Since you want a performance dog - I assume you will train for competition agility - you need to be VERY careful you don't ruin your dog's joints, especially his hips and elbows. (This goes for pet dogs too!)

If you have Ed's puppy DVD or have read his articles, he states that whenever one of his puppy customers have a dog with bad hips, it's always because they have over-exercised their puppy.

I am raising a competition obedience/agility puppy. I limit walking on concrete or asphalt and absolutely no running on concrete is allowed. He can run and play on grass or sand only. We do walks for training and socializing and he burns off his energy in the yard playing ball or with one of my adult dogs. If you don't have a fenced yard, use a long line or flexi-lead (where would I be without my flexi). My puppy has just turned 9 months. I still limit his hard playing time. If he has energy I keep him busy with focus games, obedience, and chew toys/stuffed kongs.

I will continue to limit his exercise until he's done growing (14-18 months).

thank you for the great advice, i see how serious this over walking really is. me and the wife just bought a few more puzzle/mental treat toys. the pup really loves it. im also marking the game of touching the palm of my hand with her nose(when my palm is open on my side), like ed talked about in his videos/podcasts/ebooks. wow my pup catchs on quick, first she sits, then lays down, then she finally comes over and touches her nose to my hand, and bam, "Yes" good dog, hehe.

thanks again the advice here has been excellent.....

You'll have much more success wearing her out with mental work!

Besides, trying to wear a BC out with exercise is not really possible anyway - you just build stamina...

One more suggestion - you should be teaching her that there is a time to just chill out as well. I'd start by either crating her with something yummy to chew on, or just leash her to you while you use the computer etc, and give her something like a nylabone to chew on. A good "off switch" is something you'll really appreciate as she gets older!

 Quote: Gabe Wilson

thanks again the advice here has been excellent.....

The advice on this board IS excellent. Very few boards are as reliable, IMHO.

Mara, thanks for the great comment, its making SO much sence now. me and the wife have been researching mentally challengeing games on the internet, and have found a few that are really working good.
so far our pups (Isis) favorite is a rope hung from the celing / with a 24inch bungie cord up top for spring loaded action, and then at the end 5-6inches off the ground is a stuffed animal or a orbee ball, or both. she goes crazy for hours, hehe.





the duck has the look of fear in its eyes, hehehe


other games Isis likes so far...........

another favorite, but we only do 3-5 min a day, is the hand touch game in marker training. after she does it like 7-8 times, she gets so happy, and willing to please.

hiding toys/treats under a laundry basket, making it where she has to figure out how to lift the basket, then the toys seem more valuable to her.

towel soaked in beef boullin, then tied in a knot and frozen.

hiding treats in random places around the house

a large (1 ft diameter) cheap playball from wallmart, target, etc

a 2X6, 10ft long in the back yard, suspended 6inches off the ground/cinder blocks for walking balencing on, siting and laying down, etc.


If anyone has anymore puppy safe mentally challenging games, please let me know, hehe. the more tools in my toolbox the better.


Edited by Gabe Wilson (06/01/2008 11:53 AM)
Edit reason: pic res change

HAHAHA...I don't think I could get away with a bungee in my living room, but that looks like a great idea.....

I think Doug would be okay with it, but my furniture and other stuff would suffer with a Mali on the end of it....

(okay, maybe sometimes I wish for mellow.....mellower than a Mal but it is a fleeting wish and goes away quickly)

If you have a room with a space in the middle, like a basement or rec room, then dogfishing is good. You have to keep a lid on the hilarity by being calm, but I've done it even with two dogs at once.

Also, hiding and letting the dog find you can be good. Get really well hidden in a different room and then call the dog.

Also, you can move up in difficulty with find the toy and find the human by teaching the dog names. Like the toy is the "bear" or the "ball." Then if he finds the wrong one, no prize until he finds the one you named. (I first do this by lining the toys up, maybe three at once, and saying the names several times, then marking when I say "bear" and the dog touches or goes to the bear.)

P.S. When I start naming the toys, I stop using the word "toy" so a toy doesn't have two names, like toy and bear.

BTW Gabe, nice to see Cesar Millan on your T.V. screen too....

 Quote: Carol Boche

BTW Gabe, nice to see Cesar Millan on your T.V. screen too....

Nice catch, Carol!