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[Finsky]

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So, as we all here in UK are having 'the storm'..how have you prepared to keep your pooches occupied and their needs being full filled?
We took our girls yesterday for a good walk, in a hope that it might take worst edge of the youngsters mad energy off..'yeah' I can already tell that it didn't work. It only took a good night sleep and they are ready to rumble.
But at least they do understand that weather being so rough, they are not going to get for their walkies and will have to settle to quick nip for the garden to do 'the business'.
Little on being not so seasoned for different weathers yet, is finding all these strong gusts and heavy rain bit intimidated. She is shy to go out on her own and now even company with older one is not enough to make her feel brave so one of us is having to put wellies and rain coat on and stand in the middle of the garden and get wet while over looking for her safety. But what else can you do...?
This morning since 6 am we've already played endless 'throw the toy' games in house...ragging the rope...inspected the contents of the toy box etc etc.
One game that I haven't played with these two is 'hide and seek' with dog treats. I locked the girls into kitchen while hiding little treat nippets on different reachable height levels around the house...can't make it too easy for them for all being on floor . I gave them a sniff at the treat bag, opened the door and told them to 'find it'. I definitely underestimated their intelligence as they knew straight away what I was expecting from them. And all the treats were found in no time! I shall have to repeat that later on the day and make it harder for them.
I'm having to refresh my memory and dig out from my brain all the different games I used to play with my previous dogs...uh...why some things are so easily forgotten or stored away into hard to reach place
Pleeeease, if you have some good ideas how to keep little busy brains busy indoors, do share your secrets and help me out. It is going to be looooooong stormy day ahead before it is safe to go out again. Do take care!
What will you be doing with yours?

 

[JoanneF]

I think a nose touch is a useful thing to teach. You can use it to lure into a position, teach cool tricks like weaving between your legs, teach a sustained touch which can then be used either as a distraction or consent for treatment at the vet for example.

Or a paw touch, which you can then use for useful things like pushing a door closed.

 

[Finsky]

I think a nose touch is a useful thing to teach. You can use it to lure into a position, teach cool tricks like weaving between your legs, teach a sustained touch which can then be used either as a distraction or consent for treatment at the vet for example.

Or a paw touch, which you can then use for useful things like pushing a door closed.

Thanks...will try those! I've tried before few tricks like those but they've looked at me with 'WHY?' in their eyes
So far those sort of things have been 'ok' when the idea has come from them..they've teach me they have it in them But desperate times call for desperate measures and when you have two restless youngsters in you hands...it will be desperate situation.

 

[JoanneF]

'WHY?' in their eyes

For sausage, for sausage!

 

[JudyN]

Hide & seek is one of your favourite games, but I hide an object - usually a dog toy - and Jasper has to find it and bring it to me for a food reward.

But he's such a stickler for routine that I could play with him for ages and he'd still be fretting aout not getting his walk. OH took him to Upton Heath - high ground, very few trees, therefore much safer than the woods or park, but very exposed. They've just returned, feeling very windswept - at 14 stone and over 6' 2", OH was fighting against the wind at times. It's set to be worse this afternoon so now Jasper has had one decent walk, hopefully he won't need the second one.

I can't do the lunging exercise I'm meant to do for my knee when Jasper is around as it involves extending an arm out in front of me (like a runner), and he keeps bopping my palm with his nose and expecting a treat!

 

[Finsky]

I think a nose touch is a useful thing to teach. You can use it to lure into a position, teach cool tricks like weaving between your legs, teach a sustained touch which can then be used either as a distraction or consent for treatment at the vet for example.

Or a paw touch, which you can then use for useful things like pushing a door closed.

Just to add...our youngest one does her own version of 'nose touch' and she does it when ever she needs to go into garden. She crawls on the lap and gets all sloppy on you..quick sloppy lick on your face and when you find yourself wiping your face, you have to make move to the door Older one came up with just standing on front of the door sign and giving us 'the look' ='hurry up then!'

For sausage, for sausage!

I tried to lure mine to eat their (boring) food with addition of teeny pieces of sausage hidden into the mix. Didn't work Other day I gave them a different mix of ingredients to get them excited about their food again as their activities are burning the calories. So some chopped up chicken hearts and few small pieces of chicken wings were mixed in...and yep, they picked those out and left everything else And now they are expecting eating nothing else but the good stuff again Then I tried that if they eat their basic stuff first, they will get few wing pieces as 'dessert'....nope, they rather starve in waiting and be sick because they are that hungry
So out came a little bit of smoky sausage...
This time I managed to lure them to eat with a small piece of chicken wing as a 'appetizer'...then they got interested their 'proper' food and they had another little piece of wing afterwards too.
'sigh'....the food thing is always hard work with them.. But yes, sausage on its own would go down as the treat..literally...but other one is not really allowed for it as we still have to be careful with her diet after the pancreatitis.

 

[Finsky]

What happened there....start to get row of quotes on the reply?? Oh well...

 

[Finsky]

Hide & seek is one of your favourite games, but I hide an object - usually a dog toy - and Jasper has to find it and bring it to me for a food reward.

