Have you ever had the flu or were recovering from surgery and got “cabin fever”? Just spending a few days inside without going out at all would drive the average person crazy. It’s driving our dogs crazy as well. Just because one has a big backyard doesn’t mean the dog can exhaust it’s energy properly. Remember that most of these animals were bred to do ten times the work of any wo-man. They were bred to assist us because we couldn’t possibly do the work alone or efficiently without help; and who better to help than someone who works for food and affection. Even those dogs bred to just sit there on the queens lap or hang in the emperors sleeve were not doing their own activity. Psychologically it is challenging to not be able to do what you want to do.
Exercise needs to be thought of both as physical and psychological. Going to work behind a desk 8 hours a day is not physically demanding but one is still tired because they put in a hard days work mentally. We need to exhaust our dogs properly by both physically wearing them out and making them problem solve the day. With my dogs and what I teach; the rules are not consistent, the rule-maker is.
My dogs need to ask permission to get on the couch or in bed with me; they don’t expect it. There is a big difference in that mindset. My dogs are not in a sit-stay when guests arrive; I teach them how to properly interact with everyone. This again is mentally stimulating because they watch me to see whats appropriate and whats not. They are not going through the day on cruise control.
Getting your dog off leash reliable is crucial to burning their energy properly. They were bred to do the work of ten wo-man; so a three mile walk once a day still doesn’t do it; even if your dog is walking by your side, loose leash, not on their own activity but yours… they still need to be a dog. They need to run around and use that nose that is more than half their brain at work. But they still need to be aware of who is leading the journey; us. Feral dogs running around don’t walk in a linear direction; but when the dog making the rules stops and looks at something, they all stop and look. The lead dog gets to decide what we run after and what we don’t. We have now accomplished both physically and psychologically exhausting our dogs.
Exercise has a direct affect on your dogs well being, attitude and health. Its easy to come home and give your dog a food treat as opposed to going for a nice walk or to the park to play ball (only if they have earned the privilege of being off leash). Our behavior needs to change before our dogs start to follow. It takes anywhere from 21 to 30 days to change any type of habit for a human, so it is easy to rely on our old habits and look for that silver bullet. Well; there is no werewolf, which means probably no silver bullet.
This part of the equation in the Exercise, Discipline, and Affection puzzle is usually the hardest to achieve for us humans. We burn our energy working all day so coming home and burning more is not always the most appealing thing to do. We have however signed up for this responsibility when we took home our dogs regardless of signing anything or not.
The easiest way to burn their energy properly is going to get them off leash. I can’t stress this enough. If you walked around the park (1 mile) while they ran around the park using their nose sniffing scents, running to catch up, running to catch the ball you just threw, going off to smell again, doing a recall just to check in and then getting to go off and play again; they just did 4 miles when you did 1. Life is good when your dog is exhausted. A backyard is just a bowl to a goldfish.
Blair Diamond Primal Needs Dog Training and Behavioral Solutions Sacramento Dog Psychology
