Exercise/ stimulation for bird dogs with limited space

[proudag08]

Disclaimer!!: I understand that the answers to thie thread will be generalizations and I am ok with that. I also realize that every dog is different and some things that will work for some dogs and won't work for others. That's ok. I'm just trying to gather information.

This post is for those of us that dont have 100 acres, or even 2 for that matter. For those of you that can't let your dogs loose on a big shunck of land but still want them to be good dogs indoors.

I know that in order for a bird dog to be calm and well behaved inside it takes training and the ability to release all the energy (mental and physical) that they are bred to have. That being said, I know that not all gun dog owners live in the back woods of Louisiana, off some county road in the plains of Kansas or in the forests of Oregon. Some of them live in the suburbs with a SUV, 2.5 kids and a 9-5 they drive into the city for. Some live in a house that has a regular sized backyard, in a regular neighborhood, with a total lot size of less than .5 acre. This questions is directed to these people (or friends of these people )

My question is: What are some activities you do to sufficiently stimulate your gun dog within the space you have?

They say that when training a dog you should leave the lessons to 15 - 20 minutes every day. Is that enough for your dog to work out all the pent up energy it has built throughout the day in his crate? I'm just trying to do right by the dog...

[Greg Jennings]

See this thread:
http://www.gundogforum.com/forum/viewto ... ng#p200559

[Chukar12]

Proudag,

I think that the greatest dissatisfaction I have heard of through the years with the casual sporting dog owner is too much misdirected energy in the dog. 15 to 20 minutes of yard training is good for the training regiment but not enough to clear the mind of most sporting dogs. Plan on walking at least 30 minutes daily and an hour is better if you have no other excercise options

[bwjohn]

I am sure that you have some old treadmill laying around somewhere not in use by anyone else, it is what happens to most home treadmills. Or you could look in the local paper and get one for free.

Either way it is a great way to exercise you dog in your given situation. He/she may put up a little struggle in the beginning, but he/she will calm down and eventually begin to enjoy it. That being said you still have to be there for the 30 min. or so that you want to exercise the dog. But he/she will release a lot more energy there than on a walk with you.

I do think that it is still important to get out and walk your dog to get it use to the sights, sounds and smells. I did not see where you were from but in those cold winter months I do it with my dog.

brandon

[RayGubernat]

I lived in the 'burbs for a lot of years and always had pointers...big running ones. My fenced in back yard was about 30'X50'. When I cut the dogs(I had 2 most of the time) loose, they would race around the back yard along the fence doing perhaps 10-20 laps before they would settle down. If I wound them up again, they would do another 5-10 laps, again at full speed. In the summer, they would take a breather and drop into the kiddie pool I had for them, and then do more laps.

Doing that a couple times a day, morning and evening during the week was enough to maintain their conditioning. I would try to get them somewhere on the weekend to let them free run.

Of course the inside edge of my backyard looked like a motocross track, which absolutely thrilled my wife, but hey....

I would also slow road the dogs on foot, once or twice a week, through the subdivision with a dog in harness attached to a weightlifter's belt to keep the pressure distributed across my back.

At the very end of my stay in the 'burbs, I was able to maintain condition on two competitive horseback AF field trial dogs with just what I had available.

My dogs were never house dogs, if that makes a difference to you...but some(not all) of them could have been.

RayG

[AzDoggin]

Once dog is mature (18 months +), there are a gazillion options.

Running/jogging/walking with dog at heel.
Walking dog in roading harness, giving resistance. They'll call you "thunder thighs" after too much of this.
Biking dog at heel in collar (several bike attachments available)
Bikejoring - dog in roading harness pulls you on bike. This is a BLAST, and the dogs love it.
Swimming the dog for 15 minutes in a pool (with you holding him) I was told is worth a 30+ minute run - good for Tx summers.
Dog parks are discouraged alot. You never know when some idiot with an undisciplined aggressive dog will be there. One dog attack, and your dog could change his approach to other dogs forever.

As you mentioned the mental is important as well. Of course, you have all of the hunting training. Also could try:
tracking
all sorts of dog scent games using marker training (prolly You-tube dog games)

There is alot of info out there on "training games" for active dogs. Trust me, all those folks with border collies and working german sheps and malinois need outlets for them. What you hear from some of those folks is that the mental games are as important, if not more important than the physical conditioning. The physical conditioning builds tolerance so the dog can go further and faster. The mental stuff works on problem solving and bond with the owner - never a bad thing.

Have fun.

