I am wondering if anyone feels their lab can be sufficiently exercised without off leash time daily? Our lab is 11 months and overall doing quite well. He is at his absolute best self when he’s been thoroughly exercised (as most dogs are). Normally I bring him to the park for about 45 mins in the morning and give him about 30 mins off leash in a fenced area (not a dog park, just fenced in field) or keep him on a long lead and play fetch. Lately, the park has become incredibly crowded with the nicer weather and I’m finding it harder and harder to find off leash opportunities where I can really bond with my dog and focus on training without people coming up to us and the dogs running around to play together. The park is fairly open so there isn’t a ton of escape opportunities or areas to hide out if you don’t want the interaction. Does anyone find that their dog can settle with say a 45min on-leash walk twice a day? Since he’s approaching a year I’m also thinking about starting to do a short run with him since his joints are better formed but not sure if I should wait on this longer too.
I was thinking the same Bruce gets 30/45 mins off lead in a morning then 1 hour on lead at 12 with dog walker then 45 mins to 1 hour at night, last year was not a problem because he was a puppy but at 15 months night times gonna be a problem, off lead with him been black. I've been thinking a bit of sent training in garden, I find dried green tripe good for this smells horrible. which he loves and gets him tired and plenty of ball throwing in the garden, it's well sealed off but he will still have to have an on lead walk as he will not poo in garden (don't know why). Lee
As long as his recall is good he should be fine. You can buy flashing reflective collars or flashing attachments that fit onto a harness or lead.
I think scent work is a great idea. I am thinking of taking Intro to Scentwork through the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. Maybe a combination of that with lead walks and off-leash time when opportunity permits is the answer.
It’s an online course so you can reside anywhere. They are still doing enrollment for the October nose work course but I believe there are more in December as well. If you google Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and look at their schedule, you can see it towards the bottom.
Would probably have to wait till December she is in heat now, not sure it would be good for her now or not
Swimming, walking, throwing/retrieving with a chuck it, and playing "hide the kong" with treats in it. Supposedly training and mental type games help to wear them out.
