I'm dog sitting my cousins two border collie puppies (brothers, 5-6 months old, possibly German Shepherd in there somewhere too!) whilst she is on holiday for a week.
I arrived today (staying at their house) and they are obviously bored as they have destroyed "their" room. And bark and whine a lot.
How do I keep them busy whilst I am looking after them?
How far should I be walking them each day? (because they are puppies is it possible to walk them "too much"?)
She normally leaves them during the day whilst she is at work, but I will be here virtually all the time so can spend more time with them.
I don't know how much training she has done with them - they are just about housetrained and will sit. But I'd like to continue with training whilst she is away too.
Also, my dog (Border terrier - 8 years old)) is also staying with me and he is very nervous around them.
How do I stop them pestering him to play all the time and help him to destress?
There are rooms they aren't allowed in so I can separate my dog from the puppies if I need to.
Thanks. I know its a lot of questions!
Quick Advice needed please
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Re: Quick Advice needed please
Well you DO have your work cut out, two puppies together is a heck of a lot of work and generally, a pretty bad idea. One reason for that is that it takes SO much longer to train them (as is evidenced by these two, because by 5/6 months they should be able to do a LOT more than just poop/pee outside and sit!!).
Seperate them as much as you can, and exercise their brains. Do that with toys, with puzzle solving games, with their food. Put their food into food dispensing toys (if they dont have Kongs or similar toys, then put food into twists of paper stuffed into cardboard boxes) instead of letting them have all their food in a bowl twice a day. (and if they dont have regular meal times, GIVE them regular meal times!).
Use their food as training rewards so they have to earn most of their food rather than getting it for free.
Walk them seperately (with your dog if he/she is good) and do training on walks - yes you can over walk dogs this age so keep the walks to ten/fifteen minues but do a few a day, and focus on training them to walk on a loose leash and pay attention to you,r ather than on covering distance or going somewhere in particular.
Seperate them as much as you can, and exercise their brains. Do that with toys, with puzzle solving games, with their food. Put their food into food dispensing toys (if they dont have Kongs or similar toys, then put food into twists of paper stuffed into cardboard boxes) instead of letting them have all their food in a bowl twice a day. (and if they dont have regular meal times, GIVE them regular meal times!).
Use their food as training rewards so they have to earn most of their food rather than getting it for free.
Walk them seperately (with your dog if he/she is good) and do training on walks - yes you can over walk dogs this age so keep the walks to ten/fifteen minues but do a few a day, and focus on training them to walk on a loose leash and pay attention to you,r ather than on covering distance or going somewhere in particular.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
Re: Quick Advice needed please
Thank you. You have very good advice!
Yes I know two pups is a bad idea, and this breed is totally unsuitable for my cousins lifestyle, and I advised her against it. But now she has them I'd at least like to try and help her as much as possible. They have regular meals, and they have Kong toys - though I'm not sure they are used often.
I fed them using a Kong yesterday and the little sods figured it out in seconds
I can't really remember how much my dog knew at 6 months but I know he was never as difficult as these two!
They just have so much energy! I don't know how to wear them out and stop them being bored.
I let them play in the garden most of the day, and they play fight together, but although they have a lot of toys they aren't that interested in them. Unlike my terrier who will do anything for his ball! I was thinking of taking the toys away and only using them at "playtime" to encourage them to play nicely.
They jump up a lot and play bite (I've had a nasty nip already though I know it wasn't deliberate).
When they jump up I fold my arms and turn away and they soon stop and then I reward when they sit down or stand nicely. Should I use a command as well?
Obviously there isn't much I can do in a week but I'd at least like my cousin to see some improvement in their behaviour and it would also make my life easier this week if I can get them to behave!
They get up at 5am! Is that just a case of "put up and shut up" or can I encourage them to wake up at a more reasonable time?
Sorry again for the length and for asking so many questions!
It's a while since my dog was a pup, and because he was small, and on his own he was never a problem at all!
Yes I know two pups is a bad idea, and this breed is totally unsuitable for my cousins lifestyle, and I advised her against it. But now she has them I'd at least like to try and help her as much as possible. They have regular meals, and they have Kong toys - though I'm not sure they are used often.
I fed them using a Kong yesterday and the little sods figured it out in seconds
I can't really remember how much my dog knew at 6 months but I know he was never as difficult as these two!
They just have so much energy! I don't know how to wear them out and stop them being bored.
I let them play in the garden most of the day, and they play fight together, but although they have a lot of toys they aren't that interested in them. Unlike my terrier who will do anything for his ball! I was thinking of taking the toys away and only using them at "playtime" to encourage them to play nicely.
They jump up a lot and play bite (I've had a nasty nip already though I know it wasn't deliberate).
When they jump up I fold my arms and turn away and they soon stop and then I reward when they sit down or stand nicely. Should I use a command as well?
Obviously there isn't much I can do in a week but I'd at least like my cousin to see some improvement in their behaviour and it would also make my life easier this week if I can get them to behave!
