Here’s the challenge: Besides 3 sessions a day of physical therapy, Willie is now supposed to walk for 10 minutes three times a day. On the flat, on leash. No trotting, no spinning, just slow, controlled walking. Sounds simple, but then, life being what it is, it isn’t. There’s very little flat on my little hilly farm in southern Wisconsin. We basically have 2 paths to take, about 60 strides each. Otherwise, all the rest of my 13 acres is off limits. I could take the heavy ramp he uses to get into the house (to avoid the 3 stairs) and load him into the car and take him into town where it’s flatter, but it’s a big hassle to get the heavy ramp set up to get him in, put the ramp back in the car, take it out to load him back up, etc. It’ll be worth it when he can walk for longer periods, but not yet.
In addition, he can’t be on a standard heel at all times because 1) he turns his head toward me when he’s in heel and that puts too much pressure on his left shoulder and 2) we’d die of boredom. I can’t use any toys (that’d be a disaster, he’d spin and leap and pretty much set himself back in a microsecond). I can’t stop and start abruptly to make it interesting because that would hype him up too much too. I need to walk continuously with him, not stopping to sniff much, keeping him from breaking into a trot but moving forward in a healthy walk.
Here’s what I’ve done so far: I’ve started walking with him on my left side in his usual heel position for a few strides, and this morning began to teach him to switch to my right side. This shouldn’t take long. After his surgery I taught him the cue “Switch” when I needed him on my right side as we left the house so he’d be sure to go down the ramp rather than the stairs. So he has a beginning concept that Switch means move from the left to the right. Okay, good. That’s something. Next?
Argh! As I said in the title, I am brain dead here. His PT has been going well, but it takes no small amount of energy to get it done right three times a day. Is that my excuse for not being able to think of anything else interested to do with him while we’re walking? Maybe it’s the heat? (It’s supposed to be 95 degrees outside today. My sympathy for people who have to work outside. I saw someone working on a black roof top yesterday in the mid-day sun and I don’t know how he did it. I’d have been dead in twenty minutes.)
Any budding behaviorists out there with some good ideas? Obviously, we’ll cope without anything else, but it’s been since mid-Feb when Willie was first re-injured that he’s been on severe exercise restrictions and both he and I need some fresh input. With a few minor exceptions, there’s been no herding, no play, no off-leash walks or fun for five months, and we have two and a half months of on-leash-only restrictions to go. We would both be circle-wag happy with any good ideas. There are lots more tricks I can teach Willie (although some of his PT now is like tricks, like balancing on a big rubber ball, we both think that’s fun!), but the ones I can think of don’t involve continuous walking or would stimulate him into trotting or lunging forward, both big no no’s. if you have any idea, I’d love to hear ’em! Hopefully any ideas that come in will help others in the same situation….
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: As I mentioned, we’ll be up to 95 degrees Farenheit today and humid as a sauna. Too hot for me and Willie to be outside much, today I’m glad we can only be out for 10 minutes. I feel for my sheep, especially Barbie, an older ewe who has respiratory trouble anyway. I’m going set up the big fan in the barn in hopes that will help her. The lambs all seem great, the orphans are still a bit skinny but otherwise they are doing well.
Right in time for July 4th the black raspberries are ripening. They are about a week late this year, but they’re coming on strong. I sense a pie coming on. Also in season, the fireflies are out, bioluminescent beetles that glow like multiple, tiny Cinderellas in the dusk of evening as they fly above the grass. Each species has its own ‘code’ of flashes, the males broadcasting their wares to receptive females during this, their mating season. I grew up in the southwest of the US where there are no fireflies, and still think of them as one of the most magically events of all of nature.
Here are some photos, the first from a trip we took last week to Boulder, Colorado for the best wedding ever: I like the contrast between the craggy Rocky Mountains and the soft hills around my farm in southern Wisconsin:
Hope says
Could you rent a treadmill and train him to walk on that? Not fun, I realize, but definitely flat and easy to control the speed. You could stand in front of him, so he doesn’t strain his shoulder looking at you.
Lisa B says
Is a treadmill right out? It seems like a great way to control his pace. If you don’t have one you can probably find one dirt cheap on Craigslist (that’s where I got my $1,000 machine for $250).
Raegan says
Tracking? Depends on how you define controlled walking and how into it he gets, but it’s pretty easy on the body. It does involve nose on the ground, but it’s continuous walking and it takes more concentration than excitement.
A really long ladder and make him walk through one rung – one step at a time? You could probably even train him to do it himself. I’m sure there’s a way to train slowness into a trick, even though we normally train for speed.
Kathleen Swenson says
Trisha,
When my Airedale had a minor ACL tear a year ago we treated it medically with rehab. I was afraid during the Winter with all of the ice and snow she might have a set back. So, I bought her a treadmill. She was used to using one in rehab and took to it right away. She thinks its a game, naturally treats are included:) and my older Airedale uses it too. It worked out great for us.
Just a thought. Good luck and give Willie a hug.
Jeff says
Swimming maybe? Not sure if Willie likes water and you would have to ask the vet on swimming and his injury. I am a lab owner so water is never an issue. However I had a lab that had a stroke years ago and he was one of the first dogs to use the underwater treadmills as part of his PT. But I could take him like to shallow water and let him walk around in it, it made him buoyant enough to help him walk and we could go a little deeper I would support his mid section and he could kick his legs. I never went too deep and was right there if he needed to put his feet on something I could instantly swing my legs under his so his feet had a place to rest. We would sit there and I would talk to him for a while then we would try again.
