Any suggestions on how to keep a dog busy??

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Solstar

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Please help!!

Willow is 1 year old GSDx, who came from the Dogs Trust in August.
Willow managed to get into the Living Room this morning.
I've just spent 30 mins clearing up after her rampage- she's destroyed 2 cushions, a pot plant and a couple of her toys- and then had the biggest wee on the carpet. She'd also eaten some bread (that I thought was out of the way) and pulled the bin over in the Kitchen.
This is despite been walked for 1 hour this morning, and when I left I put her breakfast down and her Kong. Of course, she's eaten her brekkie and had the pate out of the Kong.
I'd only been gone 90minutes- she can *usually* stay out of mischeif for 3 hours, but she'd managed to open the door and go on this rampage.

OH is going to go into town on his lunchbreak and buy a bolt for the door, but does anyone have any suggestions for keeping her busy for a bit longer? This is the first time she has been this naughty- I put her straight out onto the garden whilst I cleaned up and made a brew and have been ignoring her.
She is curled up asleep now, with a smug look on her face!!
 
Crate her? TBH I would try upping and varying her exercise.
Is this a lead walk or does she get to run off lead as well?

GSDs themselves always go a bit 'Kevin The Teenager' at 12 months so this is probably her sheppy side coming through
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I would also try bringing in some training sessions as well, would she go for agility or straight agility?
If you walk her for an hour, try introducing little ten minute training sessions in there two or three times per walk so she has brain exercise as well as physical exercise.

Is there a 'safe' area like a hallway or utility room which would be a less 'dangerous'
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place for her to be when you are out? What about an outside run with a kennel?
 
Agree wit CC, u need to place her in a more confined area or crate train her, build the time up in the area u choose whe u are in aswell as out and place her kong in there, also stuff the kong with home made food and freeze not the crappy kong filler paste or biscuits u get.....it will take her longer to empty, u can also get a ball shaped thing that she has to roll about to get the treats out of.......tis all normal mischevious behaviour
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if u walked her b4, as suggested next time make her run, cycle or get a ball thrower if she likes toys, they are self exercising tools
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CC I was hoping you would see this!
We were crating her when we first got her, but she'd progressed to being in the Kitchen and Hallway with a babygate across the stairs and the Living Room door shut.

Her walks are about half and half- I walk her on the lead to field, making her sit at the 2 roads we have to cross, then she's let off, and she plays with a couple of other dogs that we know. I move her on after about 20mins- to go a bit further on her walk and so she can do her business. I do quite a bit of Sit, Stay, Come, STOP and Heel when she isn't on the lead, because if I dont keep her attention that way she runs off.

I dont know about any agility etc near me, is there a website I could look on? I dont use the local vets but the vets near where I work dont have anything on the board, I might ring Dogs Trust to ask them.

We might have to try just having her in the hallway- its smaller than the kitchen though.
I will pop the Kong in the freezer now!!
 
If you want some brain-exercising toys (boredom breakers) I have some of Nina Ottosson's, my dogs favourite is Dog Tornado Wood. They are sold in UK e.g. http://www.petplanet.co.uk/category.asp?dept_id=724 , http://www.mutleyandmog.co.uk/dog/dog-accessories/dog-toys/nina-ottosson-training-toys/ and http://www.swellpets.co.uk/dog/dog-toys-715/boredom-dog-toys-944.html .

As I recall, Prose's Stella enjoys this one http://www.boston-terrier-challenge.com/tests/busy-buddy-twist-treat.html .



If you want something for her when she's alone, then I would get a black Kong. Put it in the freezer filled with e.g. cream cheese, yogurt, carrot purée or other things, before leaving her, give her the frozen filled Kong.

There has been more than one thread about Kong fillers on this forum and you can also find a few recipes on http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html , choose Tips and advice and they have a few Kong recipes.



If they're tired in both the body and the brain, they are really not likely to bother with doing any mischief.
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Thankyou everyone for all your suggestions, we are going to try some agility, there is a club near where I work. Going to have a look into some of the dog puzzle/toys for her aswell.

I left her this aft for a couple of hours (I dont normally leave her twice in a day) after walking her with the ball chukka and came back to an orderly home....
 
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