02/19/2025
Swipe to see how Peep feels about still being on activity restriction😂
How we have survived what has felt like a lifetime of activity restriction with Peep for her injuries and recovery:
1️⃣ The crate is our best friend. Crating is the number one way we keep Peep quiet and safe. Peep spends 8 hours of her day and sleeps in her crate. I can already hear some of you saying “HOW HORRIBLE”. What would be more horrible though would be me allowing her to injure herself further or end up elongating her already excessive activity restriction. Additionally, Peep loves her crate and it’s her safe place.
2️⃣ Tethering. Tethering her (which is basically having her on a leash attached to me or something to hold her in place) has been our second best friend. Naturally Peep has a lot of energy built up and, if left to her own devices, would be sprinting out of her crate and around my house (which is obviously not allowed). So, the leash helps keep her safe while allowing her to spend time with us.
3️⃣ Training- while what she is allowed to do is VERY limited, we do whatever we can. Practicing eye contact, working on impulse control, PT exercises (guided by a rehab specialist), and holding stationary positions have been the bulk of our trianing. Because she can’t be fulfilled physically, giving her some mental fulfillment is a necessity for her sanity.
4️⃣ Controlled walks. HUGE EMPHASIS ON CONTROLLED. With a high drive power house like Peep (with reactive tendencies) all of our walk training has set us up for success with this. While she would love to go sprint around the yard, short walks are better than nothing.
5️⃣ Patience. No matter what, I will not be able to fulfill Peeps needs during her recovery. Peep is a very high drive dog who goes crazy mentally when she doesn’t get some good fulfillment. She doesn’t require anything excessive but some run time, some active training, some agility and tug every week has been the key to a good Peep. Without this, we sometimes get naughty Peep (think demand barking, shoe chewing, lack of impulse control). While it’s tempting to get frustrated because she “knows” better, I have to remind myself she’s doing her best🫶🏼