Maybe Getting New Puppy Soon

I'm loving these photos and stories, man that Piper sounds like she is super smart and confident! (YIKES!) ;) What a pleasure to hear how they are getting along - Roxy totally surprising you as well. Meadow's got two Sheltie puppy girlfriends younger than her - when they come over it's a playfest with all of my dogs - the older ones have totally been tolerant of the puppies, a bit to my surprise. But over and over I notice that Shelties just dig other Shelties!
 
I'm loving these photos and stories, man that Piper sounds like she is super smart and confident! (YIKES!) ;) What a pleasure to hear how they are getting along - Roxy totally surprising you as well. Meadow's got two Sheltie puppy girlfriends younger than her - when they come over it's a playfest with all of my dogs - the older ones have totally been tolerant of the puppies, a bit to my surprise. But over and over I notice that Shelties just dig other Shelties!

Oh, so your “oversized” cool story.

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Her. Her new home. I took the plunge with two females after all. :nailbiting::oops::rolleyes::arghh:
I still think it has more to do with personalities than gender. Bailey and Katy were wonderful together and we were hoping to keep that male/female balance going when we found Annie. The bond between Katy and Bailey was beautiful. However, the bond between Annie and Katy is amazing, too. It's one of the reasons I'm really starting to think seriously about finding and adult 3rd because like Katy I don't think Annie will do well on her own and while Katy is a healthy 13 she won't be here forever. Last time I was open to any dog who could get along with the others in the house but hoping to restore the gender balance. This time I'm completely focused on finding a good personality match.
 
I have a couple of questions on a puppy who seems to get bored easily. Mostly what are your suggestions to get her tired. I firmly believe a tired dog is a good dog.

1. exercise- I have read 5 minutes per month of age, twice a day. That’s only 15 minutes. That’s not very much. Is this really the recommendation? She would play with Roxy for ever outside but it’s very rough and tumble for a little one. She got rolled over last night. Absolutely fine but, I’d rather not have that happen too much as a baby. She’s not super excited by toys inside.

2. Chew time- she’s apparently quite picky about what I fill her Kong with as she wanted almost. No part of it today. She also can’t reach all the way the end of it. Only about half way. Is that normal? So apparently frustration or irritation set in and she let me know about it.

3. training in lieu of physical exercise. Again, reading and watching videos… “only do 5 minute sessions with them throughout the day.” That’s not helping her get tired!! Can we go longer?

I dug out the clicker to start loading that/ more training sites “wait until they’re 6 months old to start clicking them.” And also to do 20x click treats then end it for 2-3 hours.

4. Barking- I think she’s doing it for attention mostly. Or if she thinks food is involved. I did a massive prune job on a vivarium today and spent a good part of the morning at the sink processing plants. I think she thought she’d be getting fed.

We have squeaker toys, rattle toys, tug toys, cuddle toys, and crinkle toys…. Watson wasn’t a toy guy so I have quite a collections from trying to get find one he likes. Not interested in most of them but maybe she is bored? Even though she has me and Roxy.

4. She always seems RAVENOUS. I added 1/4 cup of kibble to what she was getting to use strictly during the day as training bites. We’re almost through that. She’s put on about a pound since she came home. She still feels a bit in the skinny side to me. She’s currently having lunch in her play pen from a Kong tipsy feeder thing. She is occupied and determined. That will be how she’s fed from now on.

I feel like I must be doing something wrong- I can’t get her physically or mentally tired. Or full apparently.
 
Obedience type tricks to make her think. Start working on sit, down, stay, etc. Also one that I am horrible at, games that make her aware of back leg positioning. Oh and always try to end on success. So if she can do a sit then tow more but fails on the third, the next night stay at two for a couple of nights then go to three etc (poor example but you get the idea).

As to limiting Roxy time I would not. You will find they are good at gauging it and the play is non-repetitive in nature which is good. Roxy would not want to hurt her buddy.
 
Obedience type tricks to make her think. Start working on sit, down, stay, etc. Also one that I am horrible at, games that make her aware of back leg positioning. Oh and always try to end on success. So if she can do a sit then tow more but fails on the third, the next night stay at two for a couple of nights then go to three etc (poor example but you get the idea).

As to limiting Roxy time I would not. You will find they are good at gauging it and the play is non-repetitive in nature which is good. Roxy would not want to hurt her buddy.
I hadn’t thought of the repetitive aspect of activity. That makes sense though. When Piper needs a breather, she comes and finds me for some pets and scratches.

She has sit pretty well in hand. Unfortunately she’s already chained it to being asked to come. She’ll come flying across the room or yard and promptly plunk her fuzzy butt on the ground. We’re working on “down” but from standing instead of having the sit in the middle. I read an article on “puppy push ups” to do it that way with them instead of the sit-down being chained. It went so far as to put the sit part of the “trick” as push up. The explanation for that was because it’s a different movement; popping up on the front legs instead of putting the bottom in the ground which makes sense when I think of it that way.

I started specifically working on her name too. And leave it. We started that this morning since she’s developed a taste for turds. :sick: As soon as I see she’s finished I have been getting her to come to me and then inside while I go clean it up. I’ve been able to grab her attention before she fixed it on the poo. My husband. Not as on top of it.

The Kong feeder took her almost 40 minutes to eat lunch. NOW she’s exhausted and passed out in her puppy play pen after a couple of minutes of carrying on.

What do you mean with back leg positioning? She had a beautiful picture perfect sit but I don’t imagine that’s what you mean.
 
So there are things that make them back end aware (a good thing in agility and stuff). Such and backing up onto something without tripping. Or raise one back paw. I am far from an expert on this but it is on the next puppy list. Maybe others can chime in. I think it is useful in obedience competition also. Less so but helpful in flyball some for turning etc.
 
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