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Originally Posted by gracielove  Some dogs have a condition kind of like hyperactivity in humans. Giving her a lot of exercise is really important but trying to teach her how to calm down is just as important.
I'd say Gracie was really ultra active during her first 2 years. She turned 3 last May and I can see a lot of the puppy stuff has lessened. She still expects her two outside walks a day and wants to play fetch, she still likes to patrol the backyard when I am out there with her but she doesn't play with the cats quite as much and I find she is more inclined to nap a couple of times a day if nothing is going on around here. She still is very courious and prefers to be active though.
Do you work on obedience with her? Things like sit, stay, down, come, and some tricks? That kind of thing helps expand their ability to concentrate. Dogs really love to achieve goals. They love the treats and extra praise, too! But the training can help teach them to have more control. If they seem to be looking for something to do (like trouble) you can easily have her do some of the things she has learned in order to keep her mind busy and reenforce what she has learned. |
That is great to hear that Gracie calmed down at 3 years old. I will await Beanie being 3!!! I do work with her on doing things like going DOWN the ramp in the living room instead of jumping off the couch. I do that just about every day. I am trying to stop her from jumping off the couch to save her legs for when she gets older. All that repetitive stuff causes arthrititis in our doggies as well as us.
But, I have to tell you, this dog is extremely willfull, stubborn and any other adjectives to describe an a amimal (or human) that has a mind of their own and is just going to pursue what they want.
I love my Beanie to death, I would NOT want her to be any different, she is like me, she likes what she likes, she wants what she wants, and that is it.
Most of the time I am fine with her nuttiness, there are just days that I get a tad frustrated. She is the love of my life and I would wouldn't change her for anything, although I DO need moral support every once in a while, hence my posts here.