Thanks to all for your suggestions. I might try the run Sandhi mentioned. Anne, I knew someone would pick up on the mistake I made in allowing him to lick my hand for attention. I was hoping no one would notice <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />.

Connie, great ideas and I do the fetch where he runs at breakneck speed to get to the ball. I use a tennis racket because, well, I throw like a girl <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> . The ball goes further w/the racket. The walks every couple of hours would be great if I didn't have to earn a living <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />. Are you serious that you only go for 5 minutes?? If that really is the case, that I could do! If it's more like 30 minutes, that's a problem. He already takes away a lot of my work day which is why I was looking for something that be interesting to him physically and/or mentally but without me. I saw in another post you said dogfishing was a great game. Maybe I can enlist my boys to do these things in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the early morning workout coach would have to be me. My kids are gone by 6:45 AM.

Mike, I don't mind that he's a velcro dog so much. It's really sweet but, maybe it's the mother in me, I don't want to just crate him to solve my problem. A crate is a fabulous tool but just not the one I want to utilize here. But I seem to be brain dead in coming up with my own solution! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Candi - what can I say yours was the funniest post of all, not helpful girlfriend, but very,very funny <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.