My dutchie is extremely hyper and never settles down for long. I spend literally 2-3 hours of my day, biking him, playing fetch, training obedience/agility/tricks), jogging, walking...etc. Its not enough for him, he always wants more and more. I want him to be happy but he is frustrated. I know they're high energy and all but other people know with them and mals say after a run or what not they settle down for a while and will happily chew on on bone or something...but him, not. I thought about getting him a treadmill...one of those carpet ones...I think he'd run on it for hours. Any suggestions? He's 3 years old.

How about a weighted backpack?

sounds like you got a good one

 Quote: Lori Jacobs

How about a weighted backpack?

Hmmm...I forgot about those...I may get him one.

 Quote: Mitch Kuta

sounds like you got a good one

Now what?

Do you all find that your dutchies mellow out after a certain age...I mean he's never going to be laid back but is there hope for him being...live-with-able? If 3 hours a day is not enough for him...its not fair to him...I can't spend more time than that doing doggie stuff. I don't know what in the world would satisfy him...other than being a working dog.

LOL good luck trying to wear him out. The more exercise you give a Dutchie the more they want. Even if you get them to be exhausted for an hour, they'll want to repeat what you just did to exhaust them after that hour.

Dutchie's don't need to be exhausted to be happy. They like bouncing off the walls. Either crate him, or teach him to lie down in his place when you get sick of all the pacing around.

I'm gonna bookmark this thread and link to it any time I ever see another "gee, are Mal's/Dutchie's really as annoying and high energy as people say they are???" thread on this forum :p

 Quote:

other than being a working dog.

I never really got that. What do working dog people do differently? Other than stick the dog in a kennel for the rest of the day when he gets too annoying to be around the house?

 Quote: Mike J Schoonbrood

I never really got that. What do working dog people do differently? Other than stick the dog in a kennel for the rest of the day when he gets too annoying to be around the house?

I recently encountered this very question...(schH versus a SAR dog) and the difference (from what this person was telling me) is the dog was worked for 8 hours a day, had a 9 to 5 job versus *just* training for schH. lol.

To the op, have fun with your dog. Sounds like you are on the right track IMO, Ob is your ally.

I have an Outward Hound backpack. I love it. Prior I had gotten one from Petco but it fit more like a saddle bag and when we would walk the weight in it would hit the back of my calf and I had bruises. I don't know what it is about my calfs but they are always beat up by doing something with the dog. Also, don't know how anyone feels about Cesar but there was an episode with a GSD who chased his tail really really bad and his suggestion was to even after the walk just let the dog carry the backpack around the house awhile. Maybe that would work to calm. I wouldn't really have believed it unless I seen it with Bruno but its like he truly knows when that backpack comes he is working somehow. Weird. He's pretty wired but when I get the backpack on him and am fastening it he stands really still and calm. Even the kids are like...why is he standing there so calm? Makes a huge difference on the walk.

I found this helps a little. I use a Chuck It or Frisbee. I throw it until they are breathless and ready to drop.

I let them rest 10 minutes and repeat 2 this scenario more times.

Usually this gives me a couple of hours peace.

 Quote:

Dutchie's don't need to be exhausted to be happy. They like bouncing off the walls. Either crate him, or teach him to lie down in his place when you get sick of all the pacing around.

He paces like a caged hyena...and when he follows me around, he WEAVES behind me...God help me LOL I make him stay on his bed like when I am working...he when he finishes his bully stick or kong...he starts whining. I can correct him with a dominant dog collar and he'll stop but then after a while he can't take it anymore and suddenly explodes, grabbing his bed and shaking it. Then I put him in his kennel and he paces for hours. If I put him in his crate, he diggs and diggs and then collapses for a while...but when I let him out its like somebody set off fireworks or some rocket ship came out of there.

 Quote:

I'm gonna bookmark this thread and link to it any time I ever see another "gee, are Mal's/Dutchie's really as annoying and high energy as people say they are???" thread on this forum :p

LOL

So basically you guys are saying even if he worked 8 hours a day he'd be the same at home? I see a treadmill in his future for sure...and one day when I can, a 6 foot fenced backyard. Thanks for all the replies you all. I used to work at a kennel with working GSDs and dutchies. All of them would happily lay in the office for hours in between training. My last dutchie was good in the house...she had a lot of drive (though a soft temperament) and would lay by my feet. But when chasing a kong she was a different animal. She did pace sometimes but if I scolded her, she would quit.