Ways to Tire Out High Energy Dog?

[Chealsie508]

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!!

[stash]

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

[ownedbyspencer]

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.

[agilebasenji]

@ownedbyspencer:

I wish I could train her to clean the house… or dig up weeds.

let me know if you get the housework thing figured out!!!! Of course i know some dogs who dig up weeds . . . and the flowers.

[krunzer]

Tucker really loves the Egg Babies. I found one in the shape of a house and it has little animals inside like squirrels and birds etc. It didn't take him long to figure out that there were other toys inside the big toy that he could take out. I used that to tire him out a lot as an adolescent it's a good thinking/mind game. He got so fast at it though it would take him less than 30 seconds to take all the animals out, then he would walk away until someone put the animals back in the house. But then again…he likes to unroll rolled socks.....

[Buddys Pal]

@ownedbyspencer:

Ava goes at warp speed all day long. I take her to daycare, where she plays non-stop, tiring out all the other dogs until they need time away from her. She goes crazy in the car all the way home. She's still revved up, so I take her for a long walk, feed her, clicker train, then she's still going strong, so we play fetch and other games. I feed her in a kibble ball to keep even mealtime active and can get maybe a half-hour of downtime out of a bully stick. Around 10, she gets the zoomies and races around the house before finally settling down. She gets me up at 6, and we do it all over again. She won't nap.

Of course, there are many labels for this behavior. She's only six months old, so I'm hoping she will grow out of most of it. Has anybody had a dog like this? Any suggestions for ways to release energy or better cope with this non-stop activity? Maybe a different food? Some miracle toy that will occupy her? Herbal magic potion? (DAP and Rescue Remedy have no affect at all.) I don't have nearly as much energy as she does… and I'm afraid she's starting to wear out her welcome at daycare.

My goodness, you do have a spitfire on your hands!!!! Did the daycare employees say that they don't like her there??? Because, Ava is doing a lot of there job by playing out the others'! Believe me, the owners love that their dogs are tired when they come home! By the by, what do you feed her? It is wild crazy that she goes all day like that! but when you said she is restless in her sleep, it raised a flag. Might not be the food, but she and my grandson are similar. He did not get good sleep at night, did not take naps (young dogs and children need the sleep too!) Had night tremors, bad dreams, and low attention spans etc and then started having frontal lobe seizures. Unknown why at this time, but the pattern of not sleeping and being hyper is similar. I know two different species, but similar non the less. AND- not saying that Ava is on the way to seizure activity, but maybe it is something related in the nervous system???? What did your Vet say? The bee story was too much! PS: Uzie gets his breakfast via a food ball that keeps him busy for a longer period of time than just from a bowl.

[ownedbyspencer]

I'm sorry to hear about your grandson, Buddy's Pal, and hope he's okay. That sounds scary! Ava eats a mix of Fromm Adult Gold and Surf 'n Turf. She has tested fine medically, but the behaviorist did give me neurological signs to watch for– none of which Ava has exhibited. Thank goodness! She just seems to have a ton of energy to burn, a short attention span and a low boredom threshold. But she's a friendly girl-- she likes everybody and everything!

They don't seem to dislike Ava at daycare-- they just think she's two handfuls! I picked her up one day, and they came carrying her out sopping wet with mud. Apparently, Ava was in the pool(!), then decided it would be fun to mud wrestle with another dog. I didn't ask any questions, because the harried girl carrying Ava was covered in mud, and Ava was squirming and batting her hair with filthy paws. It would be fair to say that Ava was thrust at me with great gusto. I brought cookies for the staff the next day, and even so, I was expecting to be asked to take Ava elsewhere.

I'm so glad to know about the egg babies (and egg houses)! I ordered an egg baby and an extra set of the bright-colored eggs for Ava. I hope she likes them as much as Tucker and Zest do. I'm getting a few new fun toys and yummy chews (bribes?) to hopefully keep her occupied after her spay. I dread it, because I hate putting her through that... and I don't know how in the world I'm going to keep her quiet for 1 day, much less 10!

[stash]

I was also dreading keeping Kaiser quiet after his neuter and umbilical hernia fix, the day he came home was ok the next day I was running around telling him slow down slow down and there was no stopping him from getting up on the sofa so could only pull my ouch face and hope he learnt it hurts to jump around he worked out what was comfortable to do and what wasn't, do wish the drugs kept him drugged longer than the first day I am amazed he didn't pull out any stitches( 9 for the hernia and 4 for the neuter) two of his neuter stitches did pull a little but healed up fine. Found he healed really quick and only over licked a couple of days before they were to come out, must of been itchy from healing . Kaiser had his in for 13 days as we had a long weekend around the time they were due to come out. I would be looking at something to keep Ava calm as Kaiser is already a calm boy and I found it hard with him, maybe the Vet can give you something or recommend something natural since she is so full of energy. Did find that I worried but he came through fine, did go back once to the Vet just to check some swelling but it was from him having had a nibble clean on the area, not the hernia protruding but had to check, better safe than sorry. All the best for the spay, know how you are feeling.

