There’s a new book on the market called, “Training Your Dog: The Lazy Way!” I haven’t had a chance to purchase and review this book yet, but while waiting for a friend at a local bookstore I started thumbing through it’s pages and found two items that caught my attention.
The first item in the book that caught my attention was the notion that people who consistently exercise their dog are building up their dog’s tolerance to exercise.
In other words, the author was trying to say that:
The more you jog your dog, the more you’ll NEED to jog your dog.
This line of reasoning simply doesn’t make sense. Nor does it translate into what ACTUALLY HAPPENS when you do it. As many of you know, I’m really into the “Just-Gimme-What-Works” approach to dog ownership and training. And what’s wrong with the author’s assertion is that, in order to make your dog “immune to being tired out” you’ve gotta really commit to a conditioning program that will extend the dog’s endurance. And this type of conditioning doesn’t just happen by accident.
In other words: To Take The Edge Off Your Dog’s Boudless Energy, Commit Him To A Sensible and Consistent Daily Exercise Program! I always love when people start an exercise program at the gym and claim, “I don’t want to get huge like Arnold… I just want to get in shape.” Well, getting “huge like Arnold” doesn’t just happen by accident. It takes a large amount of good old fashioned WORKING YOUR BUTT OFF. And the same goes for your dog.
Three Tips For Making Your Dog Mellow
1.) Like I mentioned above, commit to a daily exercise regimen. It doesn’t need to be excessive. Even 20 minutes of throwing the ball can work wonders. The trick is to try to do it at the same time every day. This way, the dog starts to get tired at the same time every day… like when you’re ready to sit down and watch Seinfeld.
2.) Put the dog through 15 to 20 minutes of training exercises. More than anything else, exercising the dog’s mind is what really exhausts him. I had a Pit Bull when I lived in Berkeley. On Mondays, I take her out to run around and chase the ball in the park for a whole hour. When I’d bring her back into the house, 20 minutes later she’d be bouncing off the walls again. But on Tuesday, I’d take her out to the park, and put her through 20 minutes of intense training exercises. And do you know what? When I’d bring her back into the house, she’d collapse under the coffee table for three whole hours. Mental exhaustion works!
3.) This third tip was mentioned in “Training Your Dog: The Lazy Way” which I really liked. It’s nothing new (we’ve been mentioning this technique to clients for years) … but it’s a good one: When you want the dog to settle down in the house, either: A.) Put him on a 2 foot cable tie down. This will limit the dog’s range of motion, and eventually he’s going to lay down and fall asleep.
B.) Put him on a down-stay.
C.) Put him in the crate.
All of these options pretty much do the same thing… they confine the dog to a limited area and make him stay there.
-Adam