I finally sat down and wrote a loose schedule this week. I’m not making myself strictly stick to it at this point, I’m just trying to work towards being a little more organized. Part of my schedule, of course, is spending time with Luke and keeping him busy too.
I had started to write a post about the challenges of working from home before we lost Cricket, and I’ll be re-working it since things have changed without her. We’re still seeing how things play out, but I think I’ve come up with a good plan, and I’ll let you know how it works out!
In the meantime, Luke and I are doing some different things to keep him entertained, while we figure out our routines and new things we’re going to do too. None of these activities are anything new, but they are different now, and we’re definitely doing some of them more than we used to. Now that we don’t spend time every day throwing the ball for Cricket (and I’m still adjusting to not doing that daily!), we need to fill that time with something he and I can do together.
As the weather changes, probably so will the routines and activities. For example, we’re not walking every day yet because I’m protesting the hanging on of winter and refuse to go for a walk if it’s not at least somewhat bearable out there (and it’s getting better)!
- Walks. Luke really enjoys getting out there sniffing. He can be slow at times but I’m learning to just relax and let him do his thing. I often let him choose the direction we go in as well.
- Play time in the yard. I can throw the ball and get Luke to chase it about once. So instead, I’m sacrificing my gloves and I let him steal one out of my pocket. He gets so much joy out of it! He romps around, and I chase him; and if I can catch him, we play tug with the glove too. The game doesn’t last too long, because invariably he’ll take the glove away somewhere (often under the deck where I can’t reach him) and start chewing on it. At that point, I go in the house and call him. We trade the glove for a treat.
There is just something about playing with my gloves that he loves. - Nose works and trick training. We’ve been working on “crawl” still, but I must tell you, it is hard on my knees training that! We hadn’t had the nose works stuff out for a while, but our first time of doing hides around the house? He aced it every time. He had not forgotten a thing. He was a little slower when I got the boxes out but he eventually caught on. I kind of feel like I can’t even challenge him anymore, so I think we are going to take the 2nd class in the series at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy this summer. I had wanted to try tracking but it doesn’t look like they are offering that again this year (we missed the current session since this was just not a good time to start). Between tricks and nose works, I think he enjoys nose works more.
It didn’t take him long to get right back into the swing of it. - Toy play. Luke has been dragging toys out of the box, and often new and different ones. He mostly likes to do this in the evening. He really made me smile when not long after Cricket was gone, he chose a toy that was hers. I had gotten them both a shark toy last summer in Maine, and hers was smaller. I don’t think she ever really played with it, but I was tickled when he chose that one out of the box all on his own, like he was thinking of his sister.
Luke with his sister’s shark toy. 
He’s been pulling out all the toys! He likes to take him into his crate to hide them from me. - Everyday training. We work on Luke’s cues both when we’re out in the yard and when we’re on walks. Sometimes we use treats and sometimes we don’t. He definitely needs more work in some areas, especially when there are distractions around. Now that it isn’t so cold out, it’s easier to handle the treats without having to wear gloves!
Practicing his “Up, Up” cue – sitting and posing on a rock in our woods.
Those are the main things we’ve been doing, with the goal of tiring him out during the day with at least one or two activities, even if they’re just for a short time. He still whines at me sometimes in the evening. Usually we’ll play with a toy for a bit (I’m certainly getting my exercise chasing him around inside and out); but a lot of times he just wants me to sit on the couch with him. I grab a glass of wine, turn on the news and flop on the couch. He snoozes next to me, content just to be by my side at the end of our day.
How do you keep your dogs busy, if you have to – or do they entertain themselves?
You’ve got a great plan. Mind will entertain themselves but Guilty gets bored and I really need to get started on her hunt test training.
There’s always one in the group, right? 🙂
It sounds like you have a lot to keep Luke busy. I wanted to go for a walk with hubby and the dogs last weekend but there was still so much snow in the forest that I passed. I was worried about falling. I am not good with snow covered brush and holes. This weekend I never left the house due to the storm.
One reason I always take my phone on a walk? I’m convinced one of these days I will fall flat on my face tripping over a stick or rock. And that’s even when they’re not snow covered (though it’s definitely worse then). It’s hard to watch where you’re walking, watch the dog(s), and also look around and enjoy nature! 🙂
Sounds like a good schedule so far! I am like Luke I like to play toy once and then I usually take it and go off wif it and chew on it til Mama comes and takes it 😉
xoxo,
Matt (& Matilda)
Always with the destruction, you boys! BOL
Mine love the gloves, too! Though here in Curaçao it’s only gardening gloves… They’d be thrilled if there was a whole season where they got to play Hide the Glove From the Human, hahahahaha. (Yes, I do let them play with them. Like Luke, they get so much joy out of it that it’s well worth the price of replacing the gloves. Though maybe I do need to start paying more attention to which glove they take; I have a whole shelf of right-hand gloves whose partners have been chewed to oblivion.)
