# exercise



## Floyd (Aug 18, 2013)

We have recently gotten Izabella... she is 10.5 weeks and is strong minded and going thru a crazy 'shark phase'... All the advice and encouragement for that has been great so I thought I could get some help on exercising her... we have a large back yard with lots of room to run and play... But all she wants to do is put every flower and leaf in her mouth (whether on the leash or not)... It seems like all I am doing is pulling stuff out of her mouth... she has no desire to run (on or off the leash).... Any suggestions to burn off some of this energy she has????


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## flxstr (Nov 19, 2012)

We would all separate into different corners of the yard. Each randomly calls dog and one person randomly gives dog favorite treat. She never knows who or when she'll get treat. 

Works wonders for teaching recall and burning energy at same time. At dog park or in forest we would increase distance until we are a hundred meters apart in every direction. Continued until dog is foamy and exhausted and happy.

Dog now is virtually perfect on recall, and easy to work. She loves this exercise.


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

I have never managed to burn off the dog's energy to any appreciable degree. 
I have managed to keep the nose busy, though...
... keep that part busy and the dog turns to putty in your hands.

I cleaned more fields of debree and plastic wrappers than I ever imagined before. Kept constantly pulling stuff out of the puppy's mouth constantly. 
Always kept him on a long line at the 3-5 months of age. Later, when the puppy became more selective about what it put in its mouth, I let him off leash more often. 

Shark bites, I would get a pair of soft, pig skin leather work gloves from Home Depot and yield like it was my own skin. But they do need to learn to have a soft mouth. 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=71CT_I22FPQ&desktop_uri=/watch?v=71CT_I22FPQ

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6vrPDMc-I-k&desktop_uri=/watch?v=6vrPDMc-I-k

Congrats on your new puppy.


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## v-john (Jan 27, 2013)

Is the pup not running in your backyard? Is this the issue? 

Vizslas are smart. Their brains and bodies need stimulation. You can't simply put pup in the backyard expect him to become exercised. It doesn't work that way. 
I take mine to pasture ground, every day and run them off leash. Six or seven ponds, some quail, birds and 1500 acres usually occupy their minds. And turtles. One is a turtle retrieving guru. 
I'm fortunate to have this. Others, I know don't so you are going to have to figure something else out. Play games, fetch, something. Of course the pup is putting things in his mouth. That's what pups do. Especially bored ones.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

I remember that age well... Vs will not self-exercise... start working on her retrieve - use a bumper, chuck-it, anything... throw, retrieve, treat/praise. Find a puppy friend that she can play with. I also have a soccer ball that Wilson is allowed to mouth - we play soccer - I kick it, he gets it, then we play hard to get. We also did little short training sessions at that age - basic heel, sit, drop it, leave it, etc.

But, if you have a large back yard and expect her to exercise herself? No luck. I can bring Wilson to the dog park and if there are no other dogs, he sits and eats grass like a cow.


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## flxstr (Nov 19, 2012)

mlwindc said:


> But, if you have a large back yard and expect her to exercise herself? No luck. I can bring Wilson to the dog park and if there are no other dogs, he sits and eats grass like a cow.


So very true! Or dig holes, eat sticks, eat BBQ, eat lawn mower, eat steel, eat fence, eat shed, and eat anything else you'd consider inedible.

But go outside with dog and a floppy frisbee and she's in heaven!


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