Swimming in the water is a cool way to beat the heat.
trisha says
Good ideas so far, but… So true that swimming is great exercise. Willie will begin walking on an underwater treadmill soon at the PT’s. I’m sure she wants that to be a very controlled exercise. Also, I’d have to drive a long way to swim anywhere else. And everywhere outside I can think of would require going up and down hill to get to the water. But W will be underwater soon, so good idea in general, thanks. Ladder is a great idea, but that’s actually part of his PT right now, stepping over rungs about 4.5 inches off the ground. Can’t add on to that, would be too much too soon. Treadmill is a good good idea, and I’ve trained a lot of dogs onto them, but every dog has begun by leaping off a few times, no matter how slowly you go, and at only 6 wks past surgery I’m afraid to take that chance. His humerous bone won’t be healed until we’re at the 8 week mark. So I can tuck that idea away for awhile from now. Meanwhile, keep those ideas coming!
robin sallie says
See what you can steal from the list that I made for my dog when she was crate bound.
http://foundations4lifetraining.blogspot.com/search/label/crate%20bound
Keli says
Here is a whole list of tricks that Susan Garrett teaches her puppies/dogs. I know some Willie would not be able to do, but there are many he could do. Also, when you are out walking, why not use a target stick for him to focus on or have him touch with his nose occassionally so he focuses forward. (Target stick like you get with the Manners Minder with the big red bulb on the end)
Here is the list of tricks:
Shake a Paw
ItsYerChoice (cookies on your paws, face etc)
Wave
Bow
Cross Paws in Down
Walk while crossing paws
Chase tail one way then the other
Show me Your Belly
Stretch while on your back
Speak
Speak quietly
Talk (different than barking)
Crawl
Back up
Jump Into My Arms
Limping on front leg
Don
Kat says
Would it work to put obstacles in the path and teach him to pass the obstacle on the left or the right as directed. Ranger knows Gee (right) and Haw (left) and since he likes to lead on walks it’s fun to tell him Gee side or Haw side and have him pass on that side of an obstacle in our path. How about hitting a mark as a performing dog would need to do having him walk forward and stop with his front paws or for more of a challenge back paws on a mark. It’s something that we fool around with when I’m too lazy to think of anything else.
Laura says
Have you taught Mr. Willie to walk backwards yet? If not, that might be kinda fun to do…and maybe playing a “red light, green light” game with it like we used to do when we were kids. 🙂
Jan Mayr says
Trisha,
What about targeting his feet? Having him touch something with each individual foot? And would he be allowed to back up? That would also give him a different perspective on walking… It can be taught slowly.
Jessica says
Hrm. When you described your problem I thought of controlled walking and carting… but a cart is probably right out for rehab purposes right now, but maybe just some sort of special collar or leash and the equipment change could be the signal that the purpose of what is happening is slow boring walking. Like a seeing eye dog harness (adapted for the shoulder?) Or perhaps devise a game where he has to walk and keep his nose pressed to a target on a stick (then you can build up time, and when he is more mobile switch directions, curve around etc), or teach him to follow a line on the ground (I suppose that falls under the “tracking” category, but that is not a calm activity for my dog)
Amy says
Have you considered printing large shapes or colors on a piece of paper and posting them in your flat areas? You could then use this “exercise” to literally exercise his brain and body by learning what the different shape or color was by walking up to it and getting a treat or other positive reinforcement.
Merciel says
Maybe some of the canine freestyle moves would work?
Walk forward at a controlled pace, stop facing the handler; walk backwards in a straight line from the handler; hold a “stand” position and then walk backwards to stop between the handler’s legs, etc. These are all very simple “walk forward/backward” moves, physically — it’s the positioning relative to the handler and the stop/start/placement cues that make them tricky for the dog to learn.
annika says
tracking games and special searches games?
In terms of the special searches (searching for mushrooms, human scents, a particular smell perhaps mold in a house, marking the personal scent of one of its family members, not the others and naming that person), they say to take 6-8 sugarshakers, wash them in the dishwasher between each time and stuff rags that have that scent on them into one of the sugarshakers (without getting your scent all over the others). The dog gets rewarded for marking the correct one and you move them around and eventually add other scents until he gets that he is supposed to always mark that particular smell. Then you also begin decreasing the amount of smell he has to mark.
I have also heard of people who do reversed special searches – i.e. the dog is supposed to mark the shaker that does NOT have anything of a particular scent in it and ignore the others (they recommended using it in order to use marker training to discourage intensive sniffing of certain areas).
Regular tracks – human scents, or a meaty scent (meat juice mixed with water in a drip bottle) and lay a track, which is originally short but getting longer and more complex over time might be fun too. Same as with treats or toys, you can experiment with different types of scents and see which ones your dog is interested in.
These games would of course be easier to play with different types of hounds, dachshunds, beagles, etc. but I think if they are short and positive with variations, they could be fun also for a dog with less of a tracking instinct. My people say that using the nose is brainwork for dogs and tires them out to a much higher degree than just walking or running. Not sure if this is true. I do play hide-a-kong with my dog in the backyard – she gets to find it, get it out and then empty it – and after two rounds, she is usually happy to go sleep on the couch for the rest of the afternoon (though she’s much more laidback to begin with than a BC). I do have to be careful to hide it with the right level of difficulty so she has to work but doesn’t give up after a while.
trisha says
Kat: Great idea about going right or left around the obstacles! Thanks, it’s a super idea. The trick is to find something that will make our 10 minute very controlled walks a bit more interesting for the 2 of us. The ideas from Susan Garrett (thanks so much Keli!) are all great tricks (love them) but there are actually very few of them that Willie could do at all right now (recall that 2 tendons and 2 ligaments are damaged in his shoulder, his PT basically has just about every move he makes carefully thought out in hopes we can bring him back to full function). The only things I can see adding on to walking forward at a consistent pace is teaching him to speak on cue, which I regret to say I’d have to do by giving him a reason to bark, which also would give him a reason to be stimulated and lunge forward. I could also add teaching him to hold something on cue while walking, but I”m not sure it’s worth the start and stops that would be inevitable. Remember: consistent forward movement at a moderate walk with his head looking forward. You can see why I find this challenging! But I’m going to start go around right or go around left and see how it goes, could be a great idea as long as I can keep him calm and close to me (if he’s too far ahead of me then I risk him breaking a walk and darting forward or sideways, we are avoiding that at all costs right now.)
Tara McLaughlin says
Hi Trisha,
I love the ideas you’ve gotten already and just want to come back to the treadmill. I’ve never used one, but it seems to me that if your concern is Willie jumping on and off, perhaps you could have a handyman build something to block the sides and back so he can’t do that . . . you could stand at the back to prevent him from jumping as well . . . or even figure out a way to block it there too – he could enter with a little doorway/gate. (I’m thinking of my stainless steel tub where I wash my poodles.) If you start slow and easy (you know this better than me!) I bet Willie could do the treadmill easily and get plenty of safe exercise and you would recover from brain-deadness too! I think if it cools down a bit that will help your brain recovery too. 🙂 I live in Central Virginia and it’s awfully hot here too.