We do lots of walks here, too—though this year I’ve been remiss, and we’ve been going out less. I notice their behavior worsens when I do that, though, so I need to get organized and do more. Here at home, we do some training (clicker, mostly; I have eight dogs, and all have varying degrees of both proficiency and reactivity, as well as attention span), but I really should do more. Because they’re a pack, they tend to entertain themselves—or each other—rather well, which makes me feel like I’m off the hook though I’m really not; if I have any hope of modifying their behavior to a socially acceptable level, there’s lots and lots of work to be done. *Sigh*
Great post, Janet! You’re an example to us all. I’m glad you and Luke are figuring out a routine. As your weather improves and you get out more, it’ll all fall into place better, and faster. Love the photos, too… Luke is a lucky pup to have you 🙂
Guilie @ Life In Dogs
Thank you so much, Guilie! That is the one thing I miss most about having multiple dogs – the fact that they would entertain each other. When Sheba was still with us, I could count on her to entertain Luke in the evenings when I was busy or tired.
I think you are finding just the right combination that works for you!
My guys are at an age where walks are just about enough. Sometimes they play with a few toys, or want to play tug, and we will indulge that. Of course, the Dad can usually get Delilah revved up enough for some zoomies, so there is always that. LOL
My hubby has always been good at getting the dogs going with zoomies too. He used to do that with Cricket, and it was so much fun to watch her go!
You are an amazing dog mom! Luke is lucky to have you. I’m so glad that he loves nosework! You’ll enjoy the more advanced courses at Fenzi – I sure have loved them. I use training to tire out Shyla – but, right now, we’re taking the “Bogeyman” course, and it is really hard for us. I’m not having as much fun as usual because Shyla has such trouble relaxing enough to play if there’s not a toy or treats involved 🙁
I’m so glad that Luke loves to snuggle with you at the end of the day!
Thank you. Those snuggles are such a great way to end our days, especially if we’ve had a rough one.
Don’t be hard on yourself. Hopefully taking that course helps in the long run, but if it doesn’t you’ll try something else. I find it’s pretty much hit or miss finding what works for a fearful dog. Hang in there. ♥
Once we get into out new place I am going to strive to put together a schedule..yours looks great!
After you get settled in a new home, that’s a perfect time to start a new schedule.
Sounds like you are both doing pretty well at keeping busy-and yet relaxing too, which is just as important! Luke is such a smartie, and cute to boot…
He is our smart and cute boy, that’s for sure! ♥
We try to walk every day. Or we sometimes play a game called Sprinkles, where you toss some dog food or small treats in the yard and my dog Dixie, smells them out.
Oh, Sprinkles is a good idea. I might try that one with Luke, I think he’d enjoy that!
you are such an excellent doggy mama, I feel guilty because I am nowhere near like you. Dakota isn’t a fan of walks, being older he isn’t into playing as much as he used to be. He gets his treat dispensers and I will walk him when I can get him to walk!
In general, older dogs just don’t need as much. While Cricket still needed her ball thrown for at least a few minutes daily, and enjoyed a walk, as long as she got her treats – she was pretty content to sleep most of the time.
We’re glad you’re finding a schedule and routine that works for you…and Luke. We know he’ll benefit from it.
We’re doing out best to stick to our schedule, though we’ve already had some glitches thrown in. But we’re rolling with the punches and trying not to let it stop our momentum!
My Dad needs some kind of schedule too since we keep him pretty busy. I’m glad Luke is doing so well.
Thank you. I can imagine how busy you all must keep your Dad! 🙂
I’m starting to take Layla on longer walks as the weather and my schedule allow. I’m also planning on setting aside some time each week to take her for a drive to a local park where we can walk on the trails. Going anywhere in the car makes her anxious, so I hope that if we go regularly to do something fun she won’t get so stressed about the ride.
That sounds like a really good plan. I need to get Luke back in the car too, he gets anxious as well. But I’d really like to be able to take him some places with me.
Sounds like you’re doing all the right things for Luke, and he’s responding in kind. I’m so glad.
Thank you!
We walk for 2 hrs or so every day, hope to start running again soon when the ice is gone, then we have our sports, and we play around the house. We are always happy to just hang out and nap. Even when Mom had just one dog, all the walking seemed to keep them satisfied. I would guess there is no tracking classes in the summer as no one tracks in the summer because the heat is too hard on dogs.
Your Mom impresses me with how she finds time for everything! I wish I could take Luke running with me (the vet says no because of his knees), but I’m going to start again. When I get back from my run he and I will take walks and I hope they will be longer ones soon.
That makes sense about the tracking, but it didn’t work for us for the April class because we had so much snow on the ground! I am going to ask them about the possibility of doing a fall class.