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Re: Jack - SPCA poster boy
I've evolved a rather idiosyncratic way of exercising Zac which involves using one of those dreaded retractable leads(
). But I don't use it in the usual hairy and irresponsible way they are usually used. He spends, I'd say, 90% of every walk walking beside me on a loose lead as he should. What I do do with the retractable is use it as a reward for good behavior and as a way of burning of extra energy (Zac's, not mine - I don't have extra energy generally!)
I'll wait until he is behaving in an exemplary manner and then, when a tree or lamp post is within the length of the leash I say "long line" which is his cue to race off and have a good sniff! (Zac is a particularly sniffy dog, BTW.) The rapid acceleration repeated a number of times seems to get the beans out of him and I tend to use it particularly in the first 10 minutes of a walk for this reason. I also use the length of lead allowed with the 16ft retractable to practice recalls - I say "long line" and then whistle or call him back (I prefer the whistle because it's quicker to deliver) and he spins around and races back for a reward - a food treat or sometimes a toy or a tummyrub - he never knows what he's going to get which makes it even more fun for him. Then I might make him sit (or something else) and then send him off again. He finds this very mentally stimulating and it burns off a lot of physical energy very fast with minimal exertion on my part.
What I don't do with the retractable is sort of wander along in my own little world with the dog wandering along in his own little world - that is where retractables get really ugly IMO. I use it in a very special way as a training aid and a way of getting him to burn off more energy than I do. Overall the whole situation was so controllable and easy that I'd walk Zac on his retractable and little Mia on a fixed 6ft lead and harness and all three of us were very happy hiking along despite our different exercise requirements - Mia always had a lot more stamina than little ol' me and bounced along happily sniffing here and sniffing there while I had a comfortable walk and Zac got the physical and mental workout he needed.
I've found that retractables are far from created equal. The one I've got is a "Walkabout" by Aspen Pets and has a very light mechanism so it doesn't encourage and reward pulling - the amount of "drag" would probably be no more than that which you'd get pulling an 6ft long rope along the ground - very light. I also bought a size larger (for weight of dog) than I strictly needed as Zac weighs close to the upper limit for the "correct" size and it's mechanism is still so light that I could use it with Mia who only weighed 9lbs.
Zac also lunges at "little furries" (very strong prey drive) - we don't have squirrels but we have possums that fill the same "psychological niche" - he's getting much better with cats after a lot of desensitization and counterconditioning. However if one springs up from under his nose - well he can't help himself! (BTW, he actually got attacked (physically attacked!!) by a cat a couple of months ago - it's the third time I've encountered dog-aggressive behavior from a cat when out with a dog but the first time I've ever had a dog physically connected with by the cat - the cats around here ain't "pussy cats" it seems, which is another reason for him not to tangle with them). Zac also reacts with some dogs - usually dogs that are going off aggressively at him (Jack Russells really get him going!). If the other dog is calm then he will be but, oh dear! if the other guy gets all intense and emotional then he's off too. It sounds like Jack is far more likely to actually take fright at things than is Zac - although that can happen. It doesn't seem to be such an issue these days as he's seen more of the world but when he was younger he'd sometimes shy at things just like a horse would.
We also have problems with some people too - men who look him in the eye and bend over and come towards him from the front (why do they have to do that???) and he's had a bad experience with a child who, in Zac's opinion, attacked him without warning and so he's now predictably unprediticable with kids too.
Basically he's a "one family dog" which must be quite a common thing with dogs of his breeding (ACD and what looks like a touch of GSD). He is, however, absolutely fine with his people even if he's still a bit hyper with some of them - which is their fault for rewarding hyper behavior as I constantly have to point out.
I'd thought of using a bike too. When he was younger and stupider it certainly wouldn't have been an option because if he saw a cat....... I also worry about overheating in our climate here (warm and humid) and for most of the year it would probably not work for that reason - not even at night. You can get semi-rigid devices that attach the dog to the rear hub which would have to be a lot safer than holding the lead in your hand. I've seen some people doing the latter and always wondered what would happen if the dog suddenly lunged either off at right angles or worse still across in front of the bike - or around behind. I think doing that is always a calculated risk with any dog - and with a reactive and athletic dog the numbers don't look good!
The other thing that burns off energy for Zac is playing fetch and similar games in the back yard. I do occasionally (very occasionally) take him to the dog park when no-one else is there and let him run and sniff but he seems to enjoy walks and playing at home just as much - which is probably why we do it so rarely - that and trying to find a time when the dog park is vacant isn't necessarily that easy.
I think every dog I've ever had has had a pretty high level of physical energy but Zac is completely different from any of the others with a much more difficult temperament and more "hang ups" and "issues" than all the others put together could have dreamed up if they tried!