Ravana says
How about teaching him to read? Teach him “Left” “Right” “Forward” and “Turn Around” and “Sit”. You could set up a rally-o like course on your little bit of flat and have him follow the instructions on the signs. My dog can read the words “Sit” “Down” “Up” (meaning beg) “Nose” (point to your nose) and “Stand” so it is possible to do. Really wears them out too because it is something totally new for them to have to figure out.
Nelson says
Keeping w/ the left/right theme, in canine freestyle there are a variety of ways to get the dog to switch sides: “Cut” which is switching from behind, “Pass” which is crossing in the front, making a J-shape to the other side (similar to “heel up” but on both sides), “Weave” which would be passing through your legs – they go through the outside leg (dog on left passes through human’s right leg forward, dog on right through left leg), “Around” the dog makes either 180 or 360 circle around the handler. Asking the dog to switch sides in a variety of ways could mix it up a bit and the new training can get some brain exercise in as well. To switch directions, there are also U-turns (dog makes a tight U, while handler turns 180, putting the dog on the opposite side) and miltary turns (dog and handler turn 180, but in opposite directions so dog ends on the same side).
Paula Lancaster says
How about a non-electric powered treadmill. It will only move if Willie takes a step, and then only at his pace which you could monitor. A friend gave me a brand new one. I tried it myself but didn’t try any of the dogs on it. When the rain stops (hopefully soon!!!) I can try it and see what reaction I get, and let you know.
annika says
PS. I guess that it’s called “nose games.” There seem to be some good blogs around discussing it as well.
Maggie says
Although I was searching desperately for toys to occupy my pit mix while she is home alone (she’s a smart girl who needs a lot of mental stimulation, so it’s not as easy as it sounds!), I stumbled upon a site selling toys specifically for active dogs. I found this “thing” called Kool Dogz which is essentially a larger-than-life frozen ice cube with hidden toys/treats inside that sits upon a holder, staked into the ground.
http://www.activedogtoys.com/collections/new-toys/products/kool-dogz
I realize that you are looking for activities to do WITH your dog, not for your dog to do alone. However, I’ve gotten pretty creative with the Kool Dogz: freezing treats within toys in the cube, scraped chunks out of the side once frozen so the dog can sniff a small piece of real meat, etc.) The idea is the dog has to work to get to the toys or treats frozen within. And my dog enjoys discovering how to use her tongue, teeth, and paws to get to what she wants so much, that I’ve been incorporating it into some basic obedience training exercises. It’s especially welcomed on a hot day!
Again, I know it’s not exactly what you’re asking for, but I’m sure you can come up with other creative ways to utilize it if your dog is the type who enjoys working hard for a reward!
stephanie says
When one of my grey’s had limited mobility I taught him various variations of vocalization. Like, “in-door voice” which was a soft bark, “say please” which was a cute little whine/yipp noise, “sing” which was a throw your head back and howl and a few others which I imagine would really depend on what kind of variations of vocalizations the dog makes as well as if you want to encourage vocalization. I find it endearing. Also, mentally stimulating but not physically taxing.
Just a thought.
Susan Mann says
Nothing really new to suggest as far as tricks, except perhaps walking backwards if that is allowed, but how about doling his food out during the walks?
Beth says
Gosh, that’s a tough one. I have Corgis, and as far as I can tell Corgis never walk. They trot. With those stubby legs, a trot seems to be the default gait.
Will he target stuff with his nose? I’m thinking maybe you can have him target, say, a riding crop or stick of a similar length and have him walk one-two-three- Target!– four-five-six-seven-eight-nine Target! And assuming you have tall grasses and stuff around, you can maybe then teach him to target objects as you walk towards them?
Not sure if it would work in practice.
Rachel says
You could try doing a nosework thing.
You know, several boxes in a row (maybe a little up off the ground so his head is oriented forward rather than downward), one of which has food in it. You could walk by, let Willie find the one with food, then reward. After a while, pair the food with scent (typically birch oil, i think), then fade out the food until he is just finding and indicated the scented box.
The only thing that might be a problem is that some dogs get quite excited to do this. Actually it’s kind of hard to think of ways to reduce excitement (I’m always trying to get my dog excited about things and get him motivated to do stuff). Also, it would probably involve starting and stopping, rather than just constant forward motion.
Mandy says
Walking between your leg, going backwards as well as forwards, would keep him straight and would add some variety..?
jen d. says
How about setting up different scent objects along the paths by putting things in plastic cups. You could put stakes in the ground along the paths at two points? beginning and end? middle and attach plastic cups to them so he does not have to bend over and sniff. Kinda like he was training to respond to a scent. Pick one scent he needs to identify with a speak command. Rotate all kinds of fun smelly stuff.
julie says
Since Willie’s a herding dog, how about teaching him to do some sort of ‘walk on/up’ with a certain object? Could be a football, big stone, bucket, … You could place it a bit away, on your walking line, and let him walk towards it slowly and steadily, only letting him ‘eye’ the object (or just look at it, it’s not like you have to want to replace the sheep with this object, since it could have a negative effect on his herding).
I’m assuming he knows the target stick? I used to use one with pups, not for targeting but it was dipped in something delicious (cottage cheese, peanut butter, fish spread, …). Maybe you could try using two longer target sticks. One used as the actual target, asking him for a nosetouch while slowly walking. The other stick, dipped in sth., you could keep slightly in front or above the target, so that if you c/t he can take a quick lick. That way his reward is on the same line as he’s walking, and you won’t get that abrupt moving towards you for the treat. Though you might want to use your voice instead of the clicker, unless you have something like 3 hands or unless you’re really handy – which I’m definitely not. ;o)
If the ‘fluid treat’ works well, you might try the thing I mentioned above, and use the yummie stick to c/t. Again, no sideways moving of his head or whole body.
Beth says
Oh, I do see now that someone else already mentioned targeting a stick. My thoughts were along similar lines: it would give him something to keep his eyes ahead. With a stick, you could walk with it in front of him all the time and only have him touch it when you say “Target”.
Teri says
What about having him walk between your legs? Kinda awkward for you but also great for working your own butt muscles :o). Can you set up a walking course around the exterior of your barn? or house? Does he have a good front command because you could also walk backwards with him facing you.
My sympathies to you, this must be incredibly frustrating.
