Bored Dog in Hot AZ

[solow]

HI im new here ... I also live in the east valley az heat is no excuss I have three dogs 1 border 1 cattle dog and a pit lab mix . they go in and out spending 2/3 out . they have shade and water grass. NO ISSUES dogs adapt to there environment to a certain extent. Now the cattle dogs as well as the pit basically have A>D>D and if you think of it that way makes more sense.. 1 for instance : put the food in a different room every day
2 put food under a basket that can be easily flipped over
3 Get a few Kong toys and put the food inside although{ the liver upsets borders stomach ... }
4 hide pigs ears in the yard .. these dogs are crazy smart
5 remember they dont need a toy they need a task ~!
walks are fine personally mine seem to respond best to dog parks more to peak there interest and no leash. Hope this helps by the way my border is 12 and going strong must be doing something right.
craig for any one concerned yes they have a dog door .. I am not abusing them.
border / sheltie mix

[solow]

oh the food the purina one lamb / chicken w rice inexpensive no issues mix in fresh salmon once a month skins stays great .. good luck

[ZSP]

Originally Posted by barndog

redjan1225 -- maybe this is something than will help you... barnaby, my 13-year old shih tzu and i train inside when it rains. he particularly loves sit/stay/comes from one end of the house to the other and will do it for a good 30 minutes.

i also add in downs, extended stays, and his tricks: crawls, shake hands, and high fives. (he used to be able to do bang-and-play dead, but because of his back, he can't do that anymore.) this training time is mentally stimulating for him plus it is sort of a play time for him as well...

when we finish that, if he still has energy, we play hide-n-seek, with me hiding. this also makes him practice his extended stays. and, of course, we play with his toys.

good luck! hope you find a solution that works for you!

Great post - training and mental stimulation is every bit as enjoyable for dogs as physical exercise outdoors. Living in the southwest desert with two Bostons and one Frenchie, I have to be quite inventive with stimulating indoor games and training exercises to keep everyone happy. Somedays, I think they enjoy being stuck indoors more than being "let outside" to play on their own.

[dogpaw]

Mental stimulation, about 30 min, will tire a dog out faster then the same amount of physical exercise. And it's something you can do inside or out.

[Ringo1]

My Westie, Ringo, has learned to love the treadmill - especially in the dead of winter. Of course, we had to give him a treat like every 2 minutes when he first started - but sure did come in handy when it was too cold to play outside. We encourage him the whole time and stay with him while he's on it - telling him how fast he is; how smart, etc et. He loves it now.

[redjan1225]

Thanks to everyone for all these creative ideas. I tested out some cow knuckles and hooves this weekend and they did not upset her stomach. I love the idea of hiding them for her to find. She'll dig that. I'll also get started purchasing items for agility, like the suggested tunnel. Love that idea too. Now with the weather cooling, she is getting more physical exercise but thanks for reminding me on the importance of mental stimulation too. She loves it and thrives with daily training.

On a side note, I would never shave down my dog or any dog. Their coats are designed to protect them and if you don't like the shedding, then don't have a pet. As for my dog, she has a very short coat with minimal shedding; nothing to shave even if I would consider it.