Top Activities For Blue-Tzu Heelers

Introduction

The Blue-Tzu Heeler is a designer mix of the Australian Cattledog (otherwise known as a Blue Heeler) and the Shih Tzu. Though a surprising mix at first because the cattle dog is known to run around working on farms and the Shih Tzu is a popular lap dog, combine these traits makes for a fun-loving sweet dog who loves to be by your side. Activities for Blue-Tzu Heelers should keep them entertained and meet their moderate energy requirement. They love to be included and be by their people, so they should never be left alone for too long.

Dog Park Play

Popular

0 Votes

Sunny Day

Free

Easy

1 hr

Items needed

Leash

Doggy Waste Bags

Activity description

Socializing your Blue-Tzu Heeler to both dogs and other humans is important to start at a young age. Both of the parent breeds can become over-protective of family members if they don't learn how to properly interact. Spending time at off-leash dog parks is one of the best activities for Blue-Tzu Heelers because they will be able to learn from many different dogs and interact with plenty of dog-friendly people. Dog parks are often free of charge and maintained by city taxes, so you don't have to have a punch card to go, and people take their dogs to play on sunny days in all seasons.

Step

1

Basic skills

Before you can let your Blue-Tzu Heeler off leash to run at the dog park, you need to make sure they have some basic obedience skills. The most important is to come when you call them. Not all dogs want to play all the time, and if a dog has shown your pup they aren't ready to play, you need to be ready to call them back in case they don't get the message. You also need to be able to call your dog back if they join up with another group. Your dog should also be able to sit and stay before you bring them to the park.

Step

2

Find your park

Dog parks are becoming increasingly popular around the country as more and more dog owners ask for them. You can do a little research to find local off-leash parks near you. Not all parks have fences around them, some have ponds, some are just for small dogs, and some have trail systems to walk with your dog. Try to find a few you think your dog will like and make a plan to visit them.

Step

3

Go often

Socialization for all dogs doesn't happen in one or two sessions, and for Blue-Tzu Heelers, this may be a life-long skill they always need to work on. The more you go to the park, the more confidence your dog will have when meeting and playing with other dogs and people. This will translate to how they behave outside of the park, too.

Agility Classes

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Expensive

Normal

1 hr

Items needed

Treats

Leash

Weave poles

Dog Walk

Tunnel

Hurdles

Activity description

Activities for Blue-Tzu Heelers should teach them to look to you for direction and help them with impulse control as well as give them a good workout. Agility classes can do all of this at once. In agility, dog and human teams navigate an obstacle together with the human showing the dog where to go next and how to get through the obstacles. Events are timed so mistakes need to be at a minimum. Agility classes can be a little expensive, but many centers are indoors so you can practice all year long. The bond you create with your dog will be priceless.

Step

1

Find a class

While there are many videos on the internet that show how to teach agility to your dog, signing up for classes with instructors who already have the equipment will make the process much easier. The right instructor will help you find the best way to work with your dog and help you when you get stuck. They will also have all the obstacles you need.

Step

2

Practice at home

Even though you may not have all the obstacles and equipment that your instructor has, you can work on skills and commands at home. The foundation of a good agility team is all the in-between commands that make sure the dog and owner stay in time and neither gets ahead of the other. You'll learn many of these commands in the first few weeks of class, so practice at home each day and see how much you improve.

Step

3

Show off

If your Blue-Tzu Heeler is playful or a bit of a show-off, let them be the star of the show. You can enter them into a competition with a beginner's class to test your skills. The level of excitement will challenge both of you, and you can discover new skills to work on. You can also gain inspiration from watching more advanced teams work through courses. An agility club is a wonderful community to be connected to.

Obedience Training

Popular

0 Votes

Any Day

Moderate

Normal

30 min

Items needed

Leash

Treats

Activity description

One of the best ways to bond with your dog is to work on obedience training. During obedience, your dog needs to connect with you, control their impulses, and concentrate on what you're asking. This is a great activity for Blue-Tzu Heelers because they are eager to please and need to be mentally challenged regularly to behave. It doesn't take too much to work on obedience. Taking a class is helpful to learn how to work with your dog, but you can also learn from watching videos after your initial classes. Obedience is something you can do any time of year, whether it's nice outside or not. There is always room for obedience.

Step

1

Find a beginner class

Learning how to work with your dog is much easier if you enlist the help of a dog trainer. Joining a beginner class is easy and can be fun. You will learn from all the other pet parents in the class, and the trainer can help you troubleshoot any issues. Blue-Tzu Heelers are a new and unique breed. Your trainer can help you learn how to work with your dog without scaring them or being too passive.

Step

2

Set a goal

Obedience isn't something you can practice for a few weeks and leave aside. Your dog needs constant challenge to keep them happy and will become complacent if you don't practice everything you've learned. They will also get bored if there isn't anything new to learn. Set yourself a goal to reach every few months. This could be sit and stay for a certain amount of time or any number of obedience tricks. Setting goals will keep you both learning.

Step

3

Practice daily

The quickest way to accomplish those goals and ensure your dog will be well behaved around strangers and in various situations is to practice daily. You can make it quick, 15 minutes in the morning and at night. You could make it a lunch break activity if you work from home or bring your pup to work. Make sure training is a part of your routine and your dog will be an obedience master.

More Fun Ideas...

Daily Walks

One of the best activities for Blue-Tzu Heelers and for you is to take a daily walk around your neighborhood. These dogs need to stretch their legs and get out some energy at least twice per day.

Fetch

These ball loving dogs are always up for a game of Fetch. This is something you can easily play with your pup almost anywhere. Keep a ball handy in the car, in a pocket on walks, and anywhere else you might go.

Conclusion

Activities for Blue-Tzu Heelers above all else should make them feel included. These dogs love to be with their families and may develop anxiety or bad behaviors if left alone too long. Owners should work closely with them on impulse control through learning tricks, obedience or agility challenges, and changing up their routine. They are fun-loving dogs, but can become overly protective if not socialized to dogs and people early on, so taking them to dog parks and teach them how to properly interact with other people. They love to be by your side and are perfect companions for people who work from home or can take a dog to the office