keeping a yorkie busy
 

I live on the Eastern shore of MD. We just got 12 inches of snow, plus I've been very sick and I can't walk "Mess Chloe". She has really been missing her walk and getting into everything, even worse than usual....any ideas on how to release some of her energy while we are in the house? She is a pup, only 6 mo old. She also started getting in the kitty litter box and eating what she finds...UH!

Hi, I found one thing that helps keep Missy busy without a whole lot of effort on my part. :) I bought one of the cat toys that is a long stick with a string and a toy at the end of it. Kind of like a fishing pole with out the reel. Anyway I found one with a little stuffed toy (not the feather type) on the end and I just sit on the couch while watching TV and hang it over the edge and bounce away and Missy goes wild grabbing it, fighting and shaking it and growling at it. It keeps her occupied for as long as I shake it or pull on it from time to time until she tires herself out. She is only 4 months old and small so I don't know if this would work with a bigger pup but it sure keeps her busy for quite awhile.

You could play ball with her using a tennis ball. My Yorkie loves playing in the bathtub with toys and about 2 inches of water. You have to monitor this however. Fill a Kong with peanut butter and cherrios. Give her an empty plastic water bottle with the cap on extra tight. This also needs supervision.

Heh the cats aren't that much help, are they. Right now I've got my area rug rolled so the little guy can practice tunneling. Prop a board on a chair for a slide. Buy LOTS of balls. Set up goalposts. String different chewtoys from a ceiling hook/elastic. Maybe an obstacle course. Never feed from a bowl - hide kibbles all over the house instead. There's probably some trick training you can do from the couch. Stay creative...I'll be watching this thread for ideas! Mine's barely 6 mos too, and rarin' to go every minute of the day.

Mine loves the weazel ball, its hysterical to watch.. they are really cheap on ebay, but it sure does tire them out.
Weasel Ball Motorized Appears Alive LOVES KIDS Weazel - eBay (item 140378271920 end time Feb-26-10 13:20:14 PST)

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!! I have been trying to find this for a while. I had no idea what it was called or where to find it. I asked my daughter about it, tried to describe it and she looked at me like I was crazy. Had no idea what I was talking about. Even asked a lady at the pet store the other day and she didn't know either. Maybe it was my description? Anyway, going to check it out now. Love this forum!

Can you put the kitty litter box where your yorkie can't get to it - maybe with a baby gate separating where it's at? We sit on the floor and throw her ball down a long hallway and that expends a lot of energy. Bully sticks keep them busy for awhile, too.

awesome!
 

Oh my goodness I just ordered that weasel ball. That looks amazing, and will definitely keep Lexie entertained for quite a while.

I also have done the stick, with a rope and a toy on the end, and it uses up quite a bit of lexies energy. I am studying for the cpa test right now so a lot of time I will just be sitting at my computer and hold that in one hand and she goes at it for a while. All I have to do is move my hand every once in a while.

I also have a remote control rat - I got it as a white elephant one year, but it has ended up being amazing. Lexie will chase and attack it until I make her stop and put it away. I will say this definitely encourages the barking, because of course they are going to want to bark at it. So that may be something too consider if that's an issue for you.

One last idea I do with Lexie is I will get a toy or treat, show her it, then go hide it somewhere - this works best with treats because they can smell them. Then I say "where is it" and she goes looking for it. Very fun :)

I think I may try to do the obstacle course idea. Lexie often does this on her own, she just goes crazy and runs laps around my living room following the same pattern each time.

Ok I'm buying weazel balls too, but I think yorkie people should really chip in and buy the lot of 48 there on ebay, and take turns with them. Set them ALL loose on your yorkies for a week, then when you are able to get some sleep, deliver them to the next nearest yorkier person.

That's a great idea!:D

My little guy is 10 months old and is very active. The other week I was sick and he kept quite busy playing with his ball and hong filled with the treat. He'd bring the ball to me and jump up on the sofa where I laid.

It's funny he seemed to sense how bad I felt and he seemed more quiet than normal and would come up beside periodically and sleep with me. He is such a joy.

He also loves stuffed animals that they sold as a package from AKC.

Good luck with your precious furbaby.:)

Heyyyy! My dad lives on the Eastern Shore. :) My friend goes to Salisbury University. I'm about an hour from there.

Anyways... I keep Jackson by a few things. We do a lot of tricks & trick training. So sometimes we learn a new one or sometimes we just dedicate 15 minutes or so to doing all the other tricks he knows to refresh on them. :)

We also do a nightly game of fetch for about 10 minutes or so. I throw it down a long hall and he fetches it and brings it back. He loves that.

I also make sure to have a bullystick chew for these kind of days (he's chewing on one right now).

Hugely lucky if your dog gets to visit Brit & Jackson.

I was looking around for RC rats, and found an Amazon seller with some, as well as these which look promising:
Amazon.com: Hamusuta the Happy Hamster in Ball:...

I bought a $5 dollar motorize mouse for my maltese and she loves it. My yorkie is kind of frighten by it but I see her eyeing it. It goes back and forth, recomend it on tile or wooden floors here's a pic. Oh and I got it at walmart in the cat section:D She's on her third mouse.