Jolanda and Kaiser

[ownedbyspencer]

Wow, 13 days sounds like such a long time! Ava also has an umbilical hernia, which will make her incision larger. I'm really worried about keeping her quiet. The vet will send us home with pain pills, but I'm hoping they'll prescribe some tranquilizers as a backup, in case she gets rowdy before it starts to heal. I would like to wait until she's a little older, but everyone feels it's best to do it before the first heat, so I guess the time is now.

[eeeefarm]

@ownedbyspencer:

The vet will send us home with pain pills, but I'm hoping they'll prescribe some tranquilizers as a backup, in case she gets rowdy before it starts to heal. .

Nobody wants their pet to suffer, but pain is nature's way of telling us to take it easy. I think overdoing the pain pills can cause problems. I don't overdo the Bute with a lame horse, because in absence of the pain "warning" they are far more likely to cause themselves further injury. You don't want a pain free dog ripping out her stitches! (it happens).

Keeping her quiet will be challenging, no question. Possibly a little chemical help to tone her down might be a good idea, and with luck the vet will concur. It might be wise to try a calming medication now, as a trial, to see how she reacts. (not always predictable!)

[ownedbyspencer]

You've hit on my internal dilemma– I want her to feel the pain so she won't hurt herself... but I don't want her to hurt.

As a rule, I avoid meds whenever possible. But Ava is more active than other dogs I've known. I have stocked up on calming aids/treats and am looking into safe, natural calming/healing treatments. I know chamomile is one. Anybody have experience with any others?

BTW, the calming treats seem to take the edge off. Or maybe she's just growing up and tiring out a little. Either way, I'll take it!

[tanza]

@ownedbyspencer:

Wow, 13 days sounds like such a long time! Ava also has an umbilical hernia, which will make her incision larger. I'm really worried about keeping her quiet. The vet will send us home with pain pills, but I'm hoping they'll prescribe some tranquilizers as a backup, in case she gets rowdy before it starts to heal. I would like to wait until she's a little older, but everyone feels it's best to do it before the first heat, so I guess the time is now.

I never kept mine quiet for more then 1 day…. As said, the feeling of pain will naturally slow them down. I used pain meds the first night and then none.... when Mickii was spayed (and she had a huge herina) the incision was really not any bigger... she came home and was "sort of quiet" the first night from the effects of the anesthesia... next day she was up and around as normal.... she did try and jump on the bed, squeeked... and waited a few days to try that again.... they feel the pain, they don't do that... I fully agree that sometimes the pain meds do more harm then good....

[ownedbyspencer]

I agree with the advice and that's what I'll try– pain meds the first day, then see how she does. Hopefully, she will self-monitor to avoid hurting herself.

How about stairs? Better to carry her up? And that e-collar? I can't see her putting up with that at all. (Spencer wouldn't, either, but his neuter didn't seem to bother him much at all.)

[tanza]

@ownedbyspencer:

I agree with the advice and that's what I'll try– pain meds the first day, then see how she does. Hopefully, she will self-monitor to avoid hurting herself.

How about stairs? Better to carry her up? And that e-collar? I can't see her putting up with that at all. (Spencer wouldn't, either, but his neuter didn't seem to bother him much at all.)

I never worried about stairs, mine did just fine with them and we have three different sets of stairs… And I never had to use the e-collar either. I would use Tea Tree oil around the incision if it seems that they were interested in licking.

[ownedbyspencer]

Excellent idea about the tea tree oil– thank you! I had forgotten about that. Ava is taste-sensitive-- Bitter Apple was a lifesaver-- so that should stop the licking.

I made the appointment, so there's no turning back. I hate it, but it has to be done... and the sooner it's behind us, the better.

[Chealsie508]

Oakley came home tied up with gauze string to keep his collar on…the contraption they came up with made him look like a mummy..he was incessant about his stitches so I bought an inflatable collar and that he couldn't get off or lick his undercarriage..I have photos- he looked might embarassed to be seen that way

[tanza]

LOL, when we just had Kobey neutered, Carly kept taking off his inflatable collar for him!

[Chealsie508]

Lmao…that's exactly why I'm hesitant to add a second!! I can handle two basenjis but not two Oakley's...I need to be SURE the second wont be influenced by Oakleys naughty naughty ways!!

[stash]

Do agree with them being able to feel some pain as I found that Kaiser knew what was painful to do and he adjusted his movements to get on the sofa etc, the hardest part I found was getting him in the car and out not easy with a bad back and a 13kg basenji(he is big boy, biggest in his litter), he was fine with our stairs at home. Did find out that he is a gentle boy as I did hurt him lifting him out of the car when we got home after his neuter and expected a nip but he just looked at me soooo sad and then I had to try again and he let me, though he did nip the Vet. As usual I worried more than I should of and everything turned out way better than I thought so here is hoping the same for you and Ava.

Jolanda and Kaiser

[agilebasenji]

I have a feeling you'll get a call for Ava as soon as she wakes up!