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My Australian Shepherd Expects Me to Entertain Him

by Shawnle
(Idaho)

Since my Aussie is our only dog, he expects us to entertain him by retrieving the ball instead of him. If we don’t get the ball, he will bark until we get up. I realize he is trying to herd us but it’s exhausting.

He just turned 6 years old. We have to play soccer with his wobbly ball for over an hour in the house. This is what we do in the wintertime but I had a total knee replacement surgery and I can’t play with him like this. Any thoughts?

Comments for My Australian Shepherd Expects Me to Entertain Him

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Something new
by: Anonymous

Maybe try getting him some new toys that won't require much work on your end like battery-operated toys. My Aussie likes anything that moves. Luckily she is easily entertained since I have a toddler with lots of noisy toys so they keep each other busy with toys and tug of war. I would suggest maybe a robot toy of some sort maybe a remote controlled car or a battery-powered mouse or something of the sorts. Chewy.com has a lot of different types of toys.

Try this
by: Anonymous

Get a handful of treats. Say "get the ball" or something that he seems to understand. If he barks for you to get it, turn your head and ignore him. When he picks it up praise him. When he hopefully brings it give him a treat. The first time might take a while but then he should understand. Good Luck

Aussies are Working Dogs
by: Anonymous

Your Aussie is a working dog and will get depressed if not able to work. You might consider hiring a dog walker so that at the least your friend will get a minimum of exercise during the day. They lose their lovely spirits if ignored. I suggest getting about 10 tennis balls. You can throw them from where you are sitting or play hide and seek. They love this game.

Dog smarter than owner
by: Anonymous

Sounds like the dog has you trained. 😅

Who's training who?
by: Anonymous

It sounds like your dog has assumed the role of boss. I suggest you stop giving into his demand barking. Aussies have been known to try to assume the role of pack leader in the home if they don't have a calm, consistent LEADER. You should be the one to decide when playtime begins and ends and how you will play.

If he won't fetch, you might want to research some training videos on YouTube about how to motivate him to fetch. It might be worth it to hire a dog trainer.

It might also be worth it to hire a dog walker if you or someone you know can't take him for long walks every day. A tired dog is a good dog!

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