A high-energy dog wearing you out? There’s help

Thanksgiving tips to make the holiday meal easy and delicious
11/20/09
Are you willing to watch your children fail?
11/20/09
Animal clinic collecting food to feed hungry family pets
11/20/09
When it comes to health, Michigan tops Ohio
11/20/09
Dad goes into overdrive with daughter at the wheel
11/19/09
> More lifestyle headlines

By Laurie Denger, Staff Writer 3:44 PM Friday, September 18, 2009

My dalmatian Willow can run through farm fields, swim in the pond and splash through the creek and still want to play “throw the ball for me and I will chase it” for another hour or two.

Sometimes I long for a couch-potato dog.

But when you have a high-energy dog, you have to find things to keep her busy — or she will find something to do that usually means you will be cleaning, repairing or throwing something away.

“High Energy Dogs, a Practical Guide to Living with Energetic and Driven Canines” by Tracy Libby is a new book that could help give you some ideas. The chapters include Understanding your High Energy Dog, Training your High Energy Dog and Living with your High Energy Dog.

It turns out just as many of us suspected, high-energy dogs also are highly intelligent and become bored quickly.

It’s OK for some dogs to figure out what they want to do, but high-energy dogs must be directed — and the owner usually has to be able to read their body language and be a couple steps ahead of the dog.

Published by TFH Publications, the book sells for $19.99 — about the cost of that pair of shoes your high-energy dog destroyed when you weren’t looking.

There’s another way to keep a high-energy dog entertained, and that involves a lot of work on the owner’s part. But if you bring a high-energy dog home, you need to be ready to bring some energy to the relationship, too.

“Training Your Superdog” by Gwen Bailey is a great guide to almost every detail you need to know to develop, train and live with your dog to unleash his or her potential. From picking the right dog to building a bond, to basic and advanced training to solving behavior issues to playing sports, this book has great tips and lots of photos to help a puzzled owner.

For instance, did you know a training session should never last more than three minutes?

Published by DK, the book sells for $19.95.

Local event perfect for your high-energy dog

So you’re looking for something fun for your high-energy dog, eh?

How about dock  jumping?

It’s a growing sport in which water-loving dogs leap at 20 mph off the end of a dock into a pond or pool to retrieve a floatable favorite toy. Distance is the object.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, Cross Creek Farm Canine Water will hold an event at 2200 Black Road, New Richmond in Clermont County to demonstrate. For $10, you can even enroll your dog in a session. Buckeye DockDogs is open to any dog, 6 months or older, that likes water and fun. The demo starts at noon and the public session starts at 1 p.m.

For more information, visit www.CrossCreek Dogs.com or www.buckeye dockdogs.com. To reserve your spot, e-mail info@crosscreekdogs.com or call Linda at (513)  734-0004.

More pet events

• The National Dachshund Races will be Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, at 334 E. Main Cross in Findlay. Visit www.weinerrace.com for more details.

• The Dayton Kennel Club will let you Meet the Breeds from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Greene in Beavercreek as part of Responsible Dog Ownership Day. Talk to owners and breeders about what kind of dog is right for you before you bring it home.

• The Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals is holding its Red Dog Auction on Friday, Sept. 25, at the Moraine Country Club, 4075 Southern Blvd. The event, which is a fundraiser for SICSA, begins at 5 p.m. with cocktails and a silent auction. A dinner and live auction begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $70. For more information, call (937) 294-6505, ext. 16.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2248 or ldenger@Dayton DailyNews.com.

Share this article