Any Exercise Ideas?

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***Melissa***
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Location: Mafikeng, South Africa

Any Exercise Ideas?

Post by ***Melissa*** »

I don't know if you know about the "recent developments" in South Africa, but at this stage I don't feel very safe walking my doggies, even during the day. I do understand the importance of walkies, but unfortunatelly circumstances are...well, not as one would hope.

I live in an apartment, and we do have a backyard, but only a small one.

With that in mind, do you have any ideas how to exercise my doggies inside the apartment / backyard?
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams
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Mattie
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Re: Any Exercise Ideas?

Post by Mattie »

Make an agility course in your yard for them, you don't need expensive equipment, just broom handles on bricks or empty cans will do. Thankfully your dogs only have small legs :lol: They can learn to dance, help round the house by fetching named items etc. The only restriction is your imagination. :D
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***Melissa***
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Re: Any Exercise Ideas?

Post by ***Melissa*** »

Yes, at least they are small doggies with short legs :D

Heehee, I think the agility will be fun. Bibi is only 5 months, can I do agility with her too? I guess a small amount of agility with low jumps will be okay?
I'm going to google your ideas to get the how-to, thanx Mattie.

My imagination is def the restriction, I always admire people with clever ideas bc I never get them :lol:
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams
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Nettle
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Re: Any Exercise Ideas?

Post by Nettle »

5 months is a bit young for jumps but she can do under things and through a tunnel and find things under a cloth (very small cloth at first).

If you put the jumps up in a X rather than a bar, the actual bit they jump is very low.
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Mattie
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Re: Any Exercise Ideas?

Post by Mattie »

No jumping for Bibi until she is at least 12 months old, preferably 18 months, her bones are still growing and she can damage them. She can go over poles on the ground but no jumping. There are lots of other things she can do, as Nettle says, tunnels, walking up and down ramps, in and out of poles but have the poles quite wide apart.
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Horace's Mum
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Re: Any Exercise Ideas?

Post by Horace's Mum »

Given that those little legs are so short, I would start with just poles on the ground for them both, and keep them on the ground for the baby. BUT it does mean you can probably get away with using tins for weave poles!! Just getting them to follow a course on your direction is good, under tables/chairs, over poles or cushions (as long as they don't move too much!), climbing over sturdy cardboard boxes. Teach them to push a football and set up little courses for them to push it round. You can also work on retrieves and things, and if they are good at it then use that to get them to run around a little in the house. If you have a big enough room and they are so inclined, you could tie a small toy to a string and whip it around for them to chase, or even probably you could get away with a cat toy - one of those on a string on a stick.

Also using a small buster cube type toy for one of their meals or using tiny treats would help them get a bit of exercise while they eat, and help them be happier.

I also do treasure hunts - put the dogs out of the room (good opportunity to practise your sit stays!!) and then hide small dry but smelly treats under the rugs, among the cushions, under towels, behind or under small boxes, and then let them in to find them all - my dog loves this and it keeps him going for 20-30mins at times as he keeps going round to check he hasn't missed any.
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***Melissa***
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Re: Any Exercise Ideas?

Post by ***Melissa*** »

Thanx for the ideas guys.

I thought that I shouldn't let Bibi jump, but I have a question though, she has long-ish legs, like the Jack Russels, and although she has a 'long body' like the Dachshund, she is as energetic, quick and light on her feet as a Jack Russel, which means she does jump by herself (rather high also) while playing, or running off lead, etc. Is that okay?

I already feed them out of a Kong (sometimes difficult as I'm feeding raw, but there are ways :twisted: ), and hide treats (and even some toys) for them.

We attempted the 'agility' this weekend...oh boy oh boy...much more difficult than I thought :lol: We had fun though, but didn't really achieve anything agility-wise - I think I made it too difficult. Also, I didn't have that much time to research agility, so instead of teaching one thing at a time, I set up a whole course :roll: silly me. Anyhoo, we had great fun, and at least I now have a better idea of what to do.

H's Mum & Noobs taught their doggies to jump through their arms - so I did a version of that with Bibi & Striker. I didn't let them jump, but I let them walk through my arms (keeping the arm-circle on the ground). It's not proofed yet, they'll only do it in the kitchen, but that was also great fun.
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams
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Noobs
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Re: Any Exercise Ideas?

Post by Noobs »

Yay, sounds great!

If I had a back yard I would start teaching Murphy agility. Right now I have him jumping on and off our kitchen chairs and that's about it. :lol:

Although yes I did teach him to jump through my arms. That one's pretty much proofed indoors, outdoors, AND at the petstore with an audience! I also taught him to weave around my legs in figure 8s but that's only proofed in my house so far. :D
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***Melissa***
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Re: Any Exercise Ideas?

Post by ***Melissa*** »

Noobs, I was amazed at how fast they learned that I want them to go through my arms...and another surprise was that Bibi learned it quicker than Striker, where usually Striker would grasp something sooner than Bibi.

It's amazing hom many things you can do with things in & around the house...it was difficult to begin though, but when I actually started I just got more and more ideas.

I also want to teach them find the *remote / slippers / teddy / whatever*
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams
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