Living with Your Sanity & Multiple Working Dogs - Page 1

Someone asked me today for some tips on living with multiple, high energy dogs. I gave him what I could, but then I got to thinking. . .

-I- need tips on living with multiple, high energy dogs!

Then I thought. . . "Well darn, couldn't we all?!?!"

Here's some things that save me from going to the wacky house from living inside with multiple working dogs.

• Flavored Nylabones (dogs love it, lasts a good long white, and doesn't yuck up the carpet)
• Puzzle Toys
• Crate Training
• "Wait at Doors"
• "Use Your INSIDE Play!"
• Expensive *ss Grooming Supplies
  • Dog blower (no more damp dog after bath, it also blows out a crap ton of undercoat)
  • Furminator
  • Antibacterial, baking soda, arm and hammer, and scented shampoos
  • Body (between bath) Sprays
  • Makeshift Grooming Table
• Towel, babywipes, antibacterial spray, and trash can next to front door
• JOGGING/BIKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Training & mental stimulation being a given.

What've you guys got? The more specific the better.






 

A bottle of Makers Mark  (Jack Daniels before pay day) and ear plugs works for me



Kim

LOL!!

I gave my male a puppy to play with. That helps tire them out.... 

(Okay, now that he's 11 he doesn't NEED tiring out.)

I've also learned to live with the hair. Living alone helps, because there's no one else to be bothered by it!

Offering free insanity maps at the door.

Definitely the "use your inside play."

I've only had as many as 3, and currently have 2.  I dont' think I'd want 4 or 5.  3 is plenty if they are all presently "working" meaning they are actively being trained and titled.  if one is retired or "just a pet" it makes a difference i guess.  But really everything is relative I guess.  I don't think I do anything special with my dogs, but I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy

4 is a bit much....at least 2 out of 4 of mine are older (7 and 12 yr old ) and are more calm not really any slower......but it is still a bit much, especially if you try to play with all of them at once (took a while to make sure they dont kill each other but respect the one who gets the ball first)..we usually have 5 kong balls circulating at the same time helps when at least 2 of them keep balls in their mouths while still running after the ball and even after 2 hrs maybe one would "drop off" to rest so after years of throwing kong ball i can pretty much get it where I want it to go at aprox 70-80 feet distance....

3 years ago i would throw a ball and would end up hitting a dog because as soon as i raise my arm off they would go...now days its a different story...

i should have a slogan " don't piss me off or i will kong you"...LOOOOL...

but yeah.....everyday life is a bit crazy....

Mental fatigue is a win. You do run out of new challenges to set for your dog, so I try and find the most ridiculous terrain that I can. Be it bushes, cliffs, rivers dams, anything really. Use whatever you have available I suppose. Once I find the maddest place I throw their ball a long way into it. Sometimes they have to swim down rivers, sometimes they need to climb rock faces, go underwater (kongs sink..), whatever really. Two hours a day and my two are sorted, like sweet lovely indoor dog sorted. Only rule is whoever finds the ball brings it back, else...

Small tip, if you going to throw it somewhere you wont go, cant go, or just wouldn't be able to find it even if you tried, just make sure they see the approximate direction. In the past few years we've only lost one or two balls. They get really good at the game.

Max on my parents olive farm, here to keep him sane we tracked buck, mostly kudu, he hunted some guinea fowl and climbed many a mountain, some with a tennis ball flying around, some without. (Just an excuse to show my little beast and how far he has come).







 

i should have a slogan " don't piss me off or i will kong you"...

Too funny LF! Love it!  My male GSD, who doesn't like to swim, will, however, submerge his WHOLE HEAD in water to pick a kong off the bottom of a lake or water container.

Star likes to drop her toys in the water bucket, but will not pick them up. Along comes Ranger, dunks his head...there goes most of the water!    And of course, the toy dunking also gets the water very dirty!