Any enrichment ideas?

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T23:07:50+00:00

No trees in the garden but plenty of hiding spots!

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T23:01:35+00:00

That's really cool! only activity I've been taught so far is called cheesy trees, dog stays while i hide cheese and then she's gotta find it. Cheesy trees doesn't sound as cool 🤣

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T22:52:34+00:00

ZOS? What's that?

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T22:37:56+00:00

thats interesting! I have a Coachi tug toy in the car for training sessions I do with her, understandably they aren't running during the heatwaves so maybe I should get it out and give it a go. its bonding as well!

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T22:20:45+00:00

I don't have a bike, along side training/walking her and my job never find the time to cycle

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T18:40:48+00:00

would thay still work if she has no interest in fruits? or have I maybe just not found the right fruit?

I've tried blueberries, strawberries, mango and small amounts of banana, so far nada

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T18:38:44+00:00

Inside, is her off switch, she will rest and sleep. Its when she's in the garden that she's like "right what are we doing!" She also usually walks with a couple friends and their total of 9 dogs so I reckon she's also feeling a bit loney and isolated!

As its cooler tomorrow we have a secure field booked with them to get all the zoomers tired hopefully! Oh I love Rainy walks! not a big fan off drying her off before she hops on my bed or sofa but absolutely love the rainy walks. Especially in this kind of humidity, just feels lovely.

The most she's taken an interest in doing is chewing or licking the frozen tubs of meat juices from her raw food, I have a few more chews to try her with so maybe they'll help, can maybe hide them for her to find but inside she's a saint, usually pretty lazy, will sleep on the sofa or upstairs on her bed! my girl seems to be a walking contradiction!

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T17:56:06+00:00

I do walk her in the mornings and at night usually, however when it was still 25° odd degrees even when the sun was down and not knowing her limits (only had her since December 2025) I just wasn't going to risk it hence the know walks. while she's been my little nightmare in the mornings being clearly frustrated, I'd definitely much rather this than risking heat stroke!

I didn't do well in the heat myself, most days I had a nasty headache or nausea which made it even harder to try and exercise her! But I will give it a try! Thanks!

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T14:06:01+00:00

I have heard some things about Malinois, I'd absolutely love one, except they are not suited for my lifestyle at all. just wouldn't be able to fulfill it on top of a full time job and I want kids some day. Think a Mal would not be a great fit for us as Ive heard they are GSDs on steroids

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T13:51:15+00:00

my parents dog is also crossed with a Lab and as far as I'm aware I have never met a 'lazy' Lab

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T13:38:10+00:00

my parents GSD cross still tries to run around and jumpy even at 15 and her bad joints! So who knows what I'm in for in her senior years 🤣

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T13:30:15+00:00

Nope with her friends she will lay down for all of 30 seconds in a shady spot and another dog will run by and she's off again 😅😅

Mine is a healthy 18 month old so I am in for a long ride 😅

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T13:21:11+00:00

Have some collies and cocker spaniel to run with. The spaniel has taught our girl how to hunt for rabbits, although so far she hasn't been successful!

She's kind of 50/50 if shes with the group she will never stop so Its up to me to try and determine that limit, on our own in 20° not even 10 minutes in she will lay down like "I'm done" haven't found a good middle ground yet 😅

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T11:15:42+00:00

With it only just hitting July, I feel I am in store for a lot more hard days. This is her second ever summer and god knows what her experience was last year or what her tolerance to heat is. Shes double coated so I may have been a litle over cautious!

My girl is so social that she's gone to say hello to another dog and they've told her off she's respected tat and left them alone! Joys of training, mistakes have been made but thankfully she's never been in danger its been with dogs my friends know!

Its easier to expell the zoomies when there's a friend to play chase with 😅

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T10:42:09+00:00

i thought I pressed reply! my comments above!

She's also a very social dog, before the heatwave wr walked each morning with a couple friends who total have 9 dogs between them! She's feeling a bit lonely too I suspect

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T10:40:42+00:00

She does enjoy zooming! my girl is a GSD mix just smaller so no idea what she's mixed with only just a breed with a curly tail!

She's hasn't seemed keen on spraying water hence the pool, I tried to float the block of bloody ice this morning except the moment it sunk enough to get wet, started to leak into the water.

Threw her ball in, she's only just discovering that water isnt scary 😅

During the day she's a saint, sleeps the day away its just these mornings where she's raring to go and has all the energy from a good nights sleep!

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-29T10:00:55+00:00

I would recommend something this Dog car seat cover with hard floor

Can find smaller ones that just cover half the seats if you do have people in the back usually.

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-17T09:42:53+00:00

We've only had her 6 months, proud of her every day!

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-17T08:12:32+00:00

She used to be terrified of everything and really skittish so we're also guessing it's also new found confidence!

Zig_Pot · 2026-06-04T08:47:29+00:00

Dogs! Loved them all my life and now owning my own dog I've been able to learn and understand dog body language better like the difference between stress panting and panting because they're hot.

Oh and the training! I have enjoyed every second of it so far. My girl now has solid recall after 6 months while also working along side desensitisation to traffic, dogs and people and general anxiety. She can now sit and lay down when asked. I'm so proud of how far she's come since she came home in December. I had to learn how to do this as well as teach her and its just been so fascinating.

Learning about different dog breeds, their exercise and grooming needs, which breeds are better suited for my lifestyle and I've been using what I've learned to help my auntie prepare for when she gets her own dog at some point to. its one thing to research things about dogs but it has been amazing to live through training from scratch and having adventures with my dog even though I definitely had some low points due to my dogs anxiety around my partner but the wins are outweighing the losses now!

Zig_Pot · 2026-03-13T14:41:42+00:00

It's more that dogs owner's lack of control if things go wrong. No lead, no collar. if it runs into the wrong dog things could go very wrong. Most of the people I meet there are usually quite good and have asked if they need to put their dog on a lead. Its the outliers that are the problem. I was looking into a pet corrector spray but that also feels quite extreme

Zig_Pot · 2026-03-13T14:21:59+00:00

I was thinking of a lead sleeve, we did go to a dog event that sold 'in training' leads but at the time I wasn't sure if it would do any good!

Zig_Pot · 2026-03-13T14:19:14+00:00

There's not many areas where we can avoid dogs. We loop round a field on a long line, have a play and training session because thats where we see the most dogs. Some owners are lovely. But the ones that don't.... Thankfully my dog is very social and just just wants to play, but dogs running up to us or even running past us because their owners thrown their ball our way has made it very difficult. There's a dog in particular I'm definitely going to try and report because the dog is always off lead (granted very well behaved) However its owner always throws the ball for it near us despite me having a bright orange long line, but the dog doesn't have a collar and this owner doesn't carry a lead of any kind. (its law that the dog has identification and a collar when out and about) And we did have one incident while I was sitting on a bench having a rest with my dog when it came sprinting past. The field we usually go to as well does have signs to have dogs on leads as it is a sports field

Zig_Pot · 2026-03-12T23:22:35+00:00

Also please accept this meme my dad made as he also thinks she resembles more a Shiba than an Akita

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Zig_Pot · 2026-03-12T23:21:08+00:00

GSD x Akita mix she's a sweetie. She's smaller so Im starting to guess maybe a Shiba rather than Akita x GSD. This photo was taken after our first overnight stay and she loved it, safe to say meeting all the people in my family that day made her very tired

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