@DebraDownSouth Thanks Debra, you've given me a lot to think about. I think I'll start immediately with the "leave it" training at home and then get in touch with some trainers/behaviorists in my area. I'm not expecting any miracles here but, like you said, even just learning to ignore other dogs would make such a difference.
Ways to Tire Out High Energy Dog?
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Thanks for the suggestions! I will post again later. We had a typical crazy Ava day! The little bottlerocket got stung in the mouth eating a bumblebee. Her face and throat swelled up like a pufferfish, and I had to rush her in for a Benadryl shot. But awful as that was, it wasn't the worst part. I had just zapped the bee with wasp spray, and it flew away and dropped. Ava zoomed all the way across the yard like a heat-seeking missile and swallowed it before I could get to her. I wasn't sure if she got any of the poison from the bee, so we played it safe and induced vomiting. The vet just shakes her head now. I don't think anything will surprise her anymore.
I hate to use toxins and generally use organic products, but carpenter bees have started boring holes in my deck… hence the wasp spray. OMG, Ava-- Marley was a lamb compared to her!
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I see you mention clicker training; have you tried teaching her tricks? Anubis was a high-energy puppy too (though Ava sounds like she's in a different league!), but starting 5 to 10 minutes of training silly tricks always got her focused. She's very food-orientated, which probably saved us there, but it's always been the best way to put an end to the zoomies. We start with tricks she knows well, then move onto more complicated stuff so she really has to burn some mental energy.
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Ava has recovered from her bee "adventure" and most of the swelling is gone. Ah, the resiliency of youth…
I do try not to get Ava excited at home, but she comes out of daycare amped from all the zoom-zoom. I do calming signals with her, and that helps some, but massage and touchpoints don't work with her. My Spencer loved to be rubbed and brushed, but not Miss Ava. She doesn't seem to have an off switch. At daycare, they rotate dogs in and out, because Ava tires them out and won't let them rest. She wants to play-play-play all day! She's constantly moving-- she's even a restless sleeper, tossing and turning.
We do crate games from the DVD (thanks to agilebasenji's recommendation), along with other games, but I haven't really tried training tricks. Good tip-- thank you! Which tricks does Anubis like? Clicker training has worked well, because Ava is also food-motivated-- to a point. Her attention span is very short, so I try and do everything in short windows to keep it fresh and fun. I bought some of those IQ toys for mental stimulation, but that was a bust. She wants constant interaction with people or dogs and hates alone time.
I'll try and take some new pics this w/e, Chealsie. She's a big girl now-- hard to believe! She's grown so fast and no longer looks like a puppy at all.
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I'm reminded of that song
Girls Just Wanna have Fun
Sounds like that might be her theme song
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Same here - games that don't involve humans are no fun! There's a really good book on dog tricks that I highly recommend; it's clear and really fun:
Here's a few of Anubis's tricks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8JUurUXcwI -
Oakley like sit, stay,lay down,roll over, paw (left hand), paw (other I call it)…and I play hide and seek with him...kinda nose work stuff- I take a piece of cheese or a hot dog and I let him see I have it then hide it..then I take him around the room and point where I want him to sniff until he finds it then click..he likes the game, hates waiting for me to hide it!! Perhaps u can get the daycare to take her out of play the last twenty minutes before u get her so they can start a calming routine with her so she's less stimulated when u pick her up?
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the other thing to remember is that once she gets proficient with some behaviors, taking them on the road, can also be more tiring than doing them at home. (sort of a combination of what posters have suggested here.)
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How about nosework/scentwork? Once she gets the hang of it, you can use it as a way to occupy her time around the house by hiding treats or eventually scented items.
Oops, just noticed Chealsie508 said that. :p
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The advice offered here sounds all fine.
A question: are you yourself a calm person or do you have high energy also? (Your schedule with and without Ava sounds pretty intense…)
When Lela as a pup (and still occasionally) would go crazy, it would be because she was basically overly tired. One time, when corrections didn't work, I intuitively picked her up, and held her firmly, like a baby. She would settle down immediately and fall asleep in a minute.
