooing about 6 inches from my face. I hope you can find a way to get him more exercise (any baseball fields near you? We used to bring Johann to one before we fenced in the backyard) and get some peace and quiet.

 

[lmorey]

A kong with some frozen yogurt and/or peanutbutter (or even just filled with treats) can keep him occupied for quite a while. Toys like Hide A Squirrel also can give him mental stimualtion while he plays. The Tug-A-Jug is a good one. Its a bottle, and a rope attached. You put treats in it, and as he plays with it the treats randomly fall out (He figures out how to play with it to make the treats comeout).

I second this. I've found one of the few ways to get Cash to leave me alone for an extended amount of time is to give him a Kong or the Tug-a-Jug. He still hasn't figured out how to get the treats out (I need to get some plain Cheerios to go in it), but he will try for a looong time! I have heard about the Hide a Squirrel, and plan on buying one next time I order some toys.

 

[johann]

I second this. I've found one of the few ways to get Cash to leave me alone for an extended amount of time is to give him a Kong or the Tug-a-Jug. He still hasn't figured out how to get the treats out (I need to get some plain Cheerios to go in it), but he will try for a looong time! I have heard about the Hide a Squirrel, and plan on buying one next time I order some toys.

Johann can't have the tug-a-jug inside. Its an outside only toy after he threw it at our giant picture window.

 

[larrygs]

LOL, Layla has me trained as well. I just can't ignore her antics and she knows it. Sometimes it is straight forward give me attention. Or it is indirect, like intentially putting her balls under furniture and needing help to get them out.

We also do daycare once a week. I know it sounds crazy, but well worth it. Otherwise it is impossible to get anything done. She will be asleep on the ride home. Lasts for that day, evening, and half the next. Hubby will benefit as well with a quite evening.

In addition, we go to the dog park, or to a fenced area for frisbee chasing about an hour every day. We also do walks, but a 2 mile walk just warms her up. She does happy zoomies around the house when we return.

 

[lmorey]

Johann can't have the tug-a-jug inside. Its an outside only toy after he threw it at our giant picture window.

Wow! I can see that happening. Cash has a Gumby toy he adores (I've had to replace it once already), and he has thrown it into our flat screen TV a few times - no harm done though. I thought my husband was gonna have a heart attack!

 

[Mesquite]

Sounds like doggy daycare is what Jake needs. He's six months old (still a baby, I realize) and his night time antics are wearing me out. He's still recovering from his neuter surgery so it will be a couple of weeks before we can try doggy day care. I can deal with his day time need for near constant attention, but I really need him to be tired enough to sleep through the night.

Too many nights he's either up in the middle of the night or awake way too early. Last night he was up at 1:15 throwing up and after cleaning up, taking him out and getting him settled down again, I couldn't sleep well. Tired as heck today....