But he's such a stickler for routine that I could play with him for ages and he'd still be fretting aout not getting his walk. OH took him to Upton Heath - high ground, very few trees, therefore much safer than the woods or park, but very exposed. They've just returned, feeling very windswept - at 14 stone and over 6' 2", OH was fighting against the wind at times. It's set to be worse this afternoon so now Jasper has had one decent walk, hopefully he won't need the second one.

I can't do the lunging exercise I'm meant to do for my knee when Jasper is around as it involves extending an arm out in front of me (like a runner), and he keeps bopping my palm with his nose and expecting a treat!

Blimey...your OH is brave. It has been REALLY horrid over here and I've heard few roof slates coming down from some neighbour's room..so it ain't safe even on the street!
But by the sound of it...there is slightly calmer period coming on so maybe we have opportunity to nip out for a quick walk after all. OH has already drawn the short straw for that duty
At the moment the dogs have settled...nice to have quiet moment. Although they are not scared as such, but they do listen what is happening outside and ears are popping up for every different out of normal sounds.

 

[Rinkydinkydo]

@Finsky ....its howling here on top of the Pennies,but that's normal weather for around here. There will be some old boy lent on a wall in his string vest claiming it's only a breeze.

 

[Finsky]

@Finsky ....its howling here on top of the Pennies,but that's normal weather for around here. There will be some old boy lent on a wall in his string vest claiming it's only a breeze.

'a breeze'

 

[Finsky]

Well...our girls have woken up, little one won't go out now at all, with or without company. So I'm expecting a accident to happen or she will cross her legs until it is absolutely must to go.
We just had our first 'nose touch' practice session. I can see by the look on their faces that message haven't sunk in and any touches were purely accidental. But there is hope....'the Rome wasn't built in a day'.
Playing with stolen sock and dog lead seem to much more entertaining than learning any tricks, even if there is something edible involved. They are only willing to do so much for a teeny piece of treat

 

[DixD]

I wonder if it depends on the lurcher. My whirrier was always much the same at agility. You could warm her up well, and she’d still be ready to run. Hugo, you had to be really careful with the warming up routine, or he switched off and was ready to head back to his bed in the caravan. He’s out most days for about an hour and a hal, although is very fair weather. He lies determinedly in his bed by the radiator, if he doesn’t like the look of the weather, and, if he does, I just leave him. Che’s fair weather, so am I, so it works out well for us!

 

[JoanneF]

Playing with stolen sock

Have you ever used a ball in a sock? Best. game. ever.

 

[Buddy1]

I've tried before few tricks like those but they've looked at me with 'WHY?' in their eyes

Ha ha…our last dog was a terrier so I am familiar with that look

We have the opposite problem to you @Finsky:a dog that loves this weather. I am having difficulty persuading him to come in from the garden, where he is just standing and enjoying being windswept.

We have just returned rather bedraggled from a pavement walk and a quick run on the local green. Even then we had to dodge out of the way of a few flying wheelie bins

The cat, on the other hand, hasn’t moved off the dog’s bed once all morning

 

[JudyN]

Jasper is whining for his 2pm walk It's a little calmer out there, but still 'interesting'. OH said he preferred walking with the wind behind him, but Jasper didn't enjoy that so much - it blew his fur up the wrong way, allowing the rain easier access.

 

[JoanneF]

A heavy tile has just blown off our roof and smashed a piece of the conservatory window frame - not the glass so we are still (fairly) watertight.

Be careful out there ...

 

[Finsky]

A heavy tile has just blown off our roof and smashed a piece of the conservatory window frame - not the glass so we are still (fairly) watertight.

Be careful out there ...

Yep...we just noticed that somebody's roof tile had dropped OH's car window. Luckily it only left little mark and no anymore drastic damage to be seen...yet.

 

[Finsky]

Ha ha…our last dog was a terrier so I am familiar with that look

We have the opposite problem to you @Finsky:a dog that loves this weather. I am having difficulty persuading him to come in from the garden, where he is just standing and enjoying being windswept.

We have just returned rather bedraggled from a pavement walk and a quick run on the local green. Even then we had to dodge out of the way of a few flying wheelie bins

The cat, on the other hand, hasn’t moved off the dog’s bed once all morning

Well it just proves that all dogs are very individual and humans should not bundle them that all dogs are same..'just a dog'. That didn't come across quite right. I'm sure you know what I'm trying to say... I blame my wind swept brain today.

 

[Finsky]

Have you ever used a ball in a sock? Best. game. ever.

No I haven't and that sound quite lethal...reminds me a films where they use socks filled with something heavy as a 'weapon' BUT....if you have that strong claim it being 'B.G.E'...I'm up for it and will have a go at it with my hounds.

Little one just surprised me that she is now fully aware or a 'rope' word. I asked older one to bring it to me...she just looked at me 'get it yourself' in her eyes, but the little one did mad dash to get it and we had fun, VERY rough growling battle over it

 

[JoanneF]

Ball in a sock ...