[gonehuntin']

I run them alongside my bike on a gravel trail. The easiest for you is to teach the dog to run on a treadmill, but never leave it unattended.

You run a dog to keep them in shape. Excess energy has nothing to do with how they behave. How they behave is training and discipline, not exercise.

Mine live in the house with me.

[Iowa]

Treadmill is a great tool. I live on a circle and simply go out into the street and toss the dummy. I make the dogs hold if I see a car coming.

We did the dog park thing but now belong to a private dog park 230 acres fenced with private areas. They have homing pigeons etc. Great place and close to us for around 400 a year. I dont know how rare places like this are but it might be worth checking out.

[AzDoggin]

Treadmill is a great tool. I live on a circle and simply go out into the street and toss the dummy. I make the dogs hold if I see a car coming.

We did the dog park thing but now belong to a private dog park 230 acres fenced with private areas. They have homing pigeons etc. Great place and close to us for around 400 a year. I dont know how rare places like this are but it might be worth checking out.

Private dog park, 230 acres with PIGEONS! Wow, never heard of such a thing, but how cool is that!! Man, I'd jump on that in a heartbeat. You are lucky.

I forgot about the treadmill. Could be another good tool in Tx.

Have you seen that Xbox commercial? Guy with his dog says "Honey, I'm going for a run with the dog" and he puts the dog on a treadmill and turns on Xbox, and lays down on the couch. It's pretty funny.

[Iowa]

Treadmill is a great tool. I live on a circle and simply go out into the street and toss the dummy. I make the dogs hold if I see a car coming.

We did the dog park thing but now belong to a private dog park 230 acres fenced with private areas. They have homing pigeons etc. Great place and close to us for around 400 a year. I dont know how rare places like this are but it might be worth checking out.

Private dog park, 230 acres with PIGEONS! Wow, never heard of such a thing, but how cool is that!! Man, I'd jump on that in a heartbeat. You are lucky.

I forgot about the treadmill. Could be another good tool in Tx.

Have you seen that Xbox commercial? Guy with his dog says "Honey, I'm going for a run with the dog" and he puts the dog on a treadmill and turns on Xbox, and lays down on the couch. It's pretty funny.

Love that commercial!

I'm telling you this place is amazing. My breeder turned me onto it. Here is a link, the website doesnt do it justice. Lots of bird dogs there. In fact my wife is there now running the dogs. They have private and shared areas. Once you sign into a private area its all yours. Great for bird work. http://www.caninecountrykennel.com

[dubbs]

How would you go about teaching a dog to run on the treadmill? I have a 1 year old GSP that I know will be nervous about the noise and movement of the treadmill when its on.

[Cactus]

Another option you may want to check out is your local schools. The school near me has a large fenced playground that's a great place to let the dog run and do some training. Of course I only go there on weekends and always pickup after my dog. With the Christmas break just around the corner, the playground will probably be wide open!

[gonehuntin']

How would you go about teaching a dog to run on the treadmill? I have a 1 year old GSP that I know will be nervous about the noise and movement of the treadmill when its on.

Like all dog training, take it in steps. Tie the dog next to it and let it watch you walk on it until the dog pays no attention to the noise.

Now, put the dog on a leash and heel him up there with you, kind of like putting it on a training table.

Start the treadmill so it barely moves, at a "1".

As the dog gets comfortable, increase the speed.

Now, teach it to run alone. I use a two leash set up. Run one leash from the dog's collar to a front stanchion on the machine, say the left stanchion. Now run a leash from the snap on that leash, back to the opposite stanchion and tie it off. Place the dog right in the middle of the belt when you tie it off so there is a little leeway for it to go ahead and back.

Never leave the dog unattended. I never untie the ropes (leashes), I just leave them there and unsnap the dog.

NEVER LEAVE THE DOG UNATTENDED.

[tnbndr]

I live in the city with less than 1/3 acre of yard. I mix it up depending on the weather. In winter I mix hunting on game farms with frisbee at the local park. Biking, I have a harness that holds them next to the bike but they cannot get tangled, they both love this, it is more their pace than just a walk. I also walk them at least 2 miles a day in summer and the wife will walk them also. Then there is the ball thrower, they both love that and will chase and retrieve until they are ready to fall over. Training mixed in during the summer with retrieves and working on steadiness.
They are both house dogs and know to turn off the switch in the house. Of course if they are well exercised they tend to rest more and are somewhat calmer but both are pretty laid back in the house. They love to be couch potatoes and watch the animal planet or the dog whisperer.