Lauren Norwood says
If you have access to a pool or lake, then swimming might be a great idea, especially on those excessively hot days (if Willie likes to go swimming anyway). It’s easy on the joints and provides great whole-body exercise. The water’s natural resistance also helps build strength in a gentle way..
Good luck and best wishes for a quick recovery for Willie. 🙂
Alison says
I don’t have any ideas for making a flat, controlled 10 minute walk interesting other than hand targeting, but that may still be boring since you’d pretty much have to keep your hand in right in front of him to prevent jumping and turning.
For something else to do in the house, does Willie know the cup game? (You know….three cups, one with a treat under it, mix them up and have him signal which one has the treat underneath.) Its something he can do sitting or laying down in front of you. Might be good fun brain-work for him.
Lacey H says
I think the holding idea should be explored: he could balance something on his head or carry in his mouth, and either would have a mild tendency, at least while he’s learning, to slow his steps.
Joh says
Not walking but quite a lot of thinking:
“Smell Memory” (like the the children’s game)
One need at least 6 containers with something “smelly”. One can use the cardboard role that’s inside toilet-roles for example. Fill the with different kind of teas for example (and than close them with some tape). Two of them need to be filled with the same. So for example you have 2 filled with peppermint tea, 2 with black tea and 2 with coffee. Mark them so that you can see which pairs contain the same.
No the dog has to find the pairs! One can show one role and the dog has to bring the matching one.
I don’t think that tracking or trailing would work with a currently handicapped dog. Most dogs get veeery excited while tracking/trailing and want to go very fast and pull and/or jump.
Teoti Anderson says
Trisha: Crazy idea … could you walk part of the way backwards? You. Not Willie. 🙂 If you were in front of him he’d be looking forward, and you could control his pace. Might make him more interested … and you’d have to concentrate so you don’t fall down! You could vary between “Switch” and then you walking backwards in front of him? Might not work for what you need. But all I could think of on a Friday afternoon. 😉
Cheryl Edwards says
Hi Trisha,
As a variation on the “ladder” exercise, maybe the following would be something Willie can do:
My Lucy likes walking on an elevated railroad trestle near our home. This (obviously)requires making sure that her feet stay on the railroad ties. If you were to put something flat on the ground (something similar to the flat exercise ladders that we use in fitness class – it’s just a bunch of lawn-chair-type webbing strips in a ladder configuration) and ask Willie to keep his feet ON the webbing strips instead of stepping on the square areas between them ?
My best to you both – good wishes for Willie to heal soon!
trisha says
You all are great, lots of good ideas here! I’m going to try walking backwards (a common behavior when training young herding dogs, I’ve had lots of experience!), target sticks, teaching Go R and Go L and weaving through my legs (he already has a start on that.) I also love the scent game ideas. I agree about tracking being so exciting, Willie loves to find things with his nose but he gets very excited about it….
Beth says
How about the “find it game”? when Baby Bear Osa had his TPLO surgeries and had rehab, I would place a small treat in plastic containers of equal size and color. I would then place the containers in front of him and ask him to find it. When he placed a paw or nudged on the correct container with the treat, he got the ultimate reward. As he grew stronger, I would place the containers further away and he would have to walk a few steps to find the good, smelly treat. It worked great, and I even use this trick today to keep his mind stimulated. Except now, I hide the containers in seperate rooms of the house and ask him to “find it”. He loves the game and knows the term “find it” very well! Water therapy on the canine treadmill was also great, but I see that is coming up for Willie soon. You can stand in front of him while he is in the therapy tank so he can watch you and doesn’t need to turn his head.
Christina says
Have you worked on nose/hand targetting? You can break up monotony with hand targeting sessions . Side note – I think it would be safe to practice on a door for the start of some fun beginning treibball too! This video details how she begins teaching a dog treibball and it’s all very low impact. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFpH_WLC4qs
liz says
You might be able to add some paces by taking a lap or two around the house. If the sheep didn’t cause too much excitement, the barn might be an option. Still not very interesting, but it might keep you from having to do the exact same walks every time.
After a long restriction, we began PT by walking laps around the house. It helped that the bathroom had jack-and-jill doors and made the whole house a circle. It was a bit dull (just reminded me how much I needed to dust/vacuum), but I’d sing to him to keep us both upbeat- though not too upbeat.
If you have some kind of personal-music-thing, listening to your favorite songs at a low level might pass the time for the walks when you don’t feel like training.
Cheers to a steppingstone for Willie!
Chris Carney says
Actually, learning Rally might work for you. It is slow, controlled, and you really don’t have to know (or do) any of the steps that Willy can’t. Go to the akc.org site and look up Rally Obedience rules and you’ll see that it’s almost entirely walking, then some circling, stopping, going around some cones in a set pattern–in fact, the whole sport is patterned walking, except for a jump or two in the advanced, off leash section. But you might be able to do almost all of the on-leash novice part of Rally and at least keep the walking semi-interesting. Good luck to both of you!
Jan Casey says
One of my favorite sites for quiet games is http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~may/activ I also like Chris Zink’s suggestion of placing small diameter PVC pipe on the ground and having the dog walk (and eventually run) over them. They can be placed parallel in the beginning, then at angles and at different distances as Willy improves (which I hope is soon).
Carolyn H. says
My first thought is a treadmill.
My second thought is what I am currently training my dog to use for treibball. My house is open plan to I have a pylon at each end. My dog is learning “come bye” and “away to me” around each one. This might be too exciting for Will because of the association with herding, but my boy is quite happy just trotting around them for quite some time.
My third thought might also create too much enthusiasm. I would hide something and have him find and retrieve. A toy would put my dogs over the top, but I have used an empty paper towel roll to good effect. My dogs would happily do this for 10 minutes.
I hope others have some great ideas for you and Will!
Kelly Elvin says
Love the ideas about doing rally or freestyle stuff – walking through legs, finishes, left about turns, serpentine/straight figure 8 – keeps both of you interested and the pace/difficulty can be adjusted as needed. Target stick can build on the skills he already has and will enable you to keep his head at the correct angle. Nose work with boxes is so fun! If it creates too much excitement, how about stashing boxes along your walk – then periodically you could ask Willie to “find it” and he can look for the box with the treat.
Sending healing (and cooling) thoughts!
