Isn't this just a sad sight?

Poor Hank, I just took him for a 3 mile run/walk this morning. We did averaged a 12 minute mile, my goal was to keep a good pace up and keep my heart from following my coffee in a up-chucked state! So after I slowed down I looked over at my 'butthead' and low and behold his tongue isn't even out of his mouth! ARgggg!

We get home, and I get ready for work come into the living room and find the punk teenager (18 months) is mopping in the chair, like we haven't just gone out!

Any ideas on how to get a superdog's tongue to hang out without the use of bacon or doing a "Vacation"/chevy chase thing on the interstate?

Ken

Some good mental exercise & just some play like fetch & find it games or tracking.

And you do know that.....the more physically fit you get him the more stamana he developes & the more exercise is needed to tire him. There can be some limits to the physical exercise needed & that's when the mental exercise should come in.

Fetch, like fetch the squirrel? lol. He will retrieve once, maybe, twice if he's engaged then that game is over, find it works well but he gets bored quickly. He and I can play tug for a while but I can't keep up with him, my forearms crap out too quick.

I try to do training when ever I'm around, but the problem with mental exercise is that when he gets 'tired/bored' he shuts down on me. So I try to keep it short.
youtube of a little marker training

Anyone got a spare lion we can chase?

Get a 4 wheeler, some rope, a racoon tail and a couple acres

Or teach him a game that he can tire himself out with.

When we were training for agility we learned a command called lead where you have the dog run ahead of you, around a pole (tree/lightpost) then come back. Well we had a competition to see who could have there dog circle around from the farthest distance so we really worked to building it up.

Now I can just have him run around the tree 100ft away and come back, treat him and then send him again till he is tired.

Agility is the answer to my Kira's endless energy. The combination of mental and physical exercise is perfect for her. 4 jumps, a set of weaves and a tunnel in the yard, along with occasional classes, makes a world of difference with her.

On these dreary days with no yard (storm drains will be in soon!) I play fetch with Skipper by sitting at the top of the stairs and throwing the ball to the floor below. Everytime he retrieves it, he is running up the stairs. It definitely helps take the edge off.

Jethro absolutely cannot be off a lead, and we don't have a fenced yard to play in. He also gets 'played out' quickly, so I have to end the game before he does. He likes standing on his hind legs for treats, jumping into the air to grab a toy out of the air, and grabbing balls bounced on the floor out of the air. Pretty much anything that involves grabbing something in his mouth out of the air. If it includes jumping, bonus. The funny thing is, he only needs a few of these exercises to get his jumps out, and then he pretty much settles down to his usual self. I have to be totally alert, though, to play with him, his aim is improving, but its not perfect.

I also notice both of them NEED training exercises that continue to build their skills and language. I am very slow about this, because I know so few tricks. It's time to get out my trick book and challenge us to learn a new one.

12 minute per mile pace is glacial slow for most dogs. My dogs easily run under 5 minute per mile pace for 10-15 miles, in winter. It's just an easy lope for a dog. That three miles was just a warm up.

Bikejoring or scootering are great options. Ridgebacks are great scooter/bikejor dogs. They do well in the heat, too.

For a dog that isn't big into retrieving, you could play scent games or teach simple tricks.

Mind games for a hunting dog could include hide and seek with the family. Teaches them to use their nose to track and a good opportunity to practice sit-stay.

How about lure-coursing? Any clubs in your area? That looks like fun and I bet a ridgeback would be great at it. I know people set up their own courses at home- but I'm not very familiar with the sport.

So a 5 min mile. Hmmmmm. SO a professional marathoner's pace.

Ok then Chevy Chase it is!

Looks like I'm getting a bicycle. Is he still too young to 'push'? He's not grown up yet mentally and he's still got probably 5-10 lbs to go to hit his full size? Is he ready (am I ready for this?)

The problem is trying to find some open space to do find games, being in Houston, there is lots going on ALL the time.

I'll have to look into luring.

Thanks,
Ken

What a great looking dog. With that bark you don't have to worry about burglars!

Thanks Betty, I'm trying to help him develop it. They are not really vocal dogs (except when cheese/bacon are involved) but he is the biggest whiner! Sometimes his bark sounds like he's got a mouth full of marbles!

Night before last he and I went out to check the mail and our next door neighbor kid (12yrs old) was rollerblading by. Hank decided that he needed to 'bay up' the roller skates, not the kid but the skates??? Kid wasn't phased, which is good, He was SO LOUD that my wife stopped cooking dinner and came out the front door to see what was going on! (the kitchen was in the back of the house no less!)

These RR have an ear busting bark when they want to!