On walks off leash I practice being active (stimulating their activities), and then settle down in a quiet place until Lela and Binti settle around me. -
LOL– yes, that's her theme song-- Girls just wanna have FUN!
Here is an updated photo of the little funster looking innocent. She has turned into an excellent retriever (cause that's fun, fun, FUN!)
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She is getting so big!!! How quickly time flies…one day they're little pups,the next big girls and boys!! Hopefully she will follow Oakleys path and one day just decided to be moderately naughty instead of extremely unbearably naughty...lol
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I'm so glad she's retrieving for you! Zest loves it too! She really likes the egg babies. I found i can just get the replacement eggs adn that's much better. (here's what Z has: http://www.kingwholesale.com/Shopping/ProductInfo.cfm?Item=27733 but those "eggs" are dirt colored, so I got replacement eggs that are brightly colored. found out we really just like the "eggs" anyway.)
If it helps, Zest!'s agility theme song is "Train in Vain"
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Unfortunately, Ava's not all that into scentwork– she gets easily frustrated and her frustration quickly turns to destruction when she can't find the treat right away, It's the same with those IQ toys-- if she can't figure it out pronto, she'll smash the toy... and damage floors, walls, furniture, anything nearby. It's like toddler tantrums. The behaviorist called it frustration intolerance.
And to answer kjdonkers' question, I'm neither super calm nor high energy-- I'm somewhere in the middle. I'm reasonably active and cool under pressure. But Ava can try my patience, and she knows exactly what will get my attention. Getting excited only revs her up, so I have worked at mastering calm. It's not easy-- and what's fun for Miss Ava isn't always fun for me. If I could just get her to do yoga with me...
BTW, Anubis' videos are amazing. They really are. All of you guys are doing incredible things with your Bs.
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Yes, she's so big– I can't believe it, either! She is absolutely a teenager-- no more puppy!
Here are a few more photos. I had to resize them to upload.
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Yes, I'm so glad she's retrieving, too, agilebasenji! Maybe she'll do agility like Zest– or even try skateboarding when she's a bit older. After we tried your leash trick, she caught on quickly. At first, she was reluctant to give up her prize, but she soon decided the treat was well worth it! Now she doesn't even expect treats. She just loves to chase it, and bringing it back means more chasing. Tennis balls don't really fit her mouth, but she loves the flying squirrel. It's her fave! Those egg babies look cute. Are they retrieving toys with the eggs or just play toys? I'll have to check those out.
And, Chealsie, I think you nailed it! I think Ava will be just like Oakley -- one day, she'll just decide to grow up and be the good girl and chief snuggle bug that she really is. I'm starting to see inklings of it already!
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I only use the eggs from the egg baby to retrieve. they're a little smaller than a tennis ball, but soft, fuzzy and sqeak. They fit easily in a pocket or pouch and roll nicely. i'll throw more than one at a time and say "good, now go get the other one". you can get just the replacements, which is what i'll do from here on out. some dogs, however, enjoy ripping the velcro open to get the eggs out of the "momma" animal.
and yes, they catch on quickly especially when they realize if they give it up, you'll toss it and they can have it again.
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BTW, Anubis' videos are amazing. They really are. All of you guys are doing incredible things with your Bs.
Thank you!!
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She really is so beautiful, such a deep,rich color…being beautiful helps with feeling less angry at them- many times the only thing that saved Oakley was his looks!!
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She is a beautiful girl, growing up fast. Wonder if she should have been a working hunting dog, maybe if she was in Africa she would be a prized hunting dog.
Jolanda and Kaiser
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Thank you! People ooh and aah over her, and she just laps it up. And, yes, Chealsie, she's like Oakley– their looks get them far! You just can't stay mad at those cute little wrinkled faces and curly tails.
Ava would be a good working dog, though I'm not sure about the hunting-- she doesn't seem to go after the bunnies and squirrels in the yard. She needs a job, though-- something to use up some of that energy and keep her occupied. I wish I could train her to clean the house... or dig up weeds.