Lynn says
Oh, dear, been there, done that, with a 6-month-old border collie pup with bilateral shoulder surgery. And I only had a month of restricted activity to deal with before surgery, then 12 weeks of leash-only walks! Of course that 12 weeks stretched out quite a bit as my pup started limping on the hind end (bilateral CHD, as it turned out). But I hear you, absolutely, on how much time the daily sessions of PT can consume. And how it seems to stretch out forever, and how it eats away at your soul.
Water is great, eventually (and I SWEAR by underwater treadmill; at this point there’s absolutely no signs that there’s anything at all wrong with my pup except – PERHAPS – his preference for the “come bye” flank over the “away” flank; I attribute his recovery largely to the underwater treadmill PT), but my ortho vet wouldn’t allow dogs into the underwater treadmill until the time was right. And an underwater treadmill is infinitely better than free swimming; it was explained to me that dogs might thrash in a pool or lake, injuring a joint, while their movement on a treadmill is much more natural. You’re fortunate if you have access to one nearby.
What we did during the period when my pup couldn’t do ANYTHING fun was to introduce him to games that would engage his mind. For example, “touch” something specific. If toys excite Willie too much, perhaps he can learn to touch objects (by name) that he doesn’t associate with play: books, or a box of tissues, or some other really mundane object. We did introduce our pup to the equivalent of the shell game: we hid a small tennis ball (in his sight) under one of two or three yogurt cups, switched them around while he was lying down, allowed him to choose one to knock over. If he was right I’d toss the ball to him. (I hasten to add that he had a bomb-proof “stay” while lying down). If he was wrong I’d show him where it was and proceed to mix them up again. (He could play this game for hours). I’d also allow him to lie on his dog bed, and would toss a ball to him. He’d catch it and roll it back to me. Again, it helped that he would lie firmly glued to his bed if I told him to “stay”.
Are there other games you could teach Willie that don’t require motion? Does he “sing” if he hears a recorder (the musical instrument, not a tape recorder) being played? This could be captured, so he learns to “sing” on command.
This too shall pass… and hopefully you’ll have a healthy, happy dog at the end who can do everything he’s always dreamed of doing!
EmilyS says
the dog treadmills assume you put your dog in a harness, and have an overhead bar to which you attach this harness so he can’t jump off.
chloe De Segonzac says
treadmill, under water and regular. Swimming in a dog rehab pool.
Donna says
What’s wrong with being bored, or boring, for ten minutes of walking three times a day? It might be the best thing for him….think deep thoughts, and he will just enjoy getting out and having a change of scenery.
Annie says
I grew up on a farm and I would build mazes out of firewood/brush to “train” my dog for the circus (I was an only child with a vivid imagination). It was a good way to get a slow walk in a limited amount of space and it required concentration to find the right path.
Erin says
I also thought of walking backwards. You might also lay wide boards on the ground and have him walk across the “bridge”. Another thing you might try is teaching him to follow you, (keeping his head right behind your knees) and you could play follow the leader.
Deanna in OR says
I agree, I think Rally would be a good way to vary your walking exercise. It’s done in a relatively small space, almost all of the exercises are done at a walking pace (except the jump and the “Fast”), and both you and Willie would be learning some new things. You can do it so it is continuous movement, or include some of the stationary exercises (which are just brief stops for sits or downs or stands). There are several exercises, walking around cones in different ways, and the “offset figure 8” with distractors in bowls (food or toys). You could choose not to do any exercises that you think might be wrong movement for Willie at this point in his recovery.
To spice it up a bit, you could teach Willie to do the Rally exercises on both sides, not just left-heel (I tell my collie, Willow, “Close” for a right-side heel).
There are a lot of resources online for Rally, including a Yahoo group that has a lot of courses in the files section. I think all of the signs are there, so you could print them out to make up your own courses.
Of course, there are a lot of dog-dancing/canine-freestyle moves and steps you could teach him and incorporate into your walks, too. Many wouldn’t be safe for him now, but I would guess you could come up with some fun routines. There are a lot of videos on YouTube, to give you ideas.
jackied says
Don’t have time to read everyone else’s suggestions, so apologies if this one’s been done, but how about this? I do it with my dog to improve his impulse control but it would make walks more interesting for him (if not you) but be less hyping up than actual tracking.
First he has to sit-stay. Then I lay a line of treats out about 1 yard apart. My dog has to take a treat, walk to the next one and then sit before being allowed to eat it. If the treats were further apart, it would mean more walking, or you could get him to miss out every other treat on the way and pick them up on the way back.
Steve Shaffer says
First thought: ask the highly paid surgeons how you are supposed to fill their prescription of the 10 minute walk in a very specific position.
As to the heeling, how about on your right side? If that doesn’t work learn to walk backwards in front of him. Can you contour walk the hills if the slope is low enough?
Michele T. says
How about teaching him to walk backwards, or teaching him to walk in slow motion??
Amy says
How about follower the leader game? He can follow you, and you can set the pace. You could walk in figure 8’s, or sideways, and so forth that would make the walk a little more interesting for you and Willie.
You could plant “surprises” on the walk for Willie to find. Maybe little treats on the ground that would be fun for him to find, but not overstimulating.
Could you ask a friend to join you on the walks? It might be nice for both of you to have a little company; it might not feel so much like PT, if you have someone else there.
Lauren says
I don’t know how far you are from the nearest beach, but walking through sand might be a good idea. It cushions each step and has similar resistance to water. It also feels nice when it’s warm (but not hot). I’m not sure if this option is all that convenient to you – my apologies if it’s not.
I too, love watching the fireflies at night – I used to catch them when I was younger, hehe. How’s Willie doing with all the firework displays?
Rachel C. in KY says
Two ideas. Freeze a gob of peanut butter on a long spoon so he can lick it while walking (you can hold it in front of his nose so he doesn’t turn his head. Teach basket holding/carrying. That way he will be concentrating on learning this new trick and learning how to hold it while walking. Good luck!
Judi says
A TTouch labyrinth done with larger spacing to ease the turns could add a little interest to the walks. Setting up cones to walk around or taking advantage of trees or existing obstacles would be fun. If it’s getting harder to restrain Willie as he feels better and better, the TTouch concept of two points of contact (often one leash attached to the collar and one to a step-in-style harness) can lead to a gentler, more controlled stop. Even a TTouch bodywrap might be interesting for Willie as it is likely to bring his attention back to his body through the added sensory input provided by the wrap.
