Friday, May 21, 2010

What does your dog do all day?

I've had a 1yr old pug for 2 1/2 mos now and i'm not sure if i'm doing enough with her. She's extremely timid and undersocialized so i'm trying to keep her occupied but i work all day. i take her out for a walk (15-20min) in the morning, then she follows me around while i get ready for work. She's in the crate until i get home, then i walk her again and she usually just paces around and follows me until it's bed time when she just paces more. I try to take her in the car or do some training most evenings. Why is she pacing so much? Is she still "nervous" about being here? or do dogs normally do that? Should i be exercising her more? she's a pug and everything i read says to be careful about excessive exercise b/c of thier short noses but i can't help wondering if the constant pacing is b/c she needs more activity.
Answers:
Well my opinion is not to keep them in a crate for the day. I am thinking of a box type thing and i could be wrong. My two dogs hang out in the back yard all day and they are fine. If you dont have a yard then you need to work out a program where she gets stimulation during the day when your not there. Like a toy that hides treats inside and she is occupied with getting the treats out. No matter what the sort of dog, They need exersise and stimulation to keep them alert and busy.
She just might be bored or wants to be played with more. So in your spare time try and play with her.
humps her seal and sleeps
Can you leave your dog out during the day? I would leave my dog out of the crate while I'm at work, and buy a bunch of dog toys. If you have a Petco around you (or other pet supply store) bring your dog there, and just buy a bunch of fun toys. Your dog needs to be occupied. I wouldn't want to stay in a crate for 8 hours either.
Well being locked up in a crate all day isn't good. She needs more to be out more. I think it's sad when people leave their animals locked up like that and then expect them to be fine. I am not trying to be rude. Just imagine being locked in a room all day. When you are let out you would probably not want to rest. Maybe you could get her a dog sitter or pay someone to come to your house and let her outside to get fresh air. You should get another dog as a companion.
What's up with the crate all day? Maybe that's why she paces so much... For me and my own, no crate. Challenges and excersise. And love.
Sounds like she needs more exercise? I don't crate mine when I work ~ they have free roam of my house and I have never had a problem other than a minor accident or two on occasion.
My husband and I both work nights ~ when we leave, we leave a lamp light on ~ their toys out and about and I always leave my television on to Animal Planet...
I have 3 Pom's and for the most part they keep each other occupied but I still have to exercise them daily and the doggie park once a week for that extra work out.
As for your little one following you around ~ all three of mine follow me everywhere; bathroom, bedroom, laundry room etc. I usually have one at my feet, lap and side at all times ~ love it, there great little companions that want nothing more than to get love but to give it in return...
This is why I don't use crates. Try to confine her to 1 room with water, bed, toys %26 a radio or t.v. on. She needs more exercise %26 something to keep her mind active. She's stuck in a box with nothing to do but lay around %26 wonder what's going on in the world. She's bored %26 getting more high strung everyday. And when you get home, during her walk, let her associate with other dogs %26 people. That will also help with the socialization.
If she's 1 yr. old and you've only had her 2 1/2 mo. maybe she's just afraid of being abandoned again. That's probably why she wants to stay close to you and keep her eye on you. Give her a little extra special attention and maybe some good chew toys for any kind of stress or boredom. And ditch the crate. That's just mean.
She needs activities and by that I mean, being played with: fetch, tug a war, hide and seek, hide the bone, try and catch me if you can, and so on...your pug is screaming to be played with. Try something small at first and she how she reacts. For example play cat and mouse better known as your hand under the blanket. Just move your hand around like its some little creature and see if she attempts to paw at it or sniff it out. Trust me, the pup just needs some activity time and it will be okay. Look at it as her reward. She is okay with staying in the crate all day, so long as she will be able to play with you every evening. be good to your pup and best wishes!
My dog sleeps most of the day.
i go to the beach, outside when i go to buy something, when i just wnna take a walk. actually i take him everywhere since i trained him soo well i don even need to leash him he follows me with no probs.thats the reward i got for spending soo much time on him. but i got him when he was only 2 months old so its easy to train.
Pacing is the way most animals say "Hey - I need something to do". Try some toys that makes them think, a treat ball is a great example, but remember you will need to work with her until she understands the concept.
Work on getting her out of the crate, she will relax some once she is out. The more she can do on her own the less dependant she'll be on you.
Try a dog park in the evening. She will get more exercise/activity and socialization at the same time. The dog park is also great for us humans as well and don鈥檛 get discouraged if she stays near you, keep going back, it may take several trips before she feels comfy enough to play with others.
2 陆 months is not that long, she may still not be comfortable with her new home. Give is a couple more month then maybe speak with your vet, mine told me if can take a non-puppy 4 to 6 months to adjust to a new household.
Boy did I have a lot to say but I鈥檝e recently gone though some of what you are and the advice I was given is still fresh in my mind

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