Too Much Puppy Energy!

Three days since Cheyenne's OCD diagnosis and she is starting to walk much better. Keeping her calm has been a great challenge these days as the more we make her rest, the more she wants to get out and run like a normal Labrador Retriever puppy. Our strict orders have been:

• Crate rest for 23 out of the 24 hours in a day.
• Allowed out of the crate for bathroom (potty) runs.
• Must be taken outside to go to the bathroom on a leash only.
• No doggie daycare.
• No dog parks.
• No jumping and running with her sister, Dakota.
• Steroid/ anti-inflammatory medication once a day.
• Joint/hip supplements twice a day. (recommended)

Okay, so we haven't followed this exactly to the letter. Cheyenne has been allowed out of her crate when we are home and most of the time she is sleeping at our feet. However, when she wants to run or play rough with Dakota, we stop her immediately and give her something to chew on or do that won't cause her to run or walk too much. We haven't limited her to a leash while outside, but that is because she hasn't really wanted to run and they were quick visits to the backyard just to get her business done. She is not allowed to jump or run at all, she has been taken off the doggie daycare list, and there have been absolutely no dog park visits. The only time she has left the property was to go out to get ice cream with us while both Lab pups stayed in the backseat of the car.

Trying to get the 8-month old puppy energy out of her in ways that won't hurt her has been a daunting task. Labs are full of energy and need at least 60-90 minutes of exercise a day. If they don't get this exercise, they become upset and can begin negative behaviors such as chewing on things they are not supposed to or even causing a great deal of damage to the house. Needless to say, we have two weeks left of her crate rest and we, as humans, are getting tired very quickly. It is more of a mental than physical tiredness. It seems some creative research is in order to find out other ways of expelling this great mass of energy from that 65-pound Lab puppy body. Wish us luck!