claireng welcome to the forum I completely empathise with you, we are in week 7 of a 12 week restricted exercise after Mabel's surgery. It's been a roller coaster ride as well as surgery coming to terms with severe Elbow Dysplasia has driven me up the wall at times. The forum has been wonderful support for me, this topic has been particularly helpful, helping me focus on what she can rather than can't do. I also find it invaluable having contact with people who have gone through the same situation. When I'm out walking some owners are really unhelpful others mean well but just don't understand at least on the forum the post I've received are constructive, sympathetic and kind. Just keep smiling and look forward
claireng Welcome to the forum. it's great to hear that this thread has been useful for you. I ad Juno on restricted exercise for 8 weeks in the spring following surgery for Elbow Dysplasia and found the help and support here amazing. Good luck with the restricted exercise and hope Hemi soon recovers well.
Thanks for referring me here, Julie T. I found some good ideas and I have shopping to do so will check out the big pet store today. I have to a laugh a bit, the Object Recognition is a station in Working Level Rally but it requires sending the dog out, which is walking. Well Oban runs. But I never thought to still do it but train a different response, like putting a paw on the object. Oban's injury, by the way, is his left elbow. Pretty bad displaysia there since putting the whole leg through the crust on the snow. If he puts a paw on an object it will have to be his left and I'll have to watch to see if that kind of movement makes him hurt.
Ah, poor Oban. He could do a nose touch, I suppose - you could even have many different textures or objects stuck to a wall, so he doesn't put his head down, or have him lying still and the objects close....unless you have some competitive training for Rally that you don't want to spoil of course. I was dealing with a rear leg injury. I think a front leg injury is even more tricky, really, as it removes paw targets (although be interested to hear if you find anything that you think is ok - do post if you do, to help others who might look here in the future ). Walking backwards was ok for Charlie in the later stages of recovery, it was even good for him in that it made him think about where he put his legs - and he just took one careful step at a time - as was stepping over poles. But I had physio guidance for both of these, and I didn't post them because I thought that people were better off getting professional advice. Still, maybe spark ideas... Very best of luck with it.
THE BUCKET GAME Charlie is well over his injuries now, but I thought I would just add "the bucket game" to this thread. I didn't do this while Charlie was injured, but have done so since. It is well worth training for any dog, and variations of it would be suitable for an injured dog. You don't HAVE to use a bucket, and you could have your dog in any position you wanted. When I was at ClickerExpo, I saw a video of a dog "giving permission" - I saw a few different versions of this. A dog would put his head on a cushion to say someone could touch his leg, a dog would put his teeth on a bit of wood to say someone could clean his teeth, and so on. It's a bit like this (no-one is "making" this hyena stay still.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A3j...Su&index=1 And really popular at the moment is Chirag Patal's bucket game (for those on facebook https://www.facebook.com/thebucketgame/?fref=ts Anyway....the idea is that you prompt your dog to do something. Mine is Charlie place his chin firmly on a folded towel. I pay for that. If he keeps his head on the towel, I try to go about whatever it is I want to do (clean ears) and I pay for this too. If he moves off the towel, I just stop. On the towel, I carry on and he gets paid. Off the towel, I stop. In the vid the bottle isn't the ear cleaner....I'm building up to that. I also intend to use this for teeth cleaning, eye drops and I hope eventually to allow the vet to examine his back legs and him stay still. I'm glad to do this, I was messing about with a few different things (calm chin rest, stand still in the vet's, another routine for teeth, a different one for ears). This is just choosing one thing and sticking with it for me. [vid] towel game by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
TRAIN AND TREAT Here is a reference for Sophia Yin's Train and Treat. http://www.amazon.co.uk/PetSafe-Trea...rd+Dog+Trainer I didn't have this when Charlie was injured, I bought it later. But gosh, I really wish I had it earlier. It is the best thing ever for getting your dog to put his bum on the ground and stay there while you open the front door or whatever. It would be extra insurance with an injured dog. Plus, it's great fun. It comes with an instruction book that has 4 or 5 games to train, and a DVD with more advanced stuff (which wouldn't be suitable for an injured dog though). Here we are having fun with an ally-oops target and a Train and Treat. [vid] first treat and train by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr And using it for something useful - stop whining while I park the car. [vid] one whine by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
20 CRATE REST ACTIVITIES Adding a link to Donna Hill's 20 (yes, 20!) crate rest activities. Really something for everyone here: youtube;YfL99xcEpXc]
Thanks for the link Julie T, could have use this back in March. Some very simple ideas which makes you wonder why you hadn't thought of it yourself ; although I did come up with some variations of some of ideas here.
DEAD SIMPLE: ENRICHMENT BOXES Used for puppies all the time (and, I've recently discovered, elephants too!) - pack up interesting objects scrunched round treats into a firm box. The younger the dog, or the more its movement should be restricted, the easier you want this to be. Charlie is fit and well now - but is just having a few days restricted off lead exercise - so he can have an elephant sized box. Adjust to be suitable for the dog and injury though (obviously). box by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr box3 by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr box2 by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Thank you very much Julie! I shall try a few of these as Max is on restricted exercise after his surgery.
This might be really silly but my husband and I along with our children play hide and seek with our lab. He loves it just as much as our kids do lol. Our lab follows us wherever we go in the house, he is always by our feet and if we move, he follows so he gets so excited when he finds us haha
This is a really fun thing to teach your dog. It's really easy to do just start with one word at a time and build up slowly. Simply it is a case of new cue, old cue then C&T, so basically you hold the card up, then use your exciting cue and finally click and treat the behaviour. Mabel became addicted in the end and even when she is off restricted exercise we still do a little bit of reading a few times a week.
Very helpful! Dewey is going to get neutered this Friday and I was a little concerned cutting out our "run time". These should help keep us occupied
