Ripley needs exercise. Off-lead exercise, and LOTS of it. I have been walking him for about 2 miles every day, playing fetch with him inside the RV and letting him swim in the lake. Whenever I'm outside, he's outside - mental stimulation galore. We work on obedience about 45 minutes every day, broken into 5-minute sessions so his ADD doesn't kick in.
Despite this, Ripley is WIRED. He wants to run, needs to run, and he can't while he's on the leash. I've been trying to get him to calm down for training today but I can't because he has so much pent-up energy. I'd have to walk for 10 miles to get him to wear out.
The place we are staying at is completely fenced in, but Ripley can squeeze through the tiniest holes. And he looks for the opportunity to escape.
I don't know if this is a training question but I want the advice of those who frequent the training board. A trainer I was talking to last night recommended an e-collar for him (she is a reputable trainer who uses positive, motivational methods, so this surprised me) because she didn't think I could get much farther with his training unless he was able to release some of that pent-up energy, and an e-collar would give me a bit of control over him.
What do you guys think of that suggestion? I'm so hesitant to try it because he IS a little guy. If he was the size of my Border Collie I would absolutely try it if it would mean him getting the exercise he needs. But I don't even know if they MAKE ecollars in his size!
What would you do to exercise this dog? I devote as much time as I can to my dogs but I still have a life outside of them, and spending 4-5 hours each day simply exercising Ripley is out of the question. He really needs to run free, but he can squeeze out of even the most securely fenced environments (we ripley-proofed our yard for months and still have to watch him to make sure he can't escape) and despite my most desperate attempts at training him, he has virtually NO recall once he gets wind of a good smell or sees something intriguing. Properly used, would an e-collar give me more control over him? Would it be enough so that I could let him run loose on this property and not bolt away?
Any suggestions or input are gladly welcomed. I am really trying to work things out with this dog but I know that without proper exercise, he will never be in the right state of mind to learn.
Despite this, Ripley is WIRED. He wants to run, needs to run, and he can't while he's on the leash. I've been trying to get him to calm down for training today but I can't because he has so much pent-up energy. I'd have to walk for 10 miles to get him to wear out.
The place we are staying at is completely fenced in, but Ripley can squeeze through the tiniest holes. And he looks for the opportunity to escape.
I don't know if this is a training question but I want the advice of those who frequent the training board. A trainer I was talking to last night recommended an e-collar for him (she is a reputable trainer who uses positive, motivational methods, so this surprised me) because she didn't think I could get much farther with his training unless he was able to release some of that pent-up energy, and an e-collar would give me a bit of control over him.
What do you guys think of that suggestion? I'm so hesitant to try it because he IS a little guy. If he was the size of my Border Collie I would absolutely try it if it would mean him getting the exercise he needs. But I don't even know if they MAKE ecollars in his size!
What would you do to exercise this dog? I devote as much time as I can to my dogs but I still have a life outside of them, and spending 4-5 hours each day simply exercising Ripley is out of the question. He really needs to run free, but he can squeeze out of even the most securely fenced environments (we ripley-proofed our yard for months and still have to watch him to make sure he can't escape) and despite my most desperate attempts at training him, he has virtually NO recall once he gets wind of a good smell or sees something intriguing. Properly used, would an e-collar give me more control over him? Would it be enough so that I could let him run loose on this property and not bolt away?
Any suggestions or input are gladly welcomed. I am really trying to work things out with this dog but I know that without proper exercise, he will never be in the right state of mind to learn.