Ann W in PA says
Hmm, neat ideas so far. A couple others:
– have him carry a (very light) basket on the walks – something new (maybe?) to work on, plus he’ll have a “job” during the walk. It would also be likely to encourage him to keep his head centered while walking, regardless of where you are.
– play games with shaping body movement – head turns, paw lifts, etc. – teeny movements that would require more thinking than motion and unlikely to get him over-excited, you could even do head and tail movement while he’s in a down-stay. I’ll bet you could actually shape slow forward steps, one step at a time, until he’d move forward at a slow easy forward pace on cue.
– teach him the “other” positions around you, maybe? so in addition to “switch” being your right side, then you could name walking in front of you, and following behind you.
– maybe some targeting? What I’m picturing is being able to lay out a path of targets (plates or lids or something), and he’s got to go to the next one, and then, when released, go to the next one. Then you could make it kind of a zig-zag pattern using your flat space. Or teach him to follow a path marked by a string you’ve laid out beforehand?
My friend’s BC who had similar surgery and was in hobbles for a long time now has a great head nod. 🙂
Ann W in PA
Michelle says
A treadmill backed into a corner of a room would block off two exit points, and then a bookshelf down the other side would do it. You at the front and theres nowhere he could go. Mebbe…
Alexandra says
I haven’t had time yet to read through all the comments, so apologies if this has already been mentioned, but how about teaching him the Look at That (LAT) game? A brilliant trainer by the name of Leslie McDevitt has this an a variety of other exercises in her Control Unleashed book and DVD. Her program is used to teach over-excited or anxious dogs to calm themselves so that they can work, but I think some of the games would be applicable to keeping Willie entertained while walking. LAT basically involves clicking & treating a dog for looking at something that would normally get them all worked up (either excitement or nervous). You start with just a relatively neutral object hidden behind your back and play the game with that, but you can work up to playing the game with all kinds of things – other dogs, people, squirrels, bunnies, etc. I haven’t been too successful in teaching my dogs the names for many objects, but they did learn kitty, bunny, deer, and squirrel this way. There is a yahoo group for CU if that sounds like it might be of interest.
Alexandra says
LAT is pretty similar to what’s in your new Fiesty Fido book, so maybe this is something Willie has already known for years, apologies if that’s not a useful suggestion.
Sue says
What about a second lighter weight ramp that you could use just for the car? When my GSD had her TPLOs, first at 1 yr (diagnosed at 8 months, on restricted activity until surgery and 8 weeks after), second at age 2, I built a ramp made from two 2 x 12s with lath ‘steps’ for traction for the house and a lighter weight one from a 1 x 12 with lath steps for the car for appointments and trips. I always used a towel under her belly as a sling for extra protection against slips. Of course, I was concerned about her back end not her front so that may make a difference. If a 1 x 12 is too heavy, maybe a 2′ x whatever length of plywood with 2 x 2s running the length on the under side for reinforcement would work and hopefully not be too heavy.
Just a thought.
Jenn says
Ok, please forgive me if someone else further up has already mentioned any of these
Lyssa says
How about teaching Willie to walk directly behind you, at your pace? I use “follow” as one of the main trail etiquette skills for hiking (great for meeting others on narrow trails or negotiating fallen trees on the trail.) It’s also very handy for walking through tight crowds with a dog & is great for negotiating icy sidewalks in the winter. Might be useful for Willie since you can easily regulate your pace and is at least some variety from heel.
When my dog injured his back earlier this year, initially he wasn’t allowed to walk at all. He’s made a full recovery, but it took 14 weeks before he could walk more than 1/2 mile. He’s normally a very active dog, but to help keep him occupied we worked on item identification, teaching him the names of different objects and toys. We worked towards lining out a variety of objects and asking him to identify a specific one with a nose touch. Once he was good at this I added variety by puting out completely novel objects with 1-2 he knew the names of, or known objects with a one completely novel object just to throw him off a little. It was fun to see his brain work and it kept him from getting into a rut with this game. We played other games that have already been listed, like the shell game, find it, etc.
Jana Rade says
My heart goes out to you both, I know all about post-op. It is boring for the dog and frustrating. Definitely. And physical therapy is no walk in the park.
Well, I don’t know if I can possibly come up with something you didn’t, I’m learning things from you! Plus you need things with minimal shoulder involvement.
During Jasmine’s post op, when she was quite bored, we had ‘singing’ sessions. Hubby would “play” harmonica and Jasmine would sing to it. She seemed to have quite a bit of fun with that. And she WAS singing, as her howl sounds were quite different than regular howls she’ll do at fire truck sirens for example. If you try that, note, Jasmine would respond to particular tones best, some didn’t really trigger her singing.
I think you could try teaching some silly tricks. Just recently I saw a video of a dog who would stick out a tongue on command, for example. Also saw sneezing and yawning on a command. Silly stuff like that.
Here are some game ideas too: http://www.lauriebryce.com/tplo/games2.html
Lyssa says
Another quick comment about “follow” – years before I started using the clicker, I would teach “follow” by making a corridor out of chairs, just wide enough for me to walk down without the dog being able to get by. Might be an option if Willie’s getting too excited about clicker work or trying to dart around for treat delivery.
Kat says
I doubt this will be useful with Willie but one of the comments above triggered a story I thought I’d share. I know someone who does bloodhound search and rescue. One of the dogs she’d loved and lost before I ever met her had a severe injury and was basically on bed rest for quite awhile. They were having to carry him outside on a litter and hold him up so he could eliminate. As you can imagine this was really really boring for everyone. Since one of the SAR skills they need to keep current is canine first aid they began using her injured dog as their practice victim. He loved still getting to work with the whole team even if all he was doing was laying on the litter and being carried around or practice bandaged and by the time he’d recovered he was so used to it that for the rest of his life he was their canine victim for training canine first aid. It’s amazing how creative you can be when you have a bored dog with lots of restrictions.
