Small canine training – exercise
My current foster canine is a tan Pomeranian mix I named Elli. I can’t tell you how cute and sweet she is. She wants to be with me whatsoever times, and she will be a great companion for the best person.
Elli gets along with my mutt Ace, and she does not bother my cats. She knows sit, shake and comes when called. She also seems to be housebroken. No canine is perfect, though, including Elli. Her main issue best now is being too anxious.
Elli’s “issues” are common of many small dogs. She is energetic, nervous, has no attention span and has never been given any rules. What I share about Elli can be applied to thousands of other dogs out there who have been spoiled, coddled and treated like children all their lives.
Small dogs need a lot of exercise
When I went to meet Elli and bring her home Friday, I knew nothing about her other than her breed. She was rescued from a pound by a canine rescue in Fargo the day she was scheduled to be euthanized.
Whenever I take in a new foster dog, the best thing I can do for that canine instantly is to take her on a long walk with Ace. The size of the canine does not matter. Some small dogs actually need much more exercise than big dogs.
I introduced Ace and Elli on a quick walk, and then we drove to a park where we could much more conveniently and enjoyably opt for a longer, 45-minute walk. I wouldn’t be amazed if that was the longest walk Elli had ever been on at that point.
Ideally, I should’ve walked even longer. Elli is a very high-energy dog, and she has a lot of anxiety from being impounded and separated from whatever life she once had.
Walking together is essential for Elli, Ace and I to create a bond or a “pack” and for me to establish leadership. Elli is never allowed to walk in front. She is always required to walk at my side. My sweetheart Josh even joined us on a walk that first night. It’s essential for Elli to see leadership and consistency from Josh as well as me.
I expect Elli to find a home fairly quickly. but until then, my goal is to work with her on any issues that come up, and to treat her like a dog, not a human.
Elli’s main issues so far include:
– An unhealthy attachment to me and for that reason separation anxiety and possessiveness
– No attention span
– אנרגיה גבוהה
– extreme anxiety in the car
I will focus on all of these small canine training issues in future posts, but for best now I am focusing on what Elli needs many of all, exercise.
Biking with a small dog
Elli is only about 10 pounds, and she has unlimited energy. walking her is not enough, so I took her for her first biking session last night. She absolutely loved it, and ran like a pro!
Of course, because of her size I had to be very careful and aware of her whatsoever times. I held her leash rather than use my canine bike leash so I could control her easier.
Some dogs need a lot of time to get used to a bike, but Elli knew exactly what I wanted her to do.
It was very gratifying to see this little canine working on something successfully and being so happy of herself.
Putting Elli to work gave her a challenge, a purpose and something to focus on. She did not feel anxious, and for once she was acting like a normal dog.
I only biked with Elli for a mile because I wanted to make sure her paw pads could deal with running on concrete. Her paws were fine, so today we will go further. As long as her paws are OK, she will easily be able to run 2 or 3 miles.
I wish much more people would realize how much exercise some little dogs need. As a canine walker, I know a Jack Russell that runs 10 miles at a time. Most little dogs have so much energy and pull so hard on walks that they are practically walking on their hind legs.
I don’t have a lot of patience for a canine that is continuously pacing, crying and unable to sit for much more than a second. offering Elli with a lot of exercise is the first step to helping her calm down and live a much more unwinding life! That implies much more unwinding for me as well as her!