How much energy is normal?
I didn't realize HOW much energy, however, until this week. Due to scheduling issues, I've been taking him to doggie day care for 8 hours a day. (He usually just goes a few mornings a week for some play time.) Evidently, he runs around for the entire day and doesn't lie down ONCE. He even has to take time outs because he gets too crazy for the other dogs. Obviously, he's very tired at night, but still has energy for an hour or two after we get home. So my questions are: 1) Do most puppies have enough energy to play for 8 straight hours without a break, and; 2) How are we supposed to give him this much play time when he doesn't go to day care? Three out of four household members work full time, and I live in a cold climate, so it's not like I can play frisbee with him for hours at a time. Suggestions? |
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| No I don't think it's normal for an oes to play for 8 hours straight, maybe he needs a lower protien food? High protien has been linked to hyperactivity in dogs, my first oes was basically nuts and I had to put her on lower protien. I'm honestly not sure if it helped, or if she just finally grew up a bit....lol.... |
| Clyde does the same thing at day care too but he only goes once a week. The people there were shocked that he never took a break but now they're used to it! But, he pretty much crashes when he gets home. I admit, the whole reason we take them on Wednesdays is to wear them out enough to sleep quietly so I can watch Lost uninterrupted.
Given the opportunity, he'll go nonstop all day but he'll also calm down if we need him to at home. With this junky weather, I know he isn't getting as much energy out as he does in the summer so we try to play ball in the house and other stuff that desn't involve mud. |
I have no idea what is normal with OES, but my sheepie Max sounds like Alistaire. I take him to doggy daycare about twice a week, apparently he is the most energetic dog they have, he is 14 months now. He goes and goes until he gets so wound up, that sometimes he has to be kenneled for a short timeout. I've noticed that when I send him for a full day (8 hours or more) he gets over stimulated, so I now make a point of sending him for 6 hours max. Luckily, everyone there seems to love him, I'm so happy to have a place to tire him out in the winter weather. I have to confess, if I could afford it, I'd take him to doggy daycare everyday. It's so nice to have a tired sheepie at the end of the day 
Sharon |
ButtersStotch wrote: stuff that desn't involve mud.
That's not being a fun mom  |
| Hmmm. The way I see it is that it is all about what the dog developes as what is "normal" behavior. For example, my dogs are crated during the day, for 3/4 hours, then get a break, then crated again. So they are used to downtime, and even when not crated they spend a lot of time just laying about.
However, at the dog park Bosley goes non-stop. It is like a rachet-ball game, but we limit it to about an hour every 3 days. During that time the dog is basically high-level energy, and the stamina and drive is turned on. If a dog is turned "on" for several hours a day, like a husky that pulls a dog sled, then that becomes the norm for them. The dog also builds up the abiltiy to go for hours at a time. It is like training an athelete. Dogs need to learn to have down time, and to accept it as being the norm. A dog that does fence-running, and loves to do it, will do it for as long as they can. It is rewarding and it is like a high. So Iguess what I am trying to say, is given teh opportunity your pooch will go for as long as he is able, and wants to. He may feel it is his job, and he is trained to do it....and he does it well. I would presonally restrict his high-energy time gradually, to a more manageble level and introduce more "down-time". I love it when my dogs are playing, but I restrict it so that it is a special time and is not "the norm". I also love it when they are all asleep at my feet, too. |
| Hi
Great advice from Bosley's mom. I know my three boys geer themselves after my own schedule. There was a time that I never ever failed to take Merlin out to the offleash dog park for the first year of his life. I made the trip several times daily as it's located only three blocks from my home. Then came Panda..and as a result more trips. I was there so often the city made me stewart of the dog park. Ha ha! Circumstances occurred which I cut back on the time spent there such as discovering Panda's hip dysplasia and the need to cut back on running so hard, and Merlin's emerging bossiness as I think he thought he owned the place. Blue's inability to relax around balls.. Eventually it came down to individual short romps in parks or walks with all three or individually. It took a while but eventually they became used to the new routine and sleep throughout the day while I'm at work. They do adjust themselves to the household schedule. They don't barrell down the stairs when I leave for work as they have grown to know I don't take them out that time in the morning. They are total nutcases when I arrive home for walks! Same thing in the late evenings when I curl up on the couch...they take their places in the living room and are pretty calm. Unless I make the mistake of getting up and then all three have to follow me and the peace may be disrupted by a rough housing game between Merlin and Blue. Overall your boy is still so young. Although sheepies don't calm down until aprox age 3, they remain eternally youthfull until the rest of their lives. Hang in there! You'll also see an emerging change soon in your boy as 9 months to 15 months aprox is his teen years. Oh boy!! If you survive that you can survive anything I'm fond of saying. At the offleash dog park, it appeared most dogs picked on those of that particular age group which made me curious as to why. (Regarding 9 months). Reading some info I discovered that this is the age when most breeds (small dogs get into puberty earlier) are emerging into their teens and adulthood, from puppyhood. The other dogs at the dog park usually try to keep these boys and girls below them in the heirachy. Harming a pup is a big no no in dog social rules but a bit different rules occur when it comes to heirachy. Your boy may be trying to establish his place, like other posters mentioned he is so used to the activity he doesn't know how to stop. Another thing that came to mind...dog chase when things run. A doggie daycare will have a flurry of activity and your little guy may not have enough chances to just chill. Like kids...they'll play until they drop..but we parents also have schedules we have to keep so the kids adapt themselves to our times. Good luck! Marianne and the boys PS any changes to his lifestyle should be done slowly as suggested previously and he will adjust too. It's also his age...trust me he'll slow down a wee bit as he ages. |
harry is nearly 9 year, and he has the same energy as he had when he ws a pup.  |
| Thanks for all the advice, everyone!
Alistaire has three modes: crazy energetic, chewing, or asleep. He is very good about going into his kennel and sleeping for as long as we keep him there -- but I'd like to teach him to be relaxed when he's out in the house, too. I don't want to kennel him every time I need him to chill out. We are ALL about down time in the evening -- people are usually watching TV or reading quietly -- but he insists on chewing furniture, barking for attention, counter surfing, etc. It's only on day care days that he's a good boy at night, mostly because he's too tired to be naughty! I think he needs much more exercise than he's getting, although 8 hours is a bit excessive.  |
| How much training has Alistaire had? Bailey is 13 months and still very energetic. I've discovered that he loves training classes. He' loves the attention, and it gives him a "job" to do. If we're home and he's too wacky for us, I can practice commands with him for 15 minutes or so and it calms him down. I guess it reminds him that the fastest way to treats is by sitting, staying and laying down? Playing ball with him for the same time just gets him riled up. Maybe that would help you?
Sue |
| Butterscotch wrote:
I admit, the whole reason we take them on Wednesdays is to wear them out enough to sleep quietly so I can watch Lost uninterrupted. that's funny  I love that show too, I usually put up the gate to keep them out of the living room if they get too wound up during LOST!
Oh and by the way.. my eight month old would do laps around the house nonstop if I let her! |
TapDiva wrote: Alistaire has three modes: crazy energetic, chewing, or asleep. He is very good about going into his kennel and sleeping for as long as we keep him there -- but I'd like to teach him to be relaxed when he's out in the house, too. k:
Is he in the kennel a lot? You didn't imply that he was but I was just thinking maybe he had a bunch of pent up energy that he's unleashing. Just a thought. Clyde's energy level in the house went down a lot as soon as we weaned him off the crate but that may have to do with him growing up too. |
| Jasper still has a TON of energy, and he's 14 months old. |
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