Trainings going too well :)

foreign_correspondent

aww he looks like a little oldie with his silver chops! Sweet dog.

Frugalista

He certainly is a big lad for 16 weeks!! He's lovely .

remembered_nights

Tribulation wrote: »

As I said, he gets a 20 min walk at 6:30am, then at around 6:30pm we take him to the beach. The 30 - 45 mins includes the time where he's mooching around the beach.

I take on board what you've all said, and will make sure that if we take him to the beach, we always drive, then he hasn't got the 10 min walk back.

Or do you think that his early morning 20 min walk is enough at the moment? It's just that he has so much energy, tears up and down the stairs etc when at home, so I cant see a second short walk being any worse?

We have the same issue - she gets a 30 min walk of a morning (usually involves lots of stopping while people go 'ohhhh, fluffy!') and a 10/15 minute walk of an evening... she has manic periods inbetween and will tear around the bottom of the house like we never walk her!

She's a collie x lab and already 22 lb at 15 weeks and very leggy

supermezzo

Personally I don't think that you're over exercising him but I would put a stop to the stairs antics - Quite apart from the damage to himself, he is a big lad and if he decided to push past you on the stairs he may well send you flying as well!

When you bring him in from a walk, try using rewards to practice some 'brain' work with him i.e. sit/stay/down/wait etc. Ours are trained to wait until we've gone through the front door into the house, then they follow and sit and wait in the hall to have their lead off. Straight out to the 'loo' then a quick five mins of 'brain' work and you end up with a nice calm relaxed puppy, not a maniac clawing at the carpet and performing handbrake turns in the kitchen!
Double whammy this way as not only are his legs knackered but you manage to calm him down and wear his brain out too which = sleeeeepy puppy and peace and quiet for you.

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

Tribulation wrote: »

(just realised how dirty the oven is )

Lol, don't worry i dont think any of us even noticed there was evan an oven there as we were too busy 'awwwww-in' over him. He is a big lump of gorgeous cuddles.

It's funny, all of you have your mutleys trained down to a tee, i need some help. Lol, i have two bouncy friendly crazy dogs. I tolerate them because they are like having two extra toddlers about the house which i dont mind (bar the mad barking from time to time from my westie). They do tend to attack me when i have been out all day, licks, jumping, my Spitz even makes a funny howling noise and smiles at me(like a snarl but curled up at the edges - just like he cant control his happiness, lol). I probably don't do any help as i am one to roll around, chase them and go completely bonkers with them indoors from time to time, hey i'm still young and agile enough to so why not. :rotfl:

They are good as you only have to say 'down' or 'out' to them and they listen so i really don't mind. They are good as in they always walk carefully around my two yr old and carry on running once they are safely past - quite amusing to watch.

I think what you are doing is ok, it's my dream to be able to walk my two along the beach of an evening...You are very lucky!

We do have stair gates though as i have my daughter (even though they are never closed) but i have taught my dogs that they are only allowed upstairs if invited - if not they sit at the bottom and wait (occasionally my westie litterally creeps up so quietly and slowly - but she'll never do any damage like that so she gets away with it).:T The stair gate maybe one to think about while he is still young.

Good luck and enjoy your bundle of fur - he is sooooo handsome!:D

supermezzo

In true MSE style, you don't even need to invest ina stair gate - we use a piece of flexi-board which we just bend across the stairs and then behind the door frame. H'es probably young enough to just accept that he can't get past it, especially if you do some work on him sitting and waiting at the bottom for a treat. He'll soon forget he used to go up there....

sestina

smileypigface wrote: »

We have always said "toilet" to our 20 month old ESS who we've had from a puppy - this covers wees and poos - we just started off by saying it when he did it - "toilet Roly, good boy". Now, if we are on a car journey and stop for a wee break he knows what we expect him to do so its been very handy - he got the idea very quickly when he was little.

Just before christmas a 3 year old rescue ESS took us on and we have done the same with her - just said it as she was doing her business!

Tonight, as usual, I let them out in the garden and said "toilet now" - Ruby (the rescue) looked at me and promptly did what she needed to do - might be coincidence but I was very pleased with her indeed (and told her so!) - so maybe you can teach an old dog a new trick!!:D

Hmm - from reading this post, I know I can call you barkingmad without causing offence...:D

I use 'empty' for my pupster. It was the word that I started using with my old collie and has stuck. Now I can quite happily ask my parents if they have emptied the dog and we all know what it means:rotfl:

With regard to exercise, the guidelines I have always used are 5 minutes per month of age twice a day. In other words, a 4 month old would need 20 minutes twice a day. Any bits of fun training that you do with them will also tire them out, sometimes far more than physical exercise. When my ESS was younger, I could do about 5 minutes clicker training with him and he would zonk out! Needs a bit more now, but he also has to 'work' a bit harder on his walks.

Tribulation

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle wrote: »

It's funny, all of you have your mutleys trained down to a tee

I'm not there yet.

Yesterday he was left completely alone in the house for the first time in the 3 weeks we've had him.

Had to go to the dentist for a check-up, only 200 yrds away, only left for 20 mins.

On my return he had had a poo in the kitchen and a wee at the top of the stairs. Must have been petrified poor thing, probably thought we had deserted him.

Am going to start leaving him alone for 5 mins, then gradually increasing the time and see how we go, unless anyone has any better suggestions?

supermezzo

Try giving him something really fantastic which he only gets when you go out (filled kong, favourite chew etc) and yes, start at a couple of mins and make a reasonable fuss when you come back but not ott, else you may end up with one of the puppies who wet themselves they get so excited to see you again.
Also, it sounds as though you've given him the run of the house when you're out? He would probably feel more secure at first in one room or limited to downstairs only, until he gets used to the idea.

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle

I was going to say the same about limiting mr to one room while you are out - also good as then if he does wee/poo it'll just be in that space and no little surprises about the house. Kongs filled with kong paste are great too as it takes them ages to get it all out - they get so engrossed in it. Peanut butter one doesnt smell bad like the others.

I am going to go away now for a bit as i keep seeing my_gorgeous_ellie_belle on every thread on the topics page and i'm getting a little concerned you'll all be sick of me soon, lol, i will butt my nose out for a bit now, hehe.....bye!:rotfl: :rotfl: