Yellow Brick Dogs  more than training.

Is your dog a little hyper?

Years ago, our dogs had a lot more freedom. There weren't leash laws, our dogs could run free, exploring, socializing, sniffing, romping, and playing. Now, unless you have access to a safe fenced in area, or your dog is extremely reliable off leash, you might be stuck with leash walks. I'm certainly not against leash laws, but a lot of our dogs aren't getting enough exercise!

A walk on a leash, even if you walk for miles and miles and YOU are tired, is probably not going to be enough for a young, active dog. In fact, it's little more than a "taste" of what they really need (they might take a 10 minute rest when you get home and then be ready for the real exercise!). It's also hard for dogs to understand. We stick them to us by means of a leash and then expect them to walk in straight lines down manicured pathways and sidewalks, all without any pulling on the leash, lunging, or sniffing, of course. That's pretty unrealistic, and unfair, I think.

A better solution is to find some way of exercising your dog that is easy and fun for YOU. If it's not fun for you, then it'll be that much harder to make yourself do it. Personally, I don't find walking dogs on leash very much fun, so I try to work around it to make it more interesting.

• Backpacks: Dogs tend to walk a little slower when wearing a pack, even if it's empty. This way, we go for a stroll, and they burn a little more energy than if they were walking "naked." Also, when working off leash, dogs also tend to stick around a little closer when wearing a pack.
• Long lines: To start teaching your dogs reliability off leash, long lines can help you transition. I'll even use retractable leashes for this purpose because long lines tend to get tangled in weeds...However, long lines and retractables should only be used when your dog is wearing a body harness and not for regular walks (especially in urban areas!).
• Teach your dog to retrieve: If he doesn't already have "ball drive", we can teach him! Throwing balls and other toys is a great way to wear your dog out, especially if you have a fenced in yard at your home--easy access! Even if you don't have a big yard, there are options.
  • Dog parks at odd hours: when most people are at work, dog parks are usually pretty quiet, and are safely fenced.
• Meet new friends: Join a meetup group or find another way to meet people with dogs. You can set up play groups, play dates, etc, which are amazing ways to exercise your dogs and let them get their socialization needs met, too.
• Teach a new sport: Take your dog to class to learn something like Agility, or if you have a working dog, find a club for a more alternative sport like Schutzhund. The key is to find teachers and trainers that you trust, and you must be willing to walk away or stand up for your dog if anyone recommends something you don't like.
• Mush!: For many Huskies, Malamutes, and other northern breeds and mixes, pulling is practically an instinct. Teaching them to pull isn't too hard. The rest of it, slowing, stopping, right, and left, is pretty easy, too. Visit the page on Dog Sports for more information and links.
• Feed a little differently: Instead of feeding your dog in a bowl (how boring!), try something new. Scatter your dog's kibble around the yard, hide it throughout the house, or stuff it into treat dispensing toys. Your dog will move around a lot more, and use his nose and brain, too.
• Place!: Teach your dog to go to a target or mat. You can gradually increase the distance and speed with this behavior, until you can send your dog at full speed to his "place" and then call him back. Do this for a while and you not only work on a few practical skills (place and your recall), but he gets to run a bit. You can also do this with your dog's crate while playing crate games!

When we give our dogs the right amound of exercise, they're less likely to do those "bad" behaviors, gain excessive weight, and they'll hopefully live longer!

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