trisha says
I thought about the “hold” idea, but Willie LOVES his toys and there is no way I could give him an object without letting him play with it. We’re doing well right now, we’re working on Switch (go behind me from left to right side) and heeling on the right. He is absolutely sure that if I’m going to give him treats he should be on my left, it’s interesting to work through. It’s easy to fix, but I do very short sessions or else he’s not walking forward, he is trying to circle in front of me to the left. So, we’ll go go with short little sessions, lots of plain old walking (me forward and back…. I would give a lot to ‘hear’ what he’s saying in his brain when I walk backwards with him right in front of me. He looks pure and simply bemused. And a little confused. And why wouldn’t he be?) We’re doing fine on things to keep him busy when he’s not on his therapeutic “walk forward in a straight line no trotting, no circling etc etc,” it’s the therapeutic walking that is the challenge. (Although I love hearing all the great ideas!) And, really, I don’t think he was the one that was bored, I think far more it was me. His new PT exercises are helping a lot, now that we’re doing less passive range of motion it’s much more active for him and interesting for me. Thanks for all the encouragement out there, it’s clear that so many of you have been through this yourselves. I’d say that in some ways it’s easier than I thought (W is less reactive and less energetic than I thought he’d be. Then again, he is five now and the first time he was on leash restrictions he was 8 months old.) In other ways, it’s harder (The post-op PT is often tedious and time consuming and most problematically, I miss all the things I’ve been doing with my dogs for over 20 years–herding, playing, long walks etc.) But we’re on week 7 and the PT said he is doing REALLY REALLY WELL. Yeah! Our work is definitely paying off. That’s a great birthday present.
Gotta go and let him out of his crate for a bit, he’s been such a good boy today, and on his birthday too!
Barb says
Hey, Trish! Hang in and it will all be over soon!
I agree with the people that referred to AKC rally signs. You could do some of the sign exercises as they are, like asking Willy to stop and stand still at the end of each 60 foot walk while you walk in a circle around him — if he won’t follow you too much with his head. A target at his nose might help. And some of the exercises, like circle left and right, might be modified to veer left and right for three feet and then back to the path? The details might be best left to you. But there are a bunch of ideas to get you started!
My guy Rudy, who has been through 5 months of leash walking, sends his best wishes to Willy.
Jen says
Well, geeze, if Willie’s fine with Therapeutic Walking and you’re the bored one, maybe we need suggestions for you! Can you walk with a book on your head? 😉
Keeping him at a walk and not excited are trying and challenging criteria; I certainly haven’t thought of anything my fellow commenters have not. “Carry” or “hold” was the best a-ha! moment for me while reading comments, but having an object boring enough not to play with while carrying isn’t very compelling to carry then, is it? My suggestion would have been a hairbrush, an empty purse, or a child’s plastic sand bucket (as they’re cheap and relatively available at dollar stores this time of year).
“Switch” is a neat command, along with leg weaving for some Freestyle action. I heel Elka on my right (we’re not out for competition anything, and I’m right handed so just more comfortable that way), and and realized lately that she’s so used to walking on my right that the suggestion of walking on my left really weirds her out.
My single unique inspiration: Have you ever tried teaching commands in a different language? It would be mental exercise for you, and could be fun for Willie!
Melissa says
A few months ago I taught one of my dogs to walk along between my legs. At first he found it a bit threatening being underneath me and right in my personal space, but very quickly it became one of his favourite tricks. I start walking like a cowboy and I look down and say “Where are you?” and he usually pops up right there between my legs looking up at me. It was easy to get him to go backwards with me from there and now it’s a game for him to keep pace with me between my legs wherever I go and however fast or slow I go there. I have since found it is quite useful in other contexts, like when another dog is bothering him at the park. I make a spot for him between my legs and he can go and hang out there and the other dog has trouble getting to him. Often he just needs a breather and this is an effective way of giving him one. It’s also good if there is something going on that he feels a bit threatened by. I can signal him to walk between my legs and he has both something to focus on and a barrier between him and the worrying thing. It’s also great when dogs are charging up. He doesn’t usually mind that much, but if I’d rather he didn’t get bowled over by an exuberant dog, we can prevent that by sending him between my legs. At least, I will get bowled over first and I’m a lot harder to bowl over than he is.
He also does forward weaves with me, weaves facing me while I walk backwards, and I taught him to come towards me, then turn around and reverse into position between my legs. We are currently working on weaving backwards. I’ve noticed that often backwards gets a lot of scooting or hopping from dogs. Maybe that one’s a bit much for Willie at the moment.
Rusty says
Another twist to the treadmill idea. That was the first thing I thought of but your counter with the dogs jumping off is a tangible trouble spot. There is a manufacturer that makes treadmills just for dogs. They have high sides and are designed specifically for animals. I’ve seen them advertised in many magazines, quite possibly The Bark. I know you’re familiar with that one. 🙂 The drawback for this humble WI State Employee is the cost. They are quite pricey as I recall. That is why I went the craigslist route and also got a very good, feature filled, well maintained treadmill for less than 25% of what it would have cost new.
Tori says
I also love the rally idea. My thoughts were to work on heel while doing a figure 8, then making an “S” through cones ( or whatever you set up). Having him do the same exercises on your right is a super idea, and I have seen a few competitors warming up before a trial and doing their heeling work with their dog while walking backwards. And you can break it up with some sits and some stands.
Good luck!
Trish says
My two-yr old border colllie has just been diagnosed with the same problem Willie initially had (biceps tenosynovitis). She has had a steroid shot in her shoulder and is on 6 weeks of crate rest, but the vet has warned me that it is likely that she will need to have the same surgery Willie has had. I am not a professional dog trainer, but I have been reading this blog avidly and it has been very useful to track Willie’s progress and to learn about the steps of his rehab. It’s the only account of its kind I can find on the web. A great future book might cover this issue: how to deal with an injured, bored dog. All the ideas given here for tricks and mental training have been very useful. Pip sends her thanks!
Karissa says
It really seems that a treadmill is your best option. It would make your life so much easier that I would think it would be worth taking the steps required in the beginning to ensure that Willie is unable to jump off. The dog-specific treadmills would completely remove your worries with their high sides, but they are pricey and only serve one purpose. It would not be that hard to fabricate sides on a human treadmill. Most dogs take to them quickly and Willie is no doubt so starved for activity and stimulation that he will enjoy it quite a bit.
Put him in a harness and stand over the top of him while he walks. This is how we started one of my dogs in the underwater treadmill and it worked perfectly.