They get up at 5am! Is that just a case of "put up and shut up" or can I encourage them to wake up at a more reasonable time?
Sorry again for the length and for asking so many questions!
It's a while since my dog was a pup, and because he was small, and on his own he was never a problem at all!
My Blog: www.terriertreks.wordpress.com/
Re: Quick Advice needed please
Ok. so I have been splitting each meal into 3 - divided between bowl, Kong and cardboard box/tube and newspaper.
As well as keeping a few handfuls of kibble to use as training treats. The dogs enjoy this, but it still doesn't keep them quiet for long enough!
My cousin assured me that if I let them out at 5.30am for a wee and breakfast that they would go back to sleep, but they are waking up at 4am and not going back to sleep! They usually sleep with her, and this week they are downstairs so that might be why. The Kongs and newspaper keeps them quiet for maybe 20 mins and then they start up barking and tearing up the carpet again!
They go back to sleep if I go and sit downstairs with them. And they have no problem being left at bedtime, or in the afternoon if they have had a walk and play outside, they sleep a lot in the day but I'd feel mean waking them up to do more training.
They play outside most of the day, do around 2 or 3 sessions each of short (2-5 mins) training...e.g. to not jump up, sit, down, paw, stay, walk on a lead, watch me. And have 2-3 walks. This works to tire them out in the day but they still wake up in the morning with so much energy!
As well as keeping a few handfuls of kibble to use as training treats. The dogs enjoy this, but it still doesn't keep them quiet for long enough!
My cousin assured me that if I let them out at 5.30am for a wee and breakfast that they would go back to sleep, but they are waking up at 4am and not going back to sleep! They usually sleep with her, and this week they are downstairs so that might be why. The Kongs and newspaper keeps them quiet for maybe 20 mins and then they start up barking and tearing up the carpet again!
They go back to sleep if I go and sit downstairs with them. And they have no problem being left at bedtime, or in the afternoon if they have had a walk and play outside, they sleep a lot in the day but I'd feel mean waking them up to do more training.
They play outside most of the day, do around 2 or 3 sessions each of short (2-5 mins) training...e.g. to not jump up, sit, down, paw, stay, walk on a lead, watch me. And have 2-3 walks. This works to tire them out in the day but they still wake up in the morning with so much energy!
My Blog: www.terriertreks.wordpress.com/
Re: Quick Advice needed please
You are doing well (and are a SAINT I think for helping out with them!)
Personally, I like an easy life, I would let them back up to sleep in the bedroom with me (but thats easy for me to say, I share my bedroom with my dogs anyway and my only rules are 'you do not sleep on my head', ' there is NO arguing about who lies where' and 'get off the bed when I ask',), because it IS only a week.
Kongs - make um harder - soak kibble filled kongs then freeze. Use a little hard cheese mixed with the kibble and microwave and leave to set. I am a champion Kong stuffer, I can make a Kong that lasts my Tibetan Terrier over an hour (and he is a demon kong de-stuffer!). Use a big biscuit or bit of veg (carrot?) to block up the big hole in one end so they have to get that out before anything else will come out. Be devious!
Yes to taking away the toys apart from playtime/training time - you could leave them one or two toys but if you do, change which toys they are left with each day so its never the same ones several days in a row. That will make them MUCH more valuable.
Wake em up to do some clicker training (chuck one outside with a chew or a kong or something, and work with the other then swap) - sleeping during the day = not sleeping so much at night!
At play time again you could let them whizz about with one another for a bit then seperate them and do some self control type games, like 'you have to wait to get this ball until i say' and progressing onto 'fetch THIS ball, then ill throw THAT ball' - again you can work out what suits you and the dogs and the level of difficulty you need.
Personally, I like an easy life, I would let them back up to sleep in the bedroom with me (but thats easy for me to say, I share my bedroom with my dogs anyway and my only rules are 'you do not sleep on my head', ' there is NO arguing about who lies where' and 'get off the bed when I ask',), because it IS only a week.
Kongs - make um harder - soak kibble filled kongs then freeze. Use a little hard cheese mixed with the kibble and microwave and leave to set. I am a champion Kong stuffer, I can make a Kong that lasts my Tibetan Terrier over an hour (and he is a demon kong de-stuffer!). Use a big biscuit or bit of veg (carrot?) to block up the big hole in one end so they have to get that out before anything else will come out. Be devious!
Yes to taking away the toys apart from playtime/training time - you could leave them one or two toys but if you do, change which toys they are left with each day so its never the same ones several days in a row. That will make them MUCH more valuable.
Wake em up to do some clicker training (chuck one outside with a chew or a kong or something, and work with the other then swap) - sleeping during the day = not sleeping so much at night!
At play time again you could let them whizz about with one another for a bit then seperate them and do some self control type games, like 'you have to wait to get this ball until i say' and progressing onto 'fetch THIS ball, then ill throw THAT ball' - again you can work out what suits you and the dogs and the level of difficulty you need.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
