You're stuck in the house on a stormy, cold, day and your dog is bouncing off the walls, full of energy and unable to go for his daily walk. What to do to burn off that energy? What about a good old-fashioned game of hide and seek? Not only is this a different and fun game for your dog, but it engages both his body and his mind--your dog will get exercise and he will have to think and problem solve to locate you. An added bonus is that hide and seek engages your dog’s sense of smell to locate you. Because humans are not great smellers, this is something we forget is important to our dogs. Letting your dog use his nose is stimulating and fun for him. This game is great for the whole family to participate in, can be played indoors or outdoors, and gives everyone involved lots of exercise and entertainment.
Having an assistant to help hold your dog while you hide, unless your dog has very strong “stay” behavior mastered, will be required to teach hide and seek. Part of the game is getting your dog very excited about finding you, so an assistant that can hold your dog on a lead, while excited, and while you hide is invaluable. You can use treats or a toy as a reward for finding you. Make sure you practice in a safe place where your dog can not get hurt or lost if he is off lead, and free from distractions so your dog can focus on finding you. A crowded dog park may not be the best choice!
My puppy is waking up two or three times a night to pee. It’s killing me. I feed her just before 6 then take away food and water. I walk her several times, including a last potty break around 11. She goes into her crate but then wakes up, often at 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30. I’m sooooo tired. Please advice
Hello! So by 3 months, she should be able to hold it for an entire night, 6-8 hours. Without being able to ask follow up questions, I will do my best to give you advice you can use. If she has been spayed, I would talk about this issue with your veterinarian. After any medical issues have been ruled out, you can try to push back that 1:30 wake up call for as long as you can. If you have the ability to put the crate in room away from you so she can't wake you as easily, I would start there. She has fallen into a habit that you don't want to follow her into adulthood. Dogs are very much creatures of habit. If you have a white noise machine or a fan, I would put that with her, just in case any noises are waking her up. Cover 3 sides of her kennel with a blanket to make her kennel a little more sleep inducing. Also, Weimaraner's need strenuous exercise to wear them out. As she gets older, you may want to consider a dog runner, not walker to wear her out a few times a week. For now, you can play some intense games of fetch, and/or spend 10 minutes before bed working on training commands.
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