Sharon C. says
I think I, too, would be having a harder time than my dogs with such restrictions. Bored, bored, bored! So maybe a list of things you need to think about for 10 minutes, maybe some short pod-casts on an iPod (NPR has some great ones, both serious and humorous), maybe bring an audio recorder so you can dictate lists, muse on the world, or start that next book (and maybe one on how to cope with a recuperating dog would be a good idea!). Audio books, phone a friend, or, the hardest thing of all, just ‘be’. That is a hard exercise for us humans, and maybe this is your chance to practice it!
Just think how far you have all come – as Willie is allowed more movement, things will not be so dull.
Stay cool!
Cindy M says
We do an exercise with our horses to work on leading (and hand-walking when they are in rehab.) We set up a circle of cones. Walk, stop at each cone, click, treat. We can then walk, stop at every other cone, click treat, etc. We can shape head position while walking, body balance, etc, or we can have the horses touch each cone with their nose. Sometimes we will work on them following a target stick (maybe something plain, not a ball on the end-I took an old piece of 1 inch PVC pipe, wrapped one end with electrical tape for a color contrast, and the horse had to nose target that part of the pipe.) As you can imagine, an athletic horse on restricted movement can be a pretty daunting project.
Perhaps some of those ideas will be helpful?
judy emmert says
Inside Mall Walking? We do it Canada for Seniors who can’t safely get outside.
I’m sure you could get permission. It’s cool, window shopping for you, forwards, backwards, follow floor patterns. As long as transportation to and from wouldn’t be too difficult, that’s what I’do – and a frozen Yo for treat at end.
On Last night’s TV a show called “Finding Sarah” on OWN showed the Dutchess following a string maize while blindfoldfed. There were lots of deadends, and one correct way, and a very big hint. I think there’s the spark of an idea there that would be very beneficial for you and Willie. The idea hasn’t completely emerged, but on it’s way. Perhaps you could think on it too.
Cheers to you, with all goodwishes.
Judy Emmert, Oakville, ON, Canada
Laurie says
If you want to work on walking frontward and backward, targeting while walking, etc., but are worried about lateral motion, you can create a chute with an expen against a wall. I use this with wiggly Amos to help him maneuver straight. Also in an s pattern for weave through legs backward… Though we don’t have that down yet. Also what about standing between your legs and walking forward and backward there?
Donna says
Use sidwalk chack to build a maze then you can have a different one for each walk they wash of easly.
Ravana says
So it is YOU that’s bored. I’d recommend learning some walking songs (songs with a beat that is equal to your gait). I met a guy who walked across Australia with a pack horse. When I asked what the best advice he could give someone about to set out on a similar adventure he said, “Learn A LOT of songs. I only knew four and I was soon bored and the horse annoyed.”
Marika says
I just finished “The Tellington TTouch: caring for animals with heart and hands” I have been starting to practice a little on my dogs and cats with mixed results. One of my dogs LOVES it and gave me a look that seemed to say “Why haven’t we been doing this the WHOLE time!”
You could also read to Willie….
Tim Munro says
I agree with the comments regarding TTouch ideas. Two points of contact from a lead will help you help him be balanced and slow in situations he is over excited.
I would think about a variety of obstacles to deal with that are not about hard movements (ie jumping, tight turns, etc). This could be very gentle weaves through widely spaced witches hats, large labrynth, 1″ dowel poles at same & different angles, different low/flat surfaces in a line or spaced (eg carpet tile, fake grass, rubber mat, sheet metal, timber, foil car window shade, etc). Anything that is slightly novel or approched in a novel way will offer his nervous system a chance to respond differently. Think about agility stuff you might teach a puppy but just control the movements with a good harness if needed to slow it right down.
I think nose work is also the best for mental stimulation and you can combine this with some of the obstacles though very random treats, hidden under cups etc.
Hope you get good at slow, best of luck.
Carolyn in Belize says
Just now catching up on your blog … we’re in Michigan at the moment and I just made the most awesome wild black raspberry pie! The blackberries will be a month off …
Valerie says
Have you seen the Freedom harness? It comes with a double ended lead to give you two points of contact, if necessary – on top, behind the dog’s shoulders and in front, like a no-pull harness. The top is like a martingale and hugs the dog when tightened. It’s designed to keep the dog’s spine in alignment. I got one for my German Shorthair (talk about energy!) when I was told to take him for long, slow, controlled walks to make him load each leg equally. It worked wonderfully! I only used the top attachment since I didn’t need or want to turn him.
Maybe to ease his boredom you could put some yummy treats as a target some distance away, say 50′, and teach him to walk slowly to the target, which he would obviously get as his reward. Put “slow” on cue. Then ask him to stay or wait while you move the target to another place. Not very exciting for you – oh well!
Beck says
Oh I hear you, we had to do laps around a townhouse cul-de-sac when Sonar was recovering from ACL surgery. My dog is more interested in other, living, chase-able things than me, so we’d never have an issue with her staring up at me. I wish I was so far a successful enough trainer to have that problem. I think she would also kill me if I tried to teach her 50% of those crazy cool different paw touches and other intricate tricks that have been listed. She really is a jock of a dog and it was torture to let the Kong sit alone in the backyard for so long. We did succeed in learning loose-leash walking at this time- this being an exciting enough achievement that I was not very bored. But Sonar is a large, intimidating looking dog, so I had a lot of success pretending I was patrolling a secret military facility. Thankfully, with her long legs, a slow walk is not so agonizing. Can you imagine walking a Jack Russell at a therapeutic speed? At least you’d only do one lap in 10 minutes. I think walking in large circles helped my dog be less excitable about the whole thing. Also I stuck to pavement, right down the middle of the road so there was less to smell- because then she’d pull toward it.
Combining the person who mentioned tracking with the person who mentioned the mazes- you could lay down a chalk line for Willie to follow, with treats along it for following the line. Maybe crosshatches to designated stopping points, laid at such intervals that he walks slowly?
How to make it more interesting for you? Wear rollerblades. Dogs on leashes are always more “interesting” when the stakes are higher. Kidding. Really. I mean, it is more interesting, but not safer for recovering dogs. Here’s to therapeutic walking!
alessandra says
Joy has hips problems and we usually have some training with treadmill inserted in a sort of small swimming pool (indeed I asked my vet to have a larger one for me, to do the same exercise facing her, like in a romantic film …!)
We also practice in a swimming pool, with low water level, to walk, instead of swimming: fine enough, and good in this season
+ a lot of seek and chess exercises, wonderful for her, although it’s not as running off-leash
Cheers from Italy