Alison
Alison
Alison, how to do you exercise Zac? Neither of us is a runner and Jack is not a good enough leash walker to use a bike plus he freaks out at all kinds of things - kites, flapping trash can lids - and lunges after squirrels and rabbits and sometimes cats.
). But I don't use it in the usual hairy and irresponsible way they are usually used. He spends, I'd say, 90% of every walk walking beside me on a loose lead as he should. What I do do with the retractable is use it as a reward for good behavior and as a way of burning of extra energy (Zac's, not mine - I don't have extra energy generally!) I'll wait until he is behaving in an exemplary manner and then, when a tree or lamp post is within the length of the leash I say "long line" which is his cue to race off and have a good sniff! (Zac is a particularly sniffy dog, BTW.) The rapid acceleration repeated a number of times seems to get the beans out of him and I tend to use it particularly in the first 10 minutes of a walk for this reason. I also use the length of lead allowed with the 16ft retractable to practice recalls - I say "long line" and then whistle or call him back (I prefer the whistle because it's quicker to deliver) and he spins around and races back for a reward - a food treat or sometimes a toy or a tummyrub - he never knows what he's going to get which makes it even more fun for him. Then I might make him sit (or something else) and then send him off again. He finds this very mentally stimulating and it burns off a lot of physical energy very fast with minimal exertion on my part.
What I don't do with the retractable is sort of wander along in my own little world with the dog wandering along in his own little world - that is where retractables get really ugly IMO. I use it in a very special way as a training aid and a way of getting him to burn off more energy than I do. Overall the whole situation was so controllable and easy that I'd walk Zac on his retractable and little Mia on a fixed 6ft lead and harness and all three of us were very happy hiking along despite our different exercise requirements - Mia always had a lot more stamina than little ol' me and bounced along happily sniffing here and sniffing there while I had a comfortable walk and Zac got the physical and mental workout he needed.
I've found that retractables are far from created equal. The one I've got is a "Walkabout" by Aspen Pets and has a very light mechanism so it doesn't encourage and reward pulling - the amount of "drag" would probably be no more than that which you'd get pulling an 6ft long rope along the ground - very light. I also bought a size larger (for weight of dog) than I strictly needed as Zac weighs close to the upper limit for the "correct" size and it's mechanism is still so light that I could use it with Mia who only weighed 9lbs.
Zac also lunges at "little furries" (very strong prey drive) - we don't have squirrels but we have possums that fill the same "psychological niche" - he's getting much better with cats after a lot of desensitization and counterconditioning. However if one springs up from under his nose - well he can't help himself! (BTW, he actually got attacked (physically attacked!!) by a cat a couple of months ago - it's the third time I've encountered dog-aggressive behavior from a cat when out with a dog but the first time I've ever had a dog physically connected with by the cat - the cats around here ain't "pussy cats" it seems, which is another reason for him not to tangle with them). Zac also reacts with some dogs - usually dogs that are going off aggressively at him (Jack Russells really get him going!). If the other dog is calm then he will be but, oh dear! if the other guy gets all intense and emotional then he's off too. It sounds like Jack is far more likely to actually take fright at things than is Zac - although that can happen. It doesn't seem to be such an issue these days as he's seen more of the world but when he was younger he'd sometimes shy at things just like a horse would.
We also have problems with some people too - men who look him in the eye and bend over and come towards him from the front (why do they have to do that???) and he's had a bad experience with a child who, in Zac's opinion, attacked him without warning and so he's now predictably unprediticable with kids too.
Basically he's a "one family dog" which must be quite a common thing with dogs of his breeding (ACD and what looks like a touch of GSD). He is, however, absolutely fine with his people even if he's still a bit hyper with some of them - which is their fault for rewarding hyper behavior as I constantly have to point out. I'd thought of using a bike too. When he was younger and stupider it certainly wouldn't have been an option because if he saw a cat......
. I also worry about overheating in our climate here (warm and humid) and for most of the year it would probably not work for that reason - not even at night. You can get semi-rigid devices that attach the dog to the rear hub which would have to be a lot safer than holding the lead in your hand. I've seen some people doing the latter and always wondered what would happen if the dog suddenly lunged either off at right angles or worse still across in front of the bike - or around behind. I think doing that is always a calculated risk with any dog - and with a reactive and athletic dog the numbers don't look good!The other thing that burns off energy for Zac is playing fetch and similar games in the back yard. I do occasionally (very occasionally) take him to the dog park when no-one else is there and let him run and sniff but he seems to enjoy walks and playing at home just as much - which is probably why we do it so rarely - that and trying to find a time when the dog park is vacant isn't necessarily that easy.
I think every dog I've ever had has had a pretty high level of physical energy but Zac is completely different from any of the others with a much more difficult temperament and more "hang ups" and "issues" than all the others put together could have dreamed up if they tried!
Alison
Alison
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