Well i am a noob to the forums so first off I want to say hello to all. I recently purchased from Ed his puppy 8 week to 8 months and his Basic dog obedience. I am sure what I am going to ask is covered somewhere in the DVD's but want to ask this before the DVD's arrive to my home. Last Saturday I had to put my male GSD down because of Lupus that we could not control. We shortly there-after that day picked up a GSD/Rott mix. He is 13 weeks old and very dominant...the dominance isn't really the issue to me but I live in WI. It has been FRIGID the past few days and I have a tough time staying outside to supervise the little rascal. He doesn't care but man...I am freezing my arse off out there! Well the pent up energy from staying on a leash while indoors and being crated is driving the puppy nuts. Myself included. I want a high energy dog with a lot of stamina to run along side for bike rides and for chasing my remote control trucks around. The remotes hit over 40 MPH and was FANTASTIC exercise for my male shepherd and also our current female shepherd. They chase it mercilessly and is Exceptional conditioning for them...plus it is faster than them so they can't catch it. Point in case with the pup...I need a great deal of advice since this is the first "winter puppy" I have ever purchased. Any advice? Thanks in advance.

I just want to say howdy & welcome! (I don't have an answer to your question, but I'm sure some-one will be along shortly.)

Hi Jeff, and welcome.

If your backyard is pretty much clear of trees and shrubs, you could stand just inside the house at the open door with several balls and toys, have a long line on the pup, say a 30 foot line (they come longer even), and throw a ball out for the pup to chase. If he brings it back to you, great...if not, call him back to you and throw another ball out. Of course this won't work well if there's too many plants the long line can get tangled in.

A hokey solution at best , and you may have to go pick up the toys when you're done, but it's better than standing out there for any length of time. Your house may get a bit chilly, but hey, that's what heaters are for . At least the pup will get a little more exercise to take the edge off his energy.

Here in Phoenix, it's not a problem...chilly in the mornings, but today it reached 81 degrees. ENDLESS summer - hard especially on my all black pup who keeps seeking shade after a romp. Hard on me who is used to curling up on the sofa with a cover and a book on winter days.

Carharts.

Are there any places you can bring your pup to once he is finished with his vaccinations? I've been eyeing a local dogday care that rents their floor on off-hours. It's only $15 for an hour. I could bring both of my dogs (ages 4 & 8 months) and proof some obedience work/play/etc.

Right now, it's pretty cold in Michigan, so two times a day I bundle up to walk and play a couple games of fetch with our "chuck-it". We do lots of obedience work in the house, as mental exercise tires them out more than running like maniacs...you could start some basics with your pup. We also play fetch in our long family room once I move the coffee table out of the way

We go to the petstore...we have people over to visit...

Oh! and consider buying some bully sticks. Those have helped keep me sane with my recent pup. Won't tell you what they are made of, but they are a great chew toy & occupier.

Good Luck!
Melissa

Doesn't remote control work through glass? Can't you leave him outside and do the RC exercise from the comfort of your house? If you don't have a fenced in yard, you could put him on a long line.

OK, I have to chime in here. I also live in Wisconsin and I feel that if you have a dog/puppy it's part of the job to exercise them no matter what the weather.

Not only do I have to deal with the Leerburg dogs here, I have Malinois! Try NOT exercising them because it's cold. LOL It's not an option if you want sane dogs.

I spend AT least one hour with my own dogs outside every single day, and the last 2 days it was a high of 4 degrees with windchills on our hill in the double digits below zero. I bundle up, and start walking. I know our GSDs are lower maintenance than the Mals in terms of exercise requirements, but they love the cold weather and after we come in everyone is happy.

I have a down coat with a big hood (think Eskimo apparel) flannel lined jeans and some very warm boots. It works for me and I am a self proclaimed wimp! I am cold all year around, and wear a sweatshirt all summer. If I can do this, anyone can.

cindy, i more or less do the same thing you do. now that my brother in law's dog is getting better outside off-leash, i just take both dogs out into the back yard and stand at the door with my paintball gun. the yard isn't fenced, but they pretty much know where they're allowed, and only tend to leave if they're not watching where they're going... a quick recall gets them to come back.

so that's what i do on the colder days, for about a half hour at a time, several times a day. i'm convinced they don't feel the cold - they'll roll in snow, dive into the half-frozen pond and come inside dripping wet. on the warmer days, i take each dog for a walk, just to keep some structure/order to their exercise.

tired dogs are well behaved dogs.

 Quote: cindy easton rhodes

... I bundle up, and start walking. ...

Yes, morning and late afternoon, every single day.

We have mainly cold pouring rain for winter weather, and I found that if I just have the mindset that "this is what I do, period," and, like Cindy, have the all-weather apparel ready, it's good for all of us.

It's so worth it!

I hate winter and cold. A lot. Here's what you do: follow Cindy's advice and invest in a really warm coat (my mom has a one piece snowsuit that I sometimes use). Then buck up and take it - a high energy dog CANNOT go without hard running exercise. Even if it's fetch in the back yard. That solution doesn't work for me because my hound doesn't play fetch. But my two dogs will chase each other and wear each other out.

Get on your bike; your puppy is too young to be formally run on pavement but you can probably get him to chase you around the yard. Especially if you drag an old scarf behind you for him to attack.

And I bet at 13 weeks you can get away with playing fetch for an hour in your rec room. (Just not every day).

Let your shepherd and your puppy into the yard (I assume it's fenced) to play